FLIRTING WITH CANADA

Getting friendly in British Columbia

Travel Alert 2026:

This Canada-flirting opportunity DOES NOT bring you into contact with US or Canadian customs

In case you don’t know, the problem with Canada is that they don’t allow in anyone with a past felony, passport or not.  That includes PFR’s, of course.  A few years ago I visited the International Peace Garden, which is open to Americans but part of it is in Manitoba.  I blogged about that.  Since then I’ve returned to the U.S.-Canadian border looking for other places along the US-Canada border where Americans are permitted inside a hermetically sealed little chunk of Canada.

Given the current repressive climate against PFR’s that has come to be known as the Epstein Shadow, combined with the violent climate against immigrants and others deemed suspicious at our borders, I now warn any current or formerly registered person against putting yourself in any situation where you might come into contact with U.S. Customs unless you have a valid passport in hand.

The good news about the International Peace Arch is that it’s still open to anyone, there are no check points and you need not come into contact with either US or Canadian Customs or Border Patrol.  The bad news is that, at least on the US side, the area is definitely under surveillance.  I have no doubt they ran my license plate and knew all about me by the time I returned to my car.  No one approached me or stopped me in any way, but if the whole idea gives you the creeps, maybe it’s not for you.

One thing I want to make clear is that this is just a game.  Nobody is trying to sneak across the border.  I don’t even want to do that and it would violate the rules of the game – which are that it has to be a bona fide place where any American is allowed to be without a passport.  So let’s play the game:

From the 50 State Visitor Guide : Washington State

Rev. Code Wash. 2021 §4.24.550, §§9A.44.128 through 9A.44.145.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Initial registration for permanent residents, students, and in-state workers is 3 business days from arrival; updates within 3 business days. §9A.44.130(4).

Visitors who intend to reside or be present in the state for 10 days or more must register with county sheriff within 3 business days of arrival. §9A.44.130(4)(a)(iv).

Transient registrants must re-register weekly, and report any movement to a new county for 24 hours or more within 3 business days. §9A.44.130(4).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: Certain L2 and L3 offenders on supervision may not reside within 880 ft. of a school.  §9.94A.030(6)

Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life.  Updates:  L2&3 – 90 days; L1 – Annually. §9A.44.140.

International Peace Arch – Blaine, WA

Flirt Rating – AA

International Peace Arch Park in Blaine, WA is the most open, most accessible international space I have yet visited along the US-Canadian border.  Between the two Customs buildings there is a very wide space between the northbound and southbound lanes where the Arch is located, with additional park space on the east side only – see map.  Each country also has its own provincial/state park from which its citizens access the international area.

Peace Arch State Park is only a few blocks from the last I-5 exit in Washington State, and well marked from the Interstate to the parking lot.  I arrived mid-morning on a Wednesday, and there were a few other visitors coming and going.  Here’s what the little park looks like as seen from the clubhouse & rest room building:

At left, you can see a row of houses in Canada across the street from the US park.  There is no fence.  Instead, at right, the white SUV in the parking lot is a US Border Control vehicle watching the border. (I'm the red car not far away).  I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t sit down at one of those picnic tables.

From the rest rooms, there is a concrete walkway into the International Area. This photo shows most of the park.  The Peace Arch is on the international boundary.

 

Photos of Canada taken in Canada

I took this photo of the Canadian Customs Building and later noticed that at the far left you can see Canadian citizens entering the International Area from their provincial park.

 

While visiting the Peace Arch I spoke with both Canadians and Americans who spoke wistfully about how in the old days nobody minded if groups walked the few blocks into downtown Blaine to have lunch together.  That was before the dark times ... before The Empire.  Not now of course.  Maybe we’ll get back to that spirit sometime in the future … but meanwhile, I passed a group of Americans carrying several pizzas into the International Area on their way to meet their Canadian friends.

 

Notice the now ironic mottos on the Peace Arch.  They seem almost quaint, don’t they?

Blaine, WA

As I said, downtown Blaine, WA is only a few blocks from the International Peace Arch.  It’s quaint and still retains its international feeling.  You should either have lunch there, or you should pick up your pizza there to go meet your Canadian friends at the Arch!

 FLIRTING WITH CANADA

A cross-country backpack to Alberta

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site

Travel Alert 2026:

There is a small but non-zero chance that this flirting opportunity will bring you into contact with US or Canadian customs

In case you don’t know, the problem with Canada is that they don’t allow in anyone with a past felony, passport or not. A few years ago I visited the International Peace Garden, which is open to Americans but part of it is in Manitoba.  I blogged about that.  Since then I’ve returned to the U.S.-Canadian border looking for other places along the US-Canada border where Americans are permitted inside a hermetically sealed little chunk of Canada.

Given the current repressive climate against PFR’s that has come to be known as the Epstein Shadow, combined with the violent climate against immigrants and others deemed suspicious at our borders, I now warn any current or formerly registered person against putting yourself in any situation where you might come into contact with U.S. Customs unless you have a valid passport in hand.

Although I believe the chances of coming into contact with US or Canadian Customs in the back country are small, I strongly recommend having a passport if you attempt this.  If something bizarre happens, Canada won’t let you in, but they’ll send you back, and that’s when having a passport will be really handy when going through US Customs.

One thing I want to make clear is that this is just a game.  Nobody is trying to sneak across the border.  I don’t even want to do that and it would violate the rules of the game – which are that it has to be a bona fide place where any American is allowed to be without a passport.  So let’s play the game:

From the  50 State Visitor Guide : Montana

Mont. Code Ann. 2021  §§46-23-504 through 46-23-520.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Three business days for initial registration and updates; transients shall register within 3 business days of entering state. 

Visitors: Must register within 3 business days of entering the state for a temporary residence of 10 days or more, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in calendar year.  §§46-23-504, 46-23-505.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None.

Per Montana SOR office, visitors required to register should return to the locality where registered and “check out” and will be removed from registry. Whether this system works in practice is untested.

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition to remove – T1 - 10 yrs; T2 – 25 yrs.

 Updates by mail: T1 – annual; T2 – 6 months; T3 –90 days; Transients in person- 30 days.  §§46-23-504, 56-23-506.

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site

High Adventure Rating – A+

Flirt Rating – D

One of my goals in this game has been to find at least one flirting spot for each Canadian province.  Until August 2026 I had found flirting spots for – Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick.  Alberta is a particular challenge. 

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site, known to Americans as Glacier National Park, is the obvious (and only) choice.  However, it’s a 60 mile round trip backcountry high difficulty hiking adventure to get to the Canadian border and back from the closest trailhead on Going-to-the Sun Road, which is “The Loop.”  I’m way too old to even think about this one, but if you attempt it you should do so for the love of backcountry hiking through a spectacular World Heritage Site that you as a registered person are allowed to go to – and only secondarily as a flirting opportunity.

In addition, Montana law only allows you nine days for the whole adventure, because the 10th day triggers your obligation to register.  Your first reaction might be, oh surely that’s enough time! But think about it – That’s 4 days each way plus one day to hike a loop around the international area.  Plus, you’ll have to base yourself in Idaho, the closest neighboring state, a half day drive from the trailhead.  If you divide 30 miles by 3 1/2 days, you get about 8 1/2 miles per full day.

I hear someone thinking, okay, well that’s not too bad.  But just keep in mind, every step is high difficulty backpacking.  Be realistic – how far can you get in one day? How about nine days?  Plus, you’re going to have to pack in all 9 days of supplies, because you can’t stop in Watertown, Alberta for supplies halfway through because if you do you’ll just get deported. 

However … I’ve been thinking, that might not be a bad way of cutting the trip in half, right?  Hike the 30 mile trail to Waterton, turn yourself in and really, the only consequence is you get deported on Day 5.  Now you have all the time you need in Montana for arrival and departure.  But I sure wouldn’t do that without a passport to show US Customs when the Canadians drop you off on Chief Mountain International Highway (MT Hwy 17).  Also wouldn’t hurt to have someone waiting to pick you up.

One last comment:  Obviously you’re not going on a 30 mile high difficulty hike in the wilderness by yourself.  That’s a good way to get eaten.  So my advice is, anybody in your group who has any past felony should definitely have a passport when attempting this.  But … anybody in your group with a clean record should probably leave their passport at home – so you all can be deported together.

As part of my research I stopped at the St. Mary Visitor Center and approached the young lady behind the reception desk.  I told her exactly what I was doing, with the only generalization being that I said my website is aimed at “people with past felonies.”  Which is completely true.  Then I asked:

“If I was to hike up there, at what point would I actually encounter Canadian Customs?  I mean, they don’t have some guy sitting at a desk at the border, right?”  Answer: No, they don’t.  But you’ll definitely encounter them in Waterton.

Looking at the map, you’ll see I have labeled the area between the US checkpoint at Goat Haunt Ranger Station and the Canadian checkpoint in Waterton as “Land Between the Ranger Stations.”  This is the open border zone. 

The rest of Glacier National Park

The first thing you should know about Glacier National Park is that it is, of course, magnificent.  In 2023 the clouds shrouded the jagged mountains such that I thought I must be taking the road tour through Middle Earth.  Unfortunately in 2026 the air was smokey.  At the mountain peaks (the U.S. Continental Divide) it was cold even at mid-day – I was glad I’d brought gloves and winter clothing just in case.  However, the sad news is that due to global warming there are few glaciers in Glacier National Park, at least when I was there in August 2026.

 

Fabulous mountains, but on a smokey day with just a couple of tiny glaciers

The second thing you should know is that as with most great national parks, this one can be very crowded during peak season.  In 2023 I was distressed to find they were only allowing “reserved admissions” during daily peak hours.  However, if you get there early like I did in 2026 there was no problem.

 

Amazing animals and fields of flowers

Nevertheless Glacier National Park was quite crowded that day.  I found it impossible to find parking anywhere close to the main visitor center at Logan Pass.  In fact people were parking street-side over half a mile away, so I had to skip that even though it meant missing out on a freezing cold mountaintop tundra hike. With some effort I was able to find parking at other stops along the main park road.

Waterfalls

Perhaps this is why Glacier runs frequent shuttle bus service along the length of the main road all the way from Agpar Visitor Center to St. Mary’s.  It has stops at every major point of interest along the park road. The only catch is you’ll need to plan your trip so you park at the big parking lot at one of the park entrances and return there at the end of the day to continue on your Pacific Northwest journey.

Regional Fruit:  Huckleberry

Gift shop displays at and around Glacier National Park feature huckleberry jams, candy bars, taffies, pancake mixes and syrups.    Most native people of the region, including the Blackfeet Tribe just east of Glacier, have also adopted the huckleberry as their tribal fruit.  It’s all made by the same company with different labels.  Choose which national park or tribe you wish to support with your tourist dollars.

PS – Huckleberry bits dark chocolate bar – YES!

 

 Montana

Kootenai Falls State Park

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

Mont. Code Ann. 2021  §§46-23-504 through 46-23-520.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Three business days for initial registration and updates; transients shall register within 3 business days of entering state.  

Visitors: Must register within 3 business days of entering the state for a temporary residence of 10 days or more, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in calendar year.  §§46-23-504, 46-23-505.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition to remove – T1 - 10 yrs; T2 – 25 yrs.

 Updates by mail: T1 – annual; T2 – 6 months; T3 –90 days; Transients in person- 30 days.  §§46-23-504, 56-23-506.

Most recent visit - August 2026

Triceratops skulls at the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman MT

For registered visitors Montana is a relative safe haven among Northwestern states.  While it’s true that anyone moving to this state must register within three business days, if you are only visiting you get nine consecutive days to visit (because the tenth day triggers your obligation to register) and return visits are permitted up to 30 days aggregate per calendar year.  Furthermore, there are no residency or presence restrictions to be concerned about, at least at the state level.

All this means that Montana is your best staging point for a visit to Yellowstone National Park.  Wyoming, where most of Yellowstone is located, allows you only two consecutive business days in-state (because the third day triggers).  So stage yourself in nearby Montana on a Thursday, enter Yellowstone early on Friday (in both states any partial day in-state is going to count toward your total, so make the most of those first and last partial days), enjoy America’s most famous national park over the weekend, and return to Montana late on Monday.  

I visited Montana twice in 2025, first in July when I visited Yellowstone over a weekend as described above.  See my Yellowstone/Wyoming blog entry.  The second time was in early September, when I camped at Ft. Peck Recreation area.  On that trip I also visited the Nakota/Dakota Nation (Ft. Peck reservation).  See my Lakota Nations blog entry.

 In August 2026 I spent five days, including two partial days, traveling through Montana as part of my 2026 Pacific Northwest road trip.  Partial Day 1 I entered Montana from Wyoming on I-90 and easily found a campsite – with no reservation on a Wednesday night – at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, which is within the Crow Nation.    See Crow Nation under “Montana’s Native Nations” below.

Day 2 I traveled north on US 87 and US 191, passing through the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.  This enormous NWR also includes many recreation opportunities.  In 2025 I had camped at Ft. Peck Recreation area, over 100 miles to the east, while visiting the Nakota/Dakota Nation (Ft. Peck reservation).  To the west, Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is also part of this complex.

 

Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Phillips County Museum

That day I also visited Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Phillips County Museum (which also has dinosaurs).  They are next door to each other in Malta, MT.  That night I found a motel in Harlem, the anglo town just outside Fort Belknap Aaniih & Nakota Nation, which I visited the next morning.  See my Lakota Nations blog entry.

Day 3 I continued west on US 2 with my only aim being my reserved campsite at Red Eagle Campground in the Blackfeet Nation.  See Blackfeet Nation under “Montana’s Native Nations” below.  Day 4 was Glacier National Park.

Mountains shrouded in clouds at Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site is one of the most spectacular places in North America, and most of it is in Montana.  A smaller part is in Alberta.

Siyeh Creek, Glacier National Park

However, as you can see in its name, it’s an International Peace Park, which I visited on Day 4 in Montana.  In addition to having a great day in a national park I researched the Canada-flirting opportunities available to visitors.  I will be reporting on all that in my next blog post as part of my Flirting With Canada Series.  That evening I had a reserved campsite in Kootenai National Forest, west of Glacier

Partial Day 5 I was on my way to Washington State, but on my way I stopped to have a look at a couple of small towns:

Small town notes

Eureka – A little better than average.  A lot of mobile homes, but well-maintained.

Libby – I have to say, the Eagle at their main intersection is impressive (see photo). However, what was originally supposed to be a grand promenade through the neighborhood is neither grand nor promenady. You know what I’m talking about, Libby.

Roundup – Prosperous anglo agricultural town named after a dangerous chemical.

Chester – Another prosperous anglo agricultural town, this time named after fast food chicken franchise.

Regional Fruit:  Huckleberry

As you travel through Montana you’ll see gift shop displays for huckleberry jams, candy bars, taffies, pancake mixes and syrups.  Most native people of the region have also adopted the huckleberry as their tribal fruit.  It’s all made by the same company with different labels.  Choose which national park or tribe you wish to support with your tourist dollars.

PS – Huckleberry bits dark chocolate bar – YES!

Montana's Native Nations

Crow Nation

I have visited the Crow Nation twice, most recently in August 2026.  I entered Montana from Wyoming on I-90 and easily found a campsite – with no reservation on a Wednesday night – at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, which is within the Crow Nation.  Bighorn Canyon NRA is part of the Yellowtail Dam Hydroelectric Project.  I hope they got a favorable deal on electricity in return for drowning the Bighorn Canyon.

The little dam town of Fort Smith is a prim and proper anglo town. The following morning I took a look around.  As usual, the agricultural economy is similar to it’s surroundings, which in this case appears to be adequate.  The principle tribal town is Crow Agency.  It is a picture of reservation poverty.  So is Lodge Grass.

Native memorial at Little Big Horn National Monument, Crow Reservation

The Crow Nation does have a couple of things going for it.  Ready access to electric power is one.  I-90 going right through their nation is another. Just east of I-90 on US 212, the Crow Nation is the home of Little Bighorn National Monument, which I visited in 2023.  This monument was established not by the Crow, but by the American government.  Therefore most of the original monuments and displays were pretty tone deaf to any native point of view. 

Fortunately most of that cowboys & indians mentality has been removed over time.  There is a memorial honoring the tribal warriors who fought and died here (and celebrating the victory).

Blackfeet Nation

August 2026 was my second time visiting the Blackfeet Nation, and my second time staying at Red Eagle Campground, which is in the Blackfeet Nation on SR 49 about 45 minutes from the east entrance to Glacier National Park. Also, the second time I had to settle for that crappy little drive thru restaurant in Browning because there are so few food options there.

Museum of the Plains Indian at Blackfeet Nation

Browning is the Tribal Headquarters town and has all the facilities and symbolism you would expect there.  It also has the Museum of the Plains Indian and I would have liked to have seen that but unfortunately it was already closed for the night.  Browning is also another case of reservation poverty.  On the other hand, as usual, the ranchland economy of this large native nation appears in good shape.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead

In 2023 I traveled through the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Nation.  Being curious, I stopped in the little tribal town of Hot Springs to see if there was really a hot spring there, which there is but unfortunately it was long ago privatized and incorporated into what’s by now a fleabag hotel.  

National Bison Range, Flathead Nation

The principle town of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Nation is Polson, but it’s not really a tribal town.  It’s really an anglo enclave town with all manner of commercial chains, hotels, fast food and recreation infrastructure geared around Flathead Lake, which despite its name has nothing to do with the Flathead Nation.  It’s a lake created by a hydro-electric dam.

My last stop at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Nation was the National Bison Range, which redeemed every other disappointment of the day.  It’s great!  It was unclear which “nation” is referred to in the name, but I do hope it’s the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation and not the United States.

Nakota/Dakota Nation (Ft. Peck reservation) and Fort Belknap Aaniih & Nakota Nation

See my Lakota Nations blog entry.