Stargazing in Waterton Lakes National Park

Yuichi Takasaka photo

Parks Canada and astronomy volunteers are pleased to present the opportunity to watch this year’s Perseid meteor shower in Waterton Lakes National Park.  They will be set up at the Maskinonge Picnic Area on August 9, 10 and 11 from 9:30 pm to 11:00 pm, and hope to see up to 60 meteors in an hour at its peak. The meteors appear in all points of the sky and are typically fast and bright.  

These stargazing opportunities will follow the evening theatre programs at Crandell and Falls Theatres. Please bring a blanket or chair, warm clothes, binoculars or a spotting scope to fully enjoy the night sky.

Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park in the United States are pursuing designation as a Dark Sky Preserve. These two national parks already share a boundary and three joint international designations: International Peace Park (the world’s first!) , Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Now the two parks are working on a fourth designation: International Dark Sky Park / Preserve. This joint effort recognizes the very dark skies found at the two parks and makes a commitment to protecting and preserving these high-quality conditions.