10 Best Sights in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

Awe-inspiring and strenuous, this 17.2-km (11-mile) round-trip trail is one of the most stunning hikes in the Canadian Rockies. Conquering the trail involves taking a boat taxi across Waterton Lake, climbing 700 meters (2,300 feet), crawling through a tunnel nearly 30 meters (100 feet) long, and scrambling across a sheer rock face. The reward, and well worth it: views of a 183-meter (600-foot) cascading waterfall and the turquoise waters of Crypt Lake. This hike was completely untouched by the wildfires of recent years. Difficult.

From Avalanche Creek Campground, take this 3-mile trail leading to mountain-ringed Avalanche Lake. The walk is only moderately difficult (it ascends 730 feet), making this one of the park's most accessible backcountry lakes. Crowds fill the parking area and trail during July and August and on sunny weekends in May and June. Moderate.

This steep, 2.8-km (1.4-mile) trail climbs to an overlook with a great view of Upper Waterton Lake and the townsite. Moderate.

This 11.4-km (7.1-mile) round-trip trail leads from Waterton Townsite through a Douglas fir forest to a beautiful overlook of Upper Waterton Lake, and on to Lower Bertha Falls. From there, a steeper climb takes you past Upper Bertha Falls to Bertha Lake. In June, the wildflowers along the trail are stunning. Moderate.

A 2-km (1.2-mile) round-trip hike will take you from Red Rock Canyon to Blakiston Falls. Several viewpoints overlook the falls. Easy

Relatively flat and paved, this 1.6-km (1-mile) one-way trail offers a peaceful hike. Look for wildflowers along the shoreline and grizzlies on the lower slopes of the mountains at the far end of the lake. Easy.

This 2½-km (1½-mile) trail winds through fragrant pine forest, ending at a popular mountain lake. Easy.

This family-friendly 1.9-km (1.2-mile) loop trail leads to a 10-meter (30-foot) waterfall. There's 86 meters (282 feet) of elevation gain on the trail and it's best used from June through October. In winter, you can hike up the creek with ice cleats and poles for a unique icewalk experience.

The view from the top of Table Mountain is one of the prettiest scenes in the Canadian Rockies. The hike is 10 km (6.2 miles) round-trip and takes about four hours in total. It’s a moderately difficult trail with a 700-meter (2,296 feet) elevation gain and a lot of scrambling near the top, but the views are well worth the effort. The trail begins in Castle Provincial Park and ends in Castle Wildlands Provincial Park. You'll find the trailhead at Beaver Mines Lake Campground. Difficult

This 7.4-km (4.6-mile) round-trip hike follows along the ridge of Turtle Mountain to the false and true summits. It's a steep and challenging trail, but the views of Frank Slide and the Crowsnest Valley are worth it. Scrambling is required to reach the second peak known as the south peak. This hike has 936 meters (3071 feet) of elevation gain and hiking poles are recommended.