Three perfect days in Waterton Lakes National Park

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My three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, included several of my favorite activities – hiking, biking, boating and dining with a water view. Throw in some shopping, waterfalls, a bear sighting and enjoying High Tea at an iconic hotel and you’ve got a fabulous getaway.

And then there’s the stunning scenery. Waterton, about a three-hour drive from Calgary, has magnificent views of the towering mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains. From my hotel room at Bayshore Inn & Spa, I could also see the crystal-clear Waterton Lake, and walk to the shops, galleries and restaurants of downtown Waterton. 

Day 1 – Exploring the town and dining lakeside

I wanted to get out and explore the town, but it was hard to tear myself away from the balcony in my room at Bayshore Inn & Spa – I was just steps away from Waterton Lake, and beyond that could see an expansive view of the Rockies. There’s few things I like better than relaxing with a water view. One thing that beats it is dining with a water view and lucky for me, I got to do that a lot in Waterton.

This 70-room, two-level hotel is in a perfect location to walk to Waterton’s bars, restaurants and shops. Because of its compact size, you could spend a week in Waterton and never have to get back in your car.

Accommodations in Waterton are limited – there are no Airbnbs or bed and breakfasts, but there are campsites and some hotels have kitchenettes. With limits on growth in national parks in Canada, Waterton will never become as busy as Banff, which is part of its charm. The summer population is around 2,500 while off-season, only around 132 people live here.

I strolled down Waterton Park Avenue where I found people eating and drinking on restaurant patios, tourists wandering in and out of the darling shops and a long line of people waiting to place their order at Big Scoop Ice Cream, a Waterton tradition. On the way back I took the walking path by the lake, venturing onto the beach where I was astonished to find large colored rocks in the shallow waters.

I joined my group for dinner at Bayshore’s restaurant, Lakeside Chophouse, where we dined on a patio with a lake view. I enjoyed a delicious grilled salmon dish and the company of the many deer who wandered up to the yard to watch us dine.

Waterton has a large year-round deer population and they have become accustomed to and unafraid of humans. I’ve always thought of deer as mild-mannered creatures but apparently some of these deer have become aggressive and signs in Waterton warn owners of small dogs to be especially careful.

Day 2 – Hiking, biking, boating and High Tea

For an elevated view of the hamlet of Waterton, we headed to Bear’s Hump Trailhead for a short, steep climb. I had borrowed my son’s foldable hiking pole and found it really useful for climbing up the steps on our path.

Sadly, a lot of the vegetation that had covered Crandell Mountain was gone, the result of the Kenow Wildfire started by lightning in September 2017 that destroyed 38% of the park. Flames 400 feet high shot up in the area.

But the trees are growing back and there’s still plenty of scenery. The main event is at the top where an outcropping provides a place to relax and enjoy the view of the town, the lake and surrounding mountains. The elevation is over 5,000 feet but I’d had a day to acclimate to the altitude and wasn’t huffing and puffing too much during the climb.

While most of the hiking we did in Waterton was fairly easy, I was glad I had my new hiking shoes, the Merrell Antora 3. They were comfortable immediately and gave me the support I needed.

You can’t visit Waterton without a stop at the Prince of Wales, which has been welcoming visitors since 1927 when it opened as an extension of Glacier Park Lodges, built by the Great Northern Railway. I heard it referred to as the “hotel that alcohol built,” as visitors from the U.S. flocked here during Prohibition so they could drink legally. Guess they got tired of bathtub gin.

Perched high on a bluff with magnificent views, the hotel has 86 rooms and is open from mid-May to mid-September. (While Waterton Lakes National Park is open year-round, many of the accommodations and restaurants are closed in the winter because, snow.)

The property was threatened during the wildfire, but thankfully, fire crews from Waterton, Coaldale and Calgary soaked the hotel and set preventive fires in the grasses surrounding it. At one point the fire was just 50 yards away, but their efforts saved it.

I enjoyed High Tea at Prince of Wales, which is served daily from 12-4 in the Royal Stewart Dining Room and includes gourmet teas, finger sandwiches and pastries. Our table was right by the giant windows with an unobstructed view of the lake and mountains.

After downing the delicious finger sandwiches and scones smothered in crème fraiche, I headed for the next excursion, a boat ride on Waterton Lake.

We weren’t the only ones with this idea. After standing in line at the Waterton Marina, I piled onto the Miss Waterton for an hour and 15 minute leisurely cruise on the lake with the Waterton Shoreline Cruise Company.

Our boat cruised by beaches and crossed over the international border into the United States, marked by a cutline in the forest running up the side of the mountain. I could also see some of the mountains in Glacier National Park in Montana, my favorite national park in the U.S.

Although Waterton Lakes National Park is less well-known than some other national parks in Canada, it attracts an international crowd. There were people from India, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Japan on board, in addition to Canadians and Americans.

From the marina it was a short walk back to my hotel, but there was more I wanted to explore. I headed to Pat’s, a corner store and the only bike rental in town. I partnered with Lara to test my skill driving a surrey. I’ve seen them tons of times, primarily at the beach, but I’d never been in one before.

We hopped into a surrey to take it for a spin around town. As we tried to back it out of the parking area, we learned quickly they are harder to steer and maneuver than they look. While the streets had seemed fairly flat before, they magically seemed to develop a slope that required more effort than I had planned on enlisting.

Driving a surrey reminded me of a paddle boat. They look like a lot of fun, but after about ten minutes you realize it’s not as much fun and harder than it looks.

Our goal had been to go to Cameron Falls, but after a short time and faced with the prospect of a long steep hill, we bailed. We headed back to Pat’s where I jumped on an e-bike instead to visit the iconic falls and enjoy the mist cooling me off on the warm day. Then it was back on the bike to cruise along one of Waterton’s four bike trails to check out another beach.

When we encountered hills, I powered up the e part of the e-bike. I’m a big fan of them, as they give me an option to pedal on my own or choose to have a little extra oomph. I feel like I have a super power, like those moving walkways in airports.

With perfect weather, a pre-dinner drink at Thirsty Bear was in order where we scored a table outside right by the sidewalk, perfect for people watching. As I was sipping a glass of refreshing rosé, one member of our group ordered a Caesar. An odd choice, I thought, as we were heading to dinner.

That’s when I learned that a Caesar is not a salad, but rather a classic Canadian cocktail, typically made with vodka, Clamato, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and garnished with celery, olives and a lime wedge. Which is exactly the way my dad would make a Bloody Mary.

The Caesar is so popular that it was named as Canada’s official cocktail in 2010. It’s estimated that Canadians drink close to 400 million of them annually.

Dinner at Red Rock Trattoria was a short walk away and our group got a primo table in the window overlooking the street. We shared the arugula burrata salad with prosciutto, tomato and basil.

I love Italian food so choosing an entrée among the delicious options was a challenge for me. Lasagna or chicken parmesan? I opted for the more unusual dish – truffled chicken parmesan with spinach and wild truffle cream sauce served on a bed of gnocchi. Oh so rich, but utterly delicious.

After dinner we walked down by the water and saw several deer, including baby deer hopping through someone’s yard. Despite their cuteness, I remembered the warnings I’d read and kept my distance.

Day 3 – Hiking, waterfalls, canyons and shopping

More hiking was on the agenda for our last day and we had a gorgeous day to hit the trails. First stop – Tamarack Outfitters, which opened in 1922 and is now run by Aynsley Baker, a member of the 6^th generation of the same family. The shop has a large selection of gear and clothing, and also offers day hikes, art lessons and shuttles to local trailheads. We grabbed a breakfast at the small café, Switchback Hikers Pantry, and a sack lunch to take with us.

After about a 30-minute drive northwest of Waterton through the Blakiston Valley, we arrived at Red Rock Canyon for a hike to Blakiston Falls. After hiking through the forest, we were rewarded with the spectacular site of the waterfall. The hike was around 1.2 miles and fairly flat so suitable for just about anyone, including novice hikers.

While I loved the waterfall, carefully making my way down into the aptly named Red Rock Canyon was a novel experience for me. I slipped off my hiking shoes and put my bare feet in the water – the water was frigid and I imagined my feet turning a bright blue and my toes snapping off from frostbite but I emerged with 10 digits intact.

After another 30-minute drive, we piled out of the van at Crandell Lake for a spectacular view for enjoying our sack lunch at one of the picnic tables. The 2.3-mile lake trail is popular with visitors as it offers an easy trail with fantastic views.

Several people were enjoying sitting on the beach, kayaking and paddle boarding on the lake. The water is so frigid, I was really concerned about a young girl who fell off her paddle board and watched anxiously until she got back on.

On our drive back, we saw some cars pulled to the side of the road and joined them to watch a bear enjoying a late afternoon snack not too far from the road. A ranger drove by in a futile attempt to keep everyone safely in their cars. I had no desire to leave the comfort and bear-free-zone of the van.

After arriving back in town, I headed down Main Street again to do a little shopping, buying a few T-shirts. With the exchange rate at that time, Canada was basically on sale.

Dinner that night was at the Lamp Post Dining Room at  Kilmorey Lodge where I could enjoy dining with a few of Waterton Lake one last time. I continued my seafood streak and ordered the blackened wild coho salmon on a sweet potato croquette with vegetables. It was a wonderful ending to a fantastic trip to Waterton Lakes National Park.

– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief

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Fun Facts on Waterton Lakes National Park

It’s designated as a Dark Sky Reserve, and is part of Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, created in 1932. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. 

The lake is 7 miles long by ½ mile wide. Two thirds of it is in Canada and one third is in Glacier National Park. It is fed by snow and glacier melts.

Waterton Lake is the deepest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. The average depth is 220 feet and it’s 487 feet deep at its deepest.

It’s Canada’s fourth national park and was founded in 1895 as Dominion Forest Park.