The beauty of the Canadian Rockies is something that can’t be fully captured with a camera.
You have to be there to truly understand the immensity of the mountains and the power of a glacier. You have to be there to look into a lake and see straight to the bottom because the water is perfectly clear. You have to be there to hike back into the mountains and encounter fields of wildflowers and tumbling waterfalls.
I was there once, when I was 10 or 11. I didn’t remember much from that trip, except that it was a beautiful place I wanted to return to.
(That, and the fact that the wind permanently bent our tent poles.)
Located just across the border from the beautiful Glacier National Park, Waterton is so often overlooked. I think it ends up falling in the shadow of the larger and much more famous Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks.
And while I’ve been to all three and can’t deny their incredible beauty, I maintain that Waterton Lakes has just as much to offer.
I’ve now visited the park four times, and though all four visits were fairly short, I’ve still managed to see a decent amount of the park. And I recently realized that while I’d written about three of these trips, I never actually shared anything from our most recent one.
So rather than add yet another Waterton Lakes post to what has become a haphazard collection, I’ve decided to combine all my visits into one place and present the information in a much more organized fashion.
Table of contents
- Entering the park
- Park map
- Where to stay
- Waterton Townsite
- Akamina Parkway
- Red Rock Parkway
- Crypt Lake
- Safety in Waterton
Entering the park
The entrance to Waterton Lakes National Park is located about 30 minutes west of Cardston, Alberta via Highway 5 or 30 minutes north of the US-Canada Chief Mountain Port of Entry on Highway 6.
Overnight and during the winter, the Chief Mountain Port of Entry is closed; the next closest border crossing is Carway, which is quite a distance east and will double the length of your drive from the border to the park.
Coming from Chief Mountain, the road ascends to Waterton Valley Viewpoint, with views of Lower and Middle Waterton Lakes. As soon as you cross the border into Canada, you’re inside the park. However, from this overlook it’s still a short distance to the official entrance station.
There is a daily per person fee (for adults; kids are free) to enter Waterton Lakes National Park, or you can present a Parks Canada pass.
Park map
Where to stay
The town of Waterton is located inside the park, right on the shore of Upper Waterton Lake. Within the town are hotels, cabins, and many other lodging options.
The largest campground in the park – Townsite Campground – is also right in town. According to the website, the campground is technically open year round, though it’s not plowed and services are not available in the winter. From roughly April-October, however, almost 250 sites with amenities, including showers and hookups, are available.
Other camping options include the much smaller Belly River Campground just a few miles from the Chief Mountain Port of Entry, or Crooked Creek Campground just east of the park entrance station. I’ve never stayed at either of these, so I can’t provide any insight.
Backcountry camping is also available in Waterton Lakes but requires a reservation.
Waterton Townsite
Also in town are restaurants, shops, parks, picnic areas, and the Waterton Lakes Visitor Center.
In August 2017, the Kenow Fire ignited west of Waterton Lakes and spread quickly into the park. Much of the park burned, including the old visitor center. In the aftermath, a new visitor center was constructed at the intersection of Windflower Ave and Cameron Falls Drive in the center of town (here is a town map).
I remember hearing about this fire when it happened. It is, of course, always devastating when such a beautiful place burns to the ground. But it wasn’t until I saw with my own two eyes how expansive the fire was and how close it came to the town, that it really sunk in.
Honestly, it’s amazing the destruction wasn’t substantially worse. It’s a testament to the tireless work of the firefighters that most of the town was saved.
Prince of Wales Lodge
One thing firefighters worked very hard to save was the historic Prince of Wales Lodge, which sits atop the hill separating Upper and Middle Waterton Lakes. I’ve never stayed at the lodge, but I want to on my next visit to Waterton.
If you’re not a guest you can’t go beyond the lobby, but I still think it’s worth popping up the hill to take a look around. Plus, the view from out back is, in my opinion, the best view of Upper Waterton Lake.
Linnet Lake
Just behind and below Prince of Wales Lodge is the small, calm Linnet Lake. A trail encircles the lake, and makes for a nice leisurely stroll through the trees (though I believe this area also burned in the Kenow Fire; the photo below was taken years earlier).
(Hike stats: 1 km/0.6 miles with almost no elevation gain.)
Bear’s Hump
Across the street from Prince of Wales Lodge is a short steep trail to a high point called the Bear’s Hump. It wasn’t until my most recent visit to Waterton that I finally completed this trail, and though we really had to work for it – it’s an uphill climb almost from the first step – we were very much rewarded for our efforts.
The trail zigzags back and forth as it gains elevation, meandering through a combination of burned out old tree trunks and bright green new growth. There’s no shade, so though we began our hike first thing in the morning, the heat plus the lack of shade had us sweating in no time.
But eventually we reached the top, and found ourselves staring across the town of Waterton and Middle and Upper Waterton lakes to the rugged mountains beyond.
This might just be one of the best views in Waterton!
And as the cherry on top, on the way back down we saw a bear!
(Hike stats: 2.8 km/1.8 miles roundtrip with 225 m/740 feet of elevation gain.)
Cameron Falls
My mom and I stumbled upon Cameron Falls completely by accident on our trip to Waterton years ago, having taken a wrong turn on the way back to our campsite.
On my more recent Waterton trip, we visited Cameron Falls on purpose. We spent a few minutes admiring the unique pattern of the tumbling water and then ascended the trail to the brink. It’s not a long walk, though it is a bit of a climb. Flip flops definitely weren’t the best choice of footwear.
(Hike stats: 0.3 km/0.2 miles with 16 m/55 feet of elevation gain to the viewpoint above the falls.)
Upper Waterton Lake
And of course, no visit to Waterton is complete without spending some time on the lakeshore.
If you’re staying at Townsite Campground, you can reach the lake on foot from your campsite. Otherwise, there is plenty of parking throughout the town, and the lake will never be more than a few blocks away.
Hikes to Bertha Falls, Bertha Lake, and Alderson/Carthew Lakes also depart from the western edge of town. I’ve yet to hike any of these trails.
Akamina Parkway
From the Waterton Townsite and entrance road, two parkways branch off and head deeper into the park.
Akamina Parkway curves around behind Cameron Falls, paralleling Cameron Creek for 16 km (10 miles) to its origin at Cameron Lake.
Crandell Lake
Roughly 7 km (4 miles) up the parkway is the southern trailhead for Crandell Lake (it can also be accessed from the Red Rock Parkway and both trails are approximately equidistant).
When I visited Waterton with my mom, this hike was a somewhat spontaneous addition to the very end of our day. Thankfully it’s not too long, though it’s a very undulating trail; we’d already hiked quite a few miles that day, so our legs didn’t love all the ups and downs.
When we reached the lake, though, we declared it worth the effort.
(Hike stats: 3.6 km/2.2 mi roundtrip with 75 m/245 feet of elevation gain.)
Akamina-Kishenina
Continuing up the Akamina Parkway, we come to the trails to Rowe Lakes and Lineham Lakes, which I haven’t hiked. Yet.
(As I’m writing this post, I’m realizing my next visit to Waterton needs to be more than just 2-3 days. So many lakes, so little time. But I digress.)
Almost at the end of the road now, we’ve reached the Akamina Pass Trail. This wasn’t a trail my mom and I were initially considering hiking, but after consulting our map and realizing British Columbia was only 1.6 km (1 mile) away, we obviously had to go.
It was a fairly quick and easy walk, so much so that we didn’t realize until we arrived that we were actually on top of the Continental Divide.
Across the border in British Columbia is Akamina-Kishenina Provincial Park. Since we were already in the park and Forum Falls was only another few minutes down the trail, we figured we might as well go take a look.
If we’d had more time and weren’t trying to save our legs for a strenuous hike the next day, we would’ve continued onto Forum Lake and Wall Lake. Yet another hike to add to the list for next time.
(Hike stats: 3 km/1.9 miles roundtrip to Akamina Pass with 125 m/405 ft of elevation gain. Add about 2 km/1.2 miles and 42 m/140 feet of elevation gain for Forum Falls.)
Cameron and Summit Lakes
And finally, we’ve reached the end of the Akamina Parkway and yet another collection of lakes. Akamina Lake is just a 5-minute walk to the north (and rather underwhelming).
Cameron Lake, on the other hand, is lovely! It’s also easily accessible from the parking lot; no hiking required.
When I visited Waterton with some friends many years back, we decided we did want to hike. So we donned our hiking boots, grabbed our backpacks and bear spray, and headed up the trail to Summit Lake.
The trail is initially relatively flat before ascending through a series of switchbacks up to the top of a plateau and then descending slightly to Summit Lake.
Summit Lake is much smaller than Cameron Lake, nestled in a bowl between Mount Custer and Mount Carthew. Despite being mid-July, we found ourselves walking through snow as we approached the lake, and the air temperature had dropped quite noticeably.
(Hike stats: 8.6 km/5.3 mi roundtrip with 380 m/1250 feet) of elevation gain to Summit Lake.)
Red Rock Parkway
While Akamina Parkway curves around to the south, Red Rock Parkway heads north, traveling about 15 km (9.5 miles) to Red Rock Canyon. Aside from the northern Crandell Lake Trailhead and a couple picnic areas, there aren’t many stops to make along the way.
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon is aptly named, and walking up the canyon in the creek bed is a popular activity, despite the numerous signs asking people to stay on the trail.
There are trails along both rims of the canyon, connected by a bridge to create a short loop. It’s been almost 15 years since I hiked this trail, so I unfortunately don’t remember any other details.
(Hike stats: 0.7 km/0.4 mile loop with minimal elevation gain.)
Blakiston Falls
Heading off in the other direction is a trail along Blakiston Creek to Blakiston Falls. I’ve only hiked as far as the overlook of this 11 m (35 foot) falls, though the trail extends quite a distance into the backcountry.
(Hike stats: 2 km/1.2 mi round trip with minimal elevation gain.)
Crypt Lake
And finally, we’ve saved the best – and also the most challenging – for last.
Reaching Crypt Lake requires taking a boat across Upper Waterton Lake, hiking 17 km (10.5 miles) with roughly 700 m (2,300 feet) of elevation gain, and navigating a lot of switchbacks, a ladder, a tunnel, and a very narrow section of trail with chains drilled into the mountainside as a hand rail.
It’s also packed full of incredible views, lots of waterfalls, and, of course, the ultimate destination: Crypt Lake, located way up in the mountains on the border of the US and Canada.
It’s one of my favorite hikes of all time, and I can’t wait to return to Waterton and hike this trail again so my husband can experience it as well.
In the meantime, more photos and a detailed description of the hike can be found here.
(Hike stats: 17 km/10.5 miles roundtrip with 700 m/2300 feet of elevation gain.)
Safety
Waterton Lakes is bear country. Both black and grizzly bears live in the park and can be encountered anywhere at any time – including when you’re in town. Proper bear safety protocols are always required. This includes:
- Never leaving food, drinks, or any other scented items (cooler, dishes, tablecloth, pet food, toiletries, sunscreen, chapstick, etc.) unattended for any period of time. This means locking your car and rolling up the windows if any of these items are inside; bears will not hesitate to open unlocked doors or pry their way in through a partially open window.
- Never bringing any of the above listed items into your tent or soft-sided camp trailer.
- Carrying bear spray (and knowing how to use it).
- Always traveling in groups of two or more and making noise so bears can hear you coming. Bear bells aren’t loud enough. However, talking, clapping, singing, etc. is sufficient. Keep in mind that if it’s windy, raining, or you’re near running water, you’ll need to up the noise level to ensure you can be heard.
Waterton is home to many other wild animals as well, ranging from chipmunks and squirrels (cute though they are, please don’t feed them; human food makes them sick) to birds and bats to deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep. The rule of thumb is a good guide to ensure you’re viewing these animals from a safe distance.
Aside from wildlife, the main safety concerns in Waterton Lakes are weather and terrain.
Mountain weather is unpredictable and rapidly-changing; it’s important to always be prepared for thunderstorms, wind, rain, and sudden changes in temperature. Never set out on a hike without packing some extra layers, and keep an eye on the sky to ensure you’re not out in the open or on a high point during a thunderstorm.
Speaking of hiking, outside of the Waterton townsite there are no amenities and phone service is limited to non-existent. When you’re on the trail you’ll need to be completely self-sufficient. This means wearing sturdy footwear and carrying a backpack with adequate water, food, clothing, and the Ten Essentials.
In addition, it’s important to know your route, let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to return, and be able to navigate varied and often strenuous mountain terrain. Carry a satellite SOS device if you have one.
Wrap up
Hopefully by now I’ve convinced you that Waterton Lakes is worth a visit. Although it sits in the shadow of Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks, it’s a beautiful place of its own and well deserving of its national park status. It’s also part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first such park in the world!
So if you’re planning a trip to Glacier National Park or making the journey to the Canadian Rockies, I hope you consider adding at least a couple days to your trip so you can spend some time exploring the mountains, lakes, and waterfalls of Waterton Lakes National Park.
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