Red Rock Canyon, Waterton Lakes National Park

I was so excited to know that we would be going to Red Rock Canyon in Waterton Lakes National Park on the final day of our week's holiday. I had never been there before, but had seen photos of the beautiful red rocks that can be seen along the edge of the creek. We were also very lucky to see a Black Bear far away on one of the hillsides along the Red Rock Canyon road. Taken on 17 September 2012, on the way back to Calgary after spending seven amazing days with my friends from England, Linda and Tony, visiting Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Waterton-Glacier.

"The rock layers in Waterton are primarily eroded sediments laid down particle by particle at the bottom of an ancient sea which existed 1,500 million years ago. Evidence of this ancient seabed is provided by fossilized ripple marks and salt crystal casts. These rock layers make up the park's geological foundation.

The park's unusual red and green rocks are shaly siltstones called argillite. The red rocks contain oxidized iron; the green rocks contain unoxidized iron. Beige/grey/brown rocks are limestone or dolomite. A noticeable black band seen on the face of some park mountains, called the Purcell Sill, is igneous rock."

www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul1/a.aspx