Last Updated on: 8th April 2024, 12:51 am
Waterton Lakes is located in southern Alberta, just across the border from Glacier National Park. The two parks, in fact, make up the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. But those basing themselves at Glacier may be wondering: Is visiting Waterton Lakes National Park for a day worth it?
If you only have two or three days in the Glacier area, then no. There’s so much to see on the Montana side that you wouldn’t be missing much by skipping Waterton Lakes.
On the other hand, if you’re spending several days at Glacier and also planning on doing a few grueling hikes, a day at Waterton Lakes National Park is a great way to break things up.
While the park won’t wow you as much as Glacier, it’s a pleasant place to enjoy various overlooks, short hikes and a boat tour without breaking much of a sweat.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering how to spend a day at the park, while you can also learn more about local lodging and reaching Waterton Lakes from within Canada at the end of the article.
Entering Waterton Lakes From Glacier
The best base for visiting Waterton Lakes National Park during your stay in Glacier would be the town of Babb, situated on the park’s east side. From Babb, it’s less than a 30-minute drive to the international border.
You could also get to the border from the town of St. Mary or from the park’s Many Glacier district (learn more below).
The border crossing is pretty laidback, but expect to be asked a number of questions (getting back into the US is another story). At the time of writing, park entry costs $21 CAD, though they do accept American dollars.
Driving along Alberta Highway 6, you’ll pass by the Maskinonge Overlook, which offers beautiful views of some local wetlands. While I didn’t see anything, it’s said to be a prime spot for wildlife watching.
Turning left onto Highway 5, be sure to make a stop at Driftwood Beach. While, as the name suggests, it’s basically a beach full of driftwood, it’s from here that you can catch one of the best views of the Prince of Wales Hotel – the park’s unofficial symbol.
The hotel, established in 1923, was actually built by the American Great Northern Railway Company rather than a Canadian one. But we’ll be taking a look at the hotel later on, so keep reading to learn more details.
Continuing along the highway, you’ll pass by the entrance to the hotel. But if you’re interested in taking a boat tour, it would be wise to head straight to town to buy your ticket.
Yes, Waterton Lakes National Park is centered around an actual town, often called the Waterton Lakes Township. While it is indeed quite touristy, it’s a real, authentic town with nearly 100 permanent residents.
If you’re following this itinerary, think of the town as your main hub for the park’s various attractions. You’ll be coming back to it several times throughout the day, so don’t feel the need to fully explore it right away.
In my case, I headed straight for the marina to buy tickets for the Goat Haunt boat tour, with the next tour starting at 10:00. With over an hour to kill but not wanting to get too sidetracked, we passed the time at a local coffee shop.
Though I’d go there later in the day, looking back, we should’ve used the free time to visit Cameron Falls. The falls are just a short drive out of town and they’re situated right next to a parking lot.
The Goat Haunt Boat Tour
One of the most popular activities in Waterton Lakes National Park is taking a boat tour run by the Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co.
One of these boats acts as a shuttle taking people to the trailhead of the Crypt Lake Hike, though you wouldn’t have time to fit that in with the other things in this itinerary (more below).
The most popular tour takes people to a place called Goat Haunt, which is actually part of Glacier – not Waterton Lakes!
At the time of my visit, Goat Haunt tours were only running at 10:00 and 16:00 and cost a rather exorbitant $85 CDN per person. The tour lasts a little over two hours. Learn more here.
The Crypt Lake Hike
As mentioned, most of the activities featured in this guide to Waterton Lakes are on the easy and relaxing side. But while not covered here, the park is also home to the Crypt Lake Trail – often touted as Canada’s top hike.
According to our boat tour guide, it’s a thrilling hike that involves ladders and tunnels. The total hike is 18.8 km (11.6 miles) long and takes a whopping 6.5 hours to complete on average. Needless to say, you’ll have to make special plans and preparations for this hike, especially if you’re coming from Glacier.
In the summer of 2023, Crypt Lake Hike shuttle boats were departing from the marina at 8:30 and 9:00, with return pickups at 15:30 and 17:30. This should give you just enough time to complete the hike.
Our boat consisted of two levels. Only twenty people were allowed to sit up top, while everyone else had to sit at the bottom. So if you’re interested in an upper seat, be sure to line up early.
Stuck with a bottom seat, I mistakenly chose to sit on the left hand side. But in terms of lighting, this turned out to be the wrong choice, so try to sit toward the right if you’re departing in the morning and want to take photos.
Our guide was a local who grew up in the area. And along the way, he explained various interesting bits of trivia and history. For example, Waterton Lakes is often considered the windiest part of North America, but we were lucky to not have much wind that day.
Our guide also pointed out evidence of a massive fire that broke out due to a lightning strike several years ago, destroying many of the trees in the area.
As mentioned above, Goat Haunt, the final destination of this tour, lies in Glacier. That means that this tour actually takes you across the international border! Fortunately, there’s no need to go through customs and immigration during the excursion.
The international border here is marked by a long line of trees cut down in the middle of the forest. You’ll also pass by some obelisks marking the boundaries of each country.
After about 45 minutes, we arrived at our destination: Goat Haunt. Here we’d have about thirty minutes to briefly explore the area. But what exactly is Goat Haunt?
Glacier National Park is home to numerous districts, including Many Glacier, Two Medicine, North Fork, and Going-to-the-Sun Road. But apparently, Goat Haunt exists outside of any of these, functioning as its own little district. But it’s so remote that it seldom ever gets mentioned!
The Goat Haunt Ranger Station holds the distinction of being of the most remote stations in the United States. And walking around, we encountered the ranger station as well as some lodgings for the rangers that get stationed here.
Goat Haunt is also the starting point for various hikes, ranging from 2-11 km (1-7 miles). As one of the most remote parts of Glacier National Park, some hikers come here for its lack of development and solitude.
As the boat from Waterton Lakes is the easiest way to access Goat Haunt, some hikers take it specifically for that reason. Many bring tents with them to camp at some of Glacier’s more remote campsites.
If you’re doing so, you’ll need to report your entry to the US via a special app. Apparently, only Canadian and US citizens are allowed to enter the country this way. Learn more here.
Bear's Hump
Back at the marina, you’ll have several different options as to where to go next. Of course, one good option is grabbing lunch at one of the town’s numerous restaurants.
Next, I decided to do a hike called Bear’s Hump. Knowing it would be the most difficult and strenuous activity of the day, I wanted to get it over worth early.
But as I’d soon learn, the lighting isn’t ideal at midday, and the views likely look best in the late afternoon.
The roundtrip hike is 2.4 km (1.5 mile) with an elevation gain of 225 m (738 ft). So while short, the hike is quite steep the entire way. But is the effort worth it?
At the top, you’ll be greeted with a spectacular view of the town, lakes and nearby mountains. It’s arguably the top overlook at Waterton Lakes and is well worth the effort. As mentioned, however, it probably looks best later in the day.
Of course, what goes up must come down, so you’ll have to return via the same series of steep switchbacks. It’s not exactly easy on the knees, so you’ll want to take things slow.
On the topic of hikes, you’ll always want to carry bear spray on you at Waterton Lakes, just as you would at Glacier.
The Prince of Wales Hotel
The Prince of Wales Hotel was built in the Rustic style of architecture, the common style found throughout many US National Parks. As mentioned above, even though this is Canada, the hotel was constructed by the American Great Northern Railway Company in 1923.
In fact, its original design was meant to mimic the Many Glacier Hotel across the border.
While, like the Many Glacier Hotel, the Prince of Wales Hotel was inspired by Swiss Chalets, it takes on an entirely different color scheme. It’s also considerably smaller, with its rooms designed to offer clear views of the hotel’s surroundings.
On that note, you might even want to consider staying here.
Stepping inside, you’ll notice how the large windows of the lobby reach up to two stories, offering clear views of Upper Lake Waterton.
One popular activity that’s often touted in guides to Waterton Lakes is having a tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel. But, even though a bit of food was included, they were charging an outrageous $49 CDN per person! (No, that’s not a typo.)
One wonders if it’s always been so expensive, or if it’s a result of the hyperinflation Canada is experiencing these days. Anyway, I decided to move on and explore other parts of the park.
Cameron Lake
Not to be confused with Cameron Falls just outside of town, Cameron Lake is about a 25-minute drive from the Prince of Wales Hotel. Frankly speaking, it’s not worth it, and this is the only attraction in this guide I’d recommend you skip.
The lake itself is nothing spectacular, and it’s largely a place for families to come and rent kayaks and canoes. Of course, if that’s how you want to spend your afternoon, then you’ll certainly enjoy Cameron Lake.
Thinking there might be some interesting hiking trails nearby, I briefly explored the area but didn’t end up finding anything. And so we left after about twenty minutes. The drive there and back along the Akamina Parkway, at least, was rather scenic.
Red Rock Canyon
One detour that is worth doing is a visit to Red Rock Canyon, also about a thirty-minute drive from the Prince of Wales Hotel. While it’s not going to blow you away, it’s a nice place for some light hiking and a nice way to finish your day at Waterton Lakes.
Aside from checking out the canyon area – both from above and within – the main activity around here is the hike to Blakiston Falls. It’s just about 2 km (1.2 miles) roundtrip.
Walking through a tranquil forest, you’ll eventually reach the falls which you can appreciate from a metal viewing platform.
If you’re staying near Many Glacier and looking for something similar, consider hiking to Red Rock Falls, which is also a great place for wildlife spotting.
Speaking of Waterton Lakes vs. Glacier, there’s no question that the latter park has much more to offer with overall more impressive views.
With that said, I don’t regret spending a day at Waterton Lakes National Park, and it turned out to be just as I expected. As mentioned above, it’s a good way to rest your body in between strenuous hikes at Glacier.
Eventually heading back across the border, I was rather surprised by the interrogation we received from the border official. This random border crossing in the middle of nowhere between Alberta and Montana turned out to be a lot more intense than what I’d experienced entering the US from Mexico the month before!
Fortunately, we were ultimately allowed in, and returned to our accommodation in Babb. It was important to get a good night’s rest in preparation for another busy day at Glacier.
Additional Info
As mentioned above, Waterton Lakes National Park can be visited as a day trip from Glacier National Park. But if you’d like to spend more time in the park, or are visiting from within Canada, there are plenty of accommodation options to choose from.
Of course, you can stay in the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel, which is surprisingly a bit cheaper than other options in the area.
Other top-rated options include Kilmorey Lodge and Waterton Glacier Suites.
For those on more of a budget, consider the Rocky Ridge Country Lodge in the nearby town of Mountain View.
If you’ll be visiting Waterton Lakes from within Alberta, consider this highly-rated 10-hour tour. It takes you to some of the locations mentioned above, plus an additional stop for wildlife viewing.
When it comes to choosing accommodation at or near Glacier National Park, you have the choice of staying on the west side of the park or on the east side. And if you’re planning on visiting Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park, it’s best visited when you’re based on the east.
I stayed in the small town of Babb, which is just a thirty-minute drive from Many Glacier. Additionally, it also offers easy access to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, not to mention the Canadian border.
I stayed at the Glacier Elkhorn Cabins and Campground which I’d highly recommend. Accommodation throughout Montana is surprisingly expensive, and that’s especially true of places near the park. With that in mind, Elkhorn is a great value.
While the bathroom was shared, it was a short walk from my cabin. There’s also an on-site restaurant, while the owners can provide great information about the area. As the name suggests, you can also camp here if a cabin is beyond your budget.
Elsewhere on the east side of Glacier is the town of St. Mary. It’s about 30 minutes from the Many Glacier Hotel and it’s also situated near the east entrance to the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Other than St. Mary Village and Duck Lake Lodge, however, there don’t seem to be too many places that are bookable online.
Of course, you can also stay within the park’s Many Glacier district, either at the iconic Many Glacier Hotel or at the smaller Swiftcurrent Motor Inn.
After camping for four nights at Yellowstone, I wasn’t in the mood to do so here, but the area is also home to the Many Glacier Campground. It’s just next to the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and you can make bookings here.