Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes is the extension of Glacier National Park into Canada. Although part of the same mountain range as Glacier, Waterton Lakes National Park is actually very different in many ways. Our venture north of the border, to our first ever Canadian national park, started here.

Coming from the busy and geographically immense, Glacier National Park, Waterton was a breath of fresh air. The park itself is only 195 square miles and it is all centered within the small village of Waterton. We found it strange (from US standards) having a town within the national park but that’s what makes this destination so unique and quaint. Only 158 people call Waterton home year round, but in the summertime that number can reach up to 2,000.

The town of Waterton is situated right on Upper Waterton Lake with a a beautiful mountain background and plenty of areas to chill on the beach or take a leisurely cruise in a kayak. On the town’s main drag, which is a short walk from the Townsite RV Park, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to satisfy all of the clan both young and old. One of our favorite finds was Wieners of Waterton for an authentic dog and fried pickles. My only complaint (as a Chicago native) was that there were no tomatoes within there spread of homemade toppings.

One of the more iconic places in Waterton is the nearly 100 year old Prince of Wales hotel which is a popular place for afternoon tea. We opted for morning breakfast instead, but no matter what your pleasure, this should be a stop on your itinerary for the beauty of both the hotel and the views out into Waterton Lake. Driftwood Beach is just on the other side of the bay from the hotel, and provides those epic views of the Prince of Wales.

The park itself consists of three main roads to get around and see all the sites. I might add, that the park is very bicycle friendly for you cyclist out there, but some strenuous hill climbing is involved in many of the areas. Red Rock Parkway travels north and west to the Red Rock Canyon area. Akamina Parkway takes you east and south to Cameron Lake. And finally, Chief Mountain Highway (Highway 6) travels west and south to the US border and a popular way into the park from Glacier. We drove the complete park and experienced much of the natural beauty, even with the park recovering from the devastating Keno fire in 2017.

In addition to just driving the park and enjoying the views along the way, we particularly enjoyed the following:

Waterton Lake

Or to be specific, Upper Waterton Lake, is a beautiful spot right in the town of Waterton. Hang out on the beach, rent a kayak or take a tour boat to the other end of the lake which is actually in the US. Being center to everything you can’t miss this lake, it’s just a matter of how much you want to experience it. We loved just hanging out on the (rock) beach for a relaxing afternoon.

Driftwood Beach

It’s just a little cove on Upper Waterton Lake, but allows you a bit more seclusion and an amazing unobstructed view of the Prince of Wales hotel.

Cameron Falls

Not only did we have deer roaming through our RV park but we also had a gorgeous waterfall on the backside of the park. This was a great treat, literally in our own backyard. Beautiful waterfall!

Cameron Lake

This was one of our favorite places in Waterton. Cameron lake is at the end of Akamina Parkway and situated in a beautiful mountain setting. This was one of the few areas not impacted by the Kenow fire so the added greenery just adds to the awesomeness. As you look out to the far end of the lake you are actually looking at Glacier National Park in the US.

Bear’s Hump

For one of the best views of Waterton Lakes, a hike to the Bears Hump is a must. The trail is only 1.5 miles round trip but its a steep 698 foot elevation gain over that short distance. The payoff at the end is an amazing view of Upper Waterton lake, the surrounding mountains and the town below. I did this hike at sunset and it was amazing.

Lower Bertha Falls

This was a nice hike directly from our campground. Although the falls are nothing special the hike was very enjoyable with an optional extension to Bertha Lake. It was a clear morning when we started the hike, but once at the Falls an eerie blanket of smoke from a nearby fire enveloped the sky. There was no initial smell from the fire, but the sun nearly disappeared as if there was a solar eclipse. It made for a unique experience.

Crandell Lake

This hidden mountain lake can be hiked from either Red Rock Parkway or Akamina Parkway. Either way it’s about a 3-3.5 mile hike. It’s a sweet spot and we only saw a few people on the trail and that’s always a bonus in a national park.

Red Rock Canyon

At the end of Red Rock Parkway is Red Rock Canyon. A half mile stroll takes you around the canyon, or as many others do, you can walk along the canyon floor and enjoy the water while doing some rock scrambling. We found an area were the dogs could do a little swimming to satisfy Bear’s inner fish.

Blakiston Falls

At the same location as Red Rock Canyon is this impressive waterfall. It’s just a short hike to a couple different viewing platforms. There’s even a spot upstream where you can take a dip in the ice cold water, for those so daring.

On my “go back” list is the Crypt Lake Trail, which has been named one of the most thrilling hikes in the world and one of the best trails in Canada. It takes a short boat ride to get to the 11.7 mile trail which climbs almost 3,000 feet in elevation. You hike along a narrow mountain edge, climb a ladder and hike through a natural tunnel, with great views along the way and a lake to boot! Wow, I just had regrets again for not getting to this.

My advice to anyone visiting Glacier National Park or Banff National Park is to not miss Waterton Lakes. It’s such a refreshing change from the other busy national parks, and the whole quant village center really makes it special. Whether you RV or not, you will want to stay in Waterton to have the full experience, and especially because there’s not much else around. You don’t need a lot of time to see this national park, but once there you just may not want to leave.

Check out our pictures from Waterton Lakes National Park.