Calgary, AB to Waterton, AB

177.55 Miles | 3:30 Riding Time

It’s Wednesday, June 26, 2024, and it’s Day 77 of my cross country motorcycle trip.

I was expecting today to be a bit of a utilitarian ride—gotta get from Calgary to the St Mary’s entrance of Glacier National Park. But, I was wrong. It was a beautiful ride, and Waterton Lakes is just amazing.

Glacier National Park, and particularly the Going to the Sun Road, has been a milestone/bucket list destination on this trip. Glacier is a unique park, in that it spans the US and Canada border. The Canadian portion is the Waterton Lakes National Park, and it’s gorgeous as well. If you get a chance…go!

The ride down from Calgary went through some serious ranch country. There were rolling hills, massive skies and…cows. It wasn’t twisty and it was hilly, but it was stunning. So, you know how Montana is called “Big Sky” country? Well, I haven’t been to Montana (yet), but so far the biggest skies I’ve seen are today—it’s just endless.

I stayed at the Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort, which was very nice, and just a block from “downtown” Waterton (to be fair, everything is a block from “downtown” Waterton. I walked around the International Peace Park area, took some pictures of the Prince of Wales Hotel (staying there if I ever go back), and had some dinner at the Thirsty Bear (Szechuan Lettuce Wraps), and had a good night’s sleep.

The Route