Canada's Alpine 'Wildflower Wonderland' Comes Alive In Spring

Spring is officially here, and soon enough, the wildflowers will be in bloom. Temperatures are still chilly in Alberta, but the province is also Canada's sunniest — and it's home to Waterton Lakes National Park, an uncrowded paradise of shimmering lakes and more than 400 species of flowering plants. These gorgeous alpine landscapes come alive as the season changes, making the area so scenic that Nature Canada dubs it "Wildflower Wonderland."

Roughly 170 miles south of Calgary, Waterton Lakes National Park is located in the region where rolling grasslands meet the towering Rocky Mountains. It's the Canadian counterpart of the neighboring Glacier National Park in Montana. (Together, the two form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, an extremely underrated and less-crowded alternative to Banff.) Waterton Lakes' picturesque alpine meadows and waterfront trails are scenic throughout the year, but they're especially striking in May and June, when a diverse variety of wildflowers enliven the park, including silky lupine, fireweed, glacier lilies, pink meadowsweet, orchids, and beargrass.

In the warm months of the year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Waterton Lakes National Park — and for many, the wildflowers are a main draw. According to Parks Canada, the best time to visit is mid-June, although they continue to bloom in higher-elevation areas of the park through July and August.

Canada's national parks agency also has some specific suggestions of the best ways to experience Waterton Lakes' wildflower wonderland. One of the hikes they recommend is a 4.6-mile out-and-back adventure on the Bellevue Trail. Moderate in difficulty with minimal elevation gain, the trail begins off Red Rock Parkway and leads you through a prairie full of spring and summer wildflowers. "Gorgeous views of prairies meeting mountains," said one hiker on AllTrails, who went on to praise the beauty of the wildflowers. The hike takes about 2.5 hours to complete. 

If you're up for a challenging spring wildflower hike on the other side of the U.S. border, check out the popular Dog Mountain in Washington state, a steep trail with jaw-dropping river views. 

If you're interested in an easy lakefront walk, try the Cameron Lakeshore trail. The 1.9-mile out-and-back hike meanders along a scenic lakeshore, featuring mountain views. In spring, there's a thrilling display of tall, fluffy beargrass, a native perennial wildflower that blooms across British Columbia and Alberta. "Lovely flowers," commented a past visitor on AllTrails. "Great reflections on lake." To find out more about scenic hikes, check out the best trails for wildflower lovers in the U.S., according to past hikers.

Another wonderful way to learn about the park's spectacular natural flower display is to sign up for a spot on The Wild Side of Flowers, a guided wildflower walk typically offered in May and June. The two-to-four-hour walk is of easy-to-moderate difficulty and highlights some of the region's rare wildflowers, including varieties that are only found locally. 

Waterton Lakes National Park is open daily year-round from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults and free for visitors ages 17 and younger (at the time of writing). There's camping available at the national park's Townsite Campground (sites from $20 per night), and you can make reservations online. Pick up picnic supplies at the nearby Rocky Mountain General Store, which also carries camping gear. The closest major airport is Calgary International, just under three hours away by car.