Scenic pullout · Waterton Lakes National Park
Three lakes, two valleys and prairie from one roadside stop.
Overview
Chief Mountain Lookout is a roadside viewpoint on the Chief Mountain Highway, climbing from the grasslands near Maskinonge Lake. It’s a pull-in-and-look stop, not a hike. The view is the reason to stop: Lower, Middle and Upper Waterton lakes lie below the Waterton and Blakiston valleys, with Vimy Peak and prairie beyond.
Parkwolf’s verdictA landscape worth a pauseMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Waterton Lakes Tour Guide
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 tourRecorded for this place
Chief Mountain Lookout“Chief Mountain Lookout is coming up, with a broad view over Lower, Middle and Upper Waterton lakes. Pull in for five to ten minutes if you want the panorama without a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to Chief Mountain Lookout in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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!!!!”
Guide
Look along the valleys to see the Rockies give way to grassland. The low stone wall makes a useful foreground for a photo of the lakes and mountains; summer sunset is the classic timing, with the sun dropping below the mountain skyline.
Some locals call the overlook Two Flags for the Canadian and American flags flown here. They represent Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the cross-border park recognized as a World Heritage Site.
Chief Mountain Highway opened in 1936 and remains the main route between Waterton and Glacier National Park in the United States. The border crossing is farther south and has its own seasonal schedule. The road to the viewpoint is open year-round, though snow-clearing work can close it temporarily. There’s parking beside the pullout and washrooms on site.
Wildlife
83 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
563 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
146 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
113 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
55 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
53 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Waterton Lakes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingWishbone Trail28 km · 8 hr · 5.4 km awayA long out-and-back through open country to Crypt Landing.
ChallengingVimy Trail24.3 km · 8 hr · 5.4 km awayA long prairie approach ends in a steep climb below Vimy Peak.
EasyKootenai Brown Trail13.8 km · 3.5 hr · 6.4 km awayA smooth paved path links the park gate and townsite.
Picnic area · 4.6 km awayHay Barn Day Use AreaA shaded picnic clearing beside the Waterton River.
Scenic pullout · 5.9 km awayMaskinonge OverlookA quiet roadside view over wetland, lake and the Waterton peaks.
Picnic area · 6.1 km awayKnight’s Lake Day Use AreaA sheltered picnic beside mountain-framed water.
Picnic area · 6.1 km awayMaskinonge Day Use AreaA quiet picnic stop in a sacred Blackfoot landscape.
Entrance station · 6.4 km awayWaterton Lakes Entrance GateThe quick threshold between prairie and the lakeside road.
Picnic area · 6.7 km awayPass Creek Day Use AreaA creekside picnic with a shelter and six fire pits.
Sight · 6.9 km awayAlpine StablesGuided rides range from lakeside loops to mountain scrambles
Sight · 7 km awayWaterton Lakes Golf CourseA historic public course with mountain views through the round.Parkwolf’s Waterton Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
