Ultimate Adventure in Waterton

Are you planning on hiking your way through 2025? These hikes are not to be missed!

Weekends tend to be busy in the Park, so choosing mid-week days can help cut down on traffic, on and off the trails. Try to visit in the shoulder season, it brings fall colours and less crowds to enhance your hiking experience. September and October are great months to plan a hiking trip.

Make sure to be prepared and take the necessary steps when setting out to do any hike or adventure:

• Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Be prepared! Wear solid hiking footwear, bring extra clothes and layers for any change of weather. An extra pair of dry socks are always nice in case of wet feet.
• Make sure you have enough water for the hike, and a water filter if you want to be able to drink from a water source along the trail.
• Pack a lunch and snacks for the day.
• Bring Bear Spray, sunscreen, bug spray and a first aid kit. An Emergency Communication Device (like an InReach) is a bonus!
• Know your route, have a map or download the route instructions before you go.
• Make sure to check the Trail Report and Weather Report for the area you are hiking.
• Always follow leave-no-trace practices. Leave things as you found them so the next visitor can enjoy them too. You can read more about leave-no-trace principals here.
• If you would prefer, you can hire a Guide to help you complete your hiking goals.

Grab a Hikers Lunch from Pearl’s Cafe, Windflower Coffee Corner or Switchback Micro Cafe so you don’t have to worry about packing your own. You can see their menus online and some let you order ahead and pick up on your way to the trailhead. Here are two of our favourite epic hikes in Waterton.

Akamina Ridge

Distance: 18.2 km / 11.3 mi (return)
Elevation Gain: 905 m / 2970 ft.
Rating: Difficult
Hiking Time: 8 hours

Akamina Ridge is one of the more challenging hikes in the area, but the reward is worth it. This impressive trail takes you by two alpine lakes and includes a long ridge walk with unimpeded 360 views. Enjoy views all around from the ridge and Wall Lake sitting below.

Carthew-Alderson

Distance: 20.1 km/12.5 miles one way
Elevation: 650m/2132 ft.
Rating: Difficult
Timing: 6-8 hours

Experience exhilarating views and ridge top vistas on this unique trail. One of the most scenic of all the trails in Waterton, this one-way high alpine adventure takes you through a cross-section of all of Waterton’s different ecosystems, terrain and vegetation as well as 4 alpine lakes. Bring your fishing rod on the hike and try your luck! This is a through hike, so park in town and catch a daily shuttle from the Tamarack to the trailhead at Cameron Lake.

Being a small mountain village, there are only a few choices of where to stay, and each has a charm of its own! From camping to hotel, see where you can stay here.

After your hiking adventures, eat your way around Waterton’s tasty food spots. See where you can eat or grab an apres-hike beverage.