ParkwolfGet the app
Waterfowl Lakes Campground in Banff National Park

Campground · Banff National Park

Waterfowl Lakes Campground

Good paddling between glacier-fed lakes, with no cell signal.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Type
Campground
Nearest trail
0.3 km
Audio stories
4 nearby
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Waterfowl Lakes Campground and Chephren Lake

Overview

About Waterfowl Lakes Campground

Why stop

  • Paddling between two glacier-fed lakes

Heads up

  • Unserviced sites with no showers or cell coverage

Map

Where it is

Loading the Banff map
Full map
CampgroundWaterfowl Lakes Campground51.84294, -116.62027
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

8 active Banff alerts

  • ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
  • ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
See all 8 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Banff Tour Guide

Your drive to Waterfowl Lakes Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Banff audio tour

Recorded for this place

Waterfowl Lakes Campground and Chephren Lake
0:00 / 0:29
“You're approaching Waterfowl Lakes Campground, a wooded overnight base between the two lakes beside the Mistaya River.”

Plays as you drive up to Waterfowl Lakes Campground in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Lower Waterfowl Lake beneath Mount Chephren
  • Finding Fish in a Water Sample
  • The Cones That Stay on the Tree
  • White Coat or White Rump?
  • 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
tesja22App Store review
Download Parkwolf on the App StoreGet Parkwolf on Google Play

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Waterfowl Lakes Campground

A wooded stop on the Icefields ParkwayWaterfowl Lakes is a wooded campground with 110 unserviced sites between Upper and Lower…

Waterfowl Lakes is a wooded campground with 110 unserviced sites between Upper and Lower Waterfowl lakes, beside the Mistaya River. It is a good overnight if you want time to paddle the glacier-fed lakes or use the campground as a base for nearby moderate walks. The entrance is on Highway 93 North, 60 km north of the Highway 1 and 93N junction. It operates seasonally, so check the current dates before arranging a night here.

Plan for an unserviced staySites suit tents and motorhomes or trailers up to 9 m (31 ft). There are no showers.

Sites suit tents and motorhomes or trailers up to 9 m (31 ft). There are no showers. Parks Canada lists potable water, a washroom with hot and cold water and flush toilets, three dry-toilet buildings, greywater sinks, cooking and picnic shelters, firepits, food lockers and a sewage dump station. No food service is listed, so bring provisions or plan a separate stop. There is no cell coverage at campgrounds along the Icefields Parkway; download maps and make plans before you arrive.

Lakes and nearby walksPaddling is the main draw, and Parks Canada lists moderate trails nearby.

Paddling is the main draw, and Parks Canada lists moderate trails nearby. Bow Lake, Peyto Lake viewpoint and Saskatchewan Crossing are also a short drive away.

campingpaddlingicefieldsglacierlake

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear123 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapBrown Bear150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapGray Wolf44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapRiver Otter12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapMoose69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapBlack Bear466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Waterfowl Lakes Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateChephren Lake Trail8.2 km · 2.8 hr · 0.3 km awayA forested out-and-back to Chephren Lake beneath Howse Peak.ModerateCirque Lake Trail9.1 km · 3 hr · 0.3 km awayA muddy forest walk to a turquoise lake beneath glacier views.

More stops nearby

Scenic pullout · 0.9 km awayLower Waterfowl Lake ViewpointMount Chephren and blue-green water make a quick scenic stop.Campground · 5.6 km awaySilverhorn Creek CampgroundA rustic Icefields Parkway overnight with mountains and creek nearby.

Parkwolf’s Banff ranking

Top sights in Banff

All 90 places
  1. 1Lake LouiseSight
  2. 2Moraine LakeSight
  3. 3Peyto Lake ViewpointSight
  4. 4Johnston CanyonSight
  5. 5Banff GondolaSight
  6. 6Cave and Basin National Historic SiteSight

Take Parkwolf to Banff.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Download Parkwolf on the App StoreGet Parkwolf on Google Play