Glacier National Park covers over a million acres of northern Montana mountain wilderness. Waterton Lakes National Park adds 195 square miles of the same ecosystem across the Alberta border. Together, they protect one of the most intact temperate ecosystems in North America: alpine meadows, glacially carved valleys, pristine lakes, and wildlife populations including grizzly bears, wolves, and mountain goats. The parks share the same geology - the exposed ancient sedimentary rock of the Lewis Overthrust, some of the oldest visible rock in North America, thrust atop younger formations in a geological drama visible in rainbow-striped mountain faces.

The peace park designation in 1932 created no new governance - each country administers its own side independently. What it created was symbol. The dedication ceremony brought Canadian and American dignitaries together at the border to acknowledge that this particular boundary represented friendship, not conflict. Monuments mark the international line. Visitors can walk between countries without crossing formal checkpoints within the park (though documentation is required). The peace park concept recognized what ecologists knew: the mountains, the wildlife, the watershed didn't stop at the 49th parallel.

The parks protect a Crown of the Continent ecosystem that remains largely intact because mountains made development difficult. Wildlife corridors connect Waterton-Glacier to the larger Yellowstone-to-Yukon conservation region. Grizzly bears cross the international boundary regularly; elk migrate between parks; wolves treat the border as irrelevant. The joint management acknowledges ecological reality - coordinated fire management, wildlife monitoring, and research programs recognize that protecting half an ecosystem protects nothing. The peace park model proved that conservation works better across boundaries than within them.

The parks' namesake glaciers are disappearing. Climate change has reduced Glacier's glaciers from over 150 in 1850 to roughly 25 today; most may vanish by 2030. The visible evidence of warming creates cognitive dissonance - visitors come to see glaciers in Glacier National Park and find increasingly few. Fire frequency has increased; the 2017 Kenow Fire burned 48,000 acres of Waterton. Border security concerns have added friction to what was once seamless passage. The peace park faces challenges the 1932 founders couldn't imagine: ecological change that boundaries can't stop, security concerns that boundaries embody.

Glacier National Park is accessed via West Glacier (west side) or St. Mary (east side), Montana. Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of America's most spectacular drives, crosses the park via Logan Pass (open summer only). Waterton Lakes is accessed via Cardston, Alberta. The Chief Mountain border crossing connects the parks (summer only); visitors must present passports. Glacier has lodges, campgrounds, and extensive trails. Waterton offers the townsite of Waterton Park with hotels and restaurants. Many Glacier and Waterton both offer boat tours on pristine lakes. Summer is peak season; fall brings quieter visits and autumn color. Book lodging months in advance.