The Rocky Mountains are a huge obstacle in the way of anyone wanting to go west into British Columbia. Can you imagine how hard it would have been to travel through the mountains before there were roads or train tracks? Early explorers followed the trails Native Americans had made through the mountain passes they discovered. There are two such passes in the Waterton Lakes area in the southwest corner of Alberta.
Akamina Pass lies on the Canada – U.S. border. The name is an Aboriginal word that means “High Bench Land.” Just to the north of Akamina Pass is South Kootenay Pass. It straddles (on each side of) the Alberta – British Columbia border.
