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Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground in Waterton Lakes National Park

Campground · Waterton Lakes National Park

Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground

An overnight backcountry camp reached by trail or boat.

Photo: Flickr
Type
Campground
Nearest trail
Right here
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Bertha Trailhead

Overview

About Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground

Why stop

  • You can reach it on foot or by watercraft.

Heads up

  • There’s no road access, so you need a backcountry itinerary.

Map

Where it is

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CampgroundBoundary Bay Backcountry Campground48.99877, -113.90673
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Plan your stop

Before you go

Getting there

You can reach Boundary Bay by hiking trail or watercraft. Boundary Creek Trail joins the Lakeshore Trail here from Summit Lake. Parks Canada lists it as 13.1 km one way, about four hours with 600 m of elevation gain, and rates it moderate. The route crosses the Canada–US border. If you take it, carry a valid passport, report your US entry through CBP ROAM on the day you cross, and report your return to Canada to CBSA. Check the current border instructions before setting out. Watercraft access has its own park and border rules.

7 active Waterton Lakes alerts

  • ClosureBelly River Campground closedBelly River Campground is closed to all traffic and travel because a carcass is in the area. - Violators may be charged under the Canada National Parks Act, with a maximum penalty of $25,000.Official details
  • ClosureBlakiston Fan closed to protect rutting elkThe Blakiston Fan area is closed to traffic and travel to prevent disturbance of elk rutting there.Official details
See all 7 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.

Waterton Lakes Tour Guide

Your drive to Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Waterton Lakes 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 Waterton Lakes audio tour

Recorded for this place

Bertha Trailhead
0:00 / 0:25
“You’re nearing the Bertha trailhead, where I’d choose Lower Bertha Falls for a shorter hike.”

Plays as you drive up to Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Townsite Campground and Lakeshore
  • Waterton Lakes Visitor Centre
  • Paahtómahksikimi Cultural Centre
  • Cameron Falls
  • 51 audio storiesacross Waterton Lakes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Black Bear, Elk, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 47 trails, 70 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
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Guide

More about Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground

Who this camp is forBoundary Bay is one of Waterton Lakes National Park’s nine backcountry campgrounds.

Boundary Bay is one of Waterton Lakes National Park’s nine backcountry campgrounds. It’s for an overnight backcountry trip by trail or water, not a drive-up camping stop. There’s no road access, so choose it when the backcountry stay is part of your plan.

What you’ll findParks Canada equips its backcountry campgrounds with tent pads, pit toilets, food storage bins…

Parks Canada equips its backcountry campgrounds with tent pads, pit toilets, food storage bins and picnic tables. A water source is available, but treat or boil the water before drinking. Boundary Bay is one of the sites where fires are allowed in a metal ring; a fire ban can still override that permission. You need an overnight permit, and should carry a paper copy or screenshot.

campingbackcountrylakeshoreborder

Wildlife

Wildlife in Waterton Lakes

All Waterton Lakes wildlife maps
Bison83 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapBlack Bear563 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapElk146 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapBighorn Sheep113 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapBald Eagle55 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting mapTrumpeter Swan53 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

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

Keep exploring

Near Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ChallengingGreat Divide Trail (Waterton Section)54.7 km · 1.1 days · At the trailheadA 34-mile mountain crossing from Boundary Bay to Sage Pass.ChallengingCrypt Lake Trail17.1 km · 7 hr · 3.7 km awayBoat ride, tunnel and ladder lead to a lake beneath sheer cliffs.ModerateHell Roaring Falls Trail5.3 km · 2 hr · 3.7 km awayA steep waterfall loop with a canyon view near Crypt Lake.ModerateBertha Lake Trail10.3 km · 4.5 hr · 5.4 km awayA waterfall warm-up before the climb to Bertha Lake.ModerateLower Bertha Falls Trail5.1 km · 1.5 hr · 5.4 km awayA short waterfall hike with a big view of Waterton Lake.ModerateLakeshore Trail13.5 km · 4 hr · 5.4 km awayOne way lakeshore hike from Waterton to Goat Haunt, crossing into Glacier.EasyTownsite Loop3.2 km · 1 hr · 5.9 km awayA gentle paved loop links Cameron Falls, the village, and lakeshore.ChallengingAlderson Lake Trail14 km · 5.5 hr · 5.9 km awayA forest climb ends at a blue lake beneath Mount Alderson's cliffs.

More stops nearby

Campground · 3.4 km awayBertha Bay Backcountry CampgroundA tiny Upper Waterton Lake camp reached on foot or by watercraft.Sight · 3.8 km awayBertha LakeBlue-green water waits beyond the trail's steepest climb.Sight · 4.3 km awayLower Bertha FallsThis waterfall walk earns its climb with lake and town views.Sight · 4.7 km awayCrypt LakeA dramatic alpine lake at the end of a demanding boat-and-hike day.Picnic area · 5.2 km awayCameron Bay Day Use AreaA lakeshore picnic stop with shelters and night-sky viewing.Campground · 5.5 km awayTownsite CampgroundA large RV and tent campground within walking distance of town.Picnic area · 5.5 km awayLakeshore Day Use AreaAn easy picnic beside Upper Waterton Lake, just outside town.Lodging · 5.7 km awayNorthland LodgeA nine-room inn for muffin breakfasts and mountain-view mornings.

Parkwolf’s Waterton Lakes ranking

Top sights in Waterton Lakes

All 70 places
  1. 1Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic SiteSight
  2. 2Red Rock CanyonSight
  3. 3Cameron FallsSight
  4. 4Cameron LakeSight
  5. 5Bear’s HumpSight
  6. 6Bison PaddockSight

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

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