Getting there
From the park entrance road, turn right into the parking area just after the Parks Canada Operations building. In winter, heavy snow can leave day-use areas without maintained access.
Overview
About Driftwood Beach
Driftwood Beach is a natural pebble shore and picnic stop on Middle Waterton Lake. It’s a good short stop for the lakeside view and the weathered logs along the water, rather than a sandy beach with resort facilities. The open shore can be windy, and the water deserves real caution.
Why stop
- Driftwood, bright stones and a memorable mountain-and-hotel view.
Heads up
- A small parking area and an exposed shore that can get windy.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Getting there
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Waterton Lakes Tour Guide
Your drive to Driftwood Beach, 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 tourRecorded for this place
Driftwood Beach0:00 / 0:18
“Driftwood Beach is coming up on Middle Waterton Lake. Stop for ten minutes to wander the colorful pebbles and weathered logs, deposited here by winds from the south.”
Plays as you drive up to Driftwood Beach in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Linnet Lake and Middle Waterton Shore
- Alpine Stables
- Prince of Wales Hotel
- Bear’s Hump
- 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
“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
More about Driftwood Beach
The shorelineWander among the driftwood piles and rounded, colorful stones.
Wander among the driftwood piles and rounded, colorful stones. Visitors describe the wood gathering along the shore; Parks Canada says prevailing winds from the south deposit it here.
The viewLook across Middle Waterton Lake toward Mount Vimy, with the Prince of Wales Hotel on its hill…
Look across Middle Waterton Lake toward Mount Vimy, with the Prince of Wales Hotel on its hill in the distance. The driftwood and bright stones make a strong foreground for the mountain-and-lake view.
A simple picnic stopParks Canada lists two picnic tables here.
Parks Canada lists two picnic tables here. Its day-use map doesn’t list a washroom for Driftwood, so plan ahead. Visitor reports describe a small parking area, which may be tight when the park is busy.
Take care near the waterParks Canada warns that Waterton’s water is very cold, drops off quickly and is exposed to…
Parks Canada warns that Waterton’s water is very cold, drops off quickly and is exposed to strong winds. Conditions can change fast, so use extra care around the shore, especially with children.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Waterton Lakes
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.
