Sight · Waterton Lakes National Park
A meadow and alpine lakes at the end of steep switchbacks.
Overview
Upper Rowe Lakes is a backcountry alpine lake group in a hanging valley above Rowe Meadow, at the end of the Rowe Creek hike. Go if you want a substantial half-day outing; Lower Rowe Lake is a shorter spur along the way if you would rather turn back sooner. Parks Canada rates the upper-lakes hike moderate and lists it at 12.8 km return, about five hours, with 575 m of elevation gain. The final climb is steep switchbacks, so expect a real uphill push.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the climb worth it?Map
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
Rowe Lakes Trailhead“You’re approaching the Rowe Lakes trailhead, where I’d choose Lower Rowe Lake for a moderate hike.”
Plays as you drive up to Upper Rowe Lakes 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
The trailhead is on the right as you drive the Akamina Parkway from Waterton townsite, about 10.5 km along the road. The path follows Rowe Creek through forest and past mossy ledges and bright red argillite. A short spur reaches Lower Rowe Lake; continue to a log bridge and Rowe Meadow, then climb the switchbacks to the upper basin. Allow more time if you plan to wander around the lakes beyond the listed return route.
The meadow opens into a natural amphitheatre with a stream and mountains around it. Wildflowers spread through the grass in season, including beargrass, and the open valley makes a good pause before the climb resumes.
The lakes sit beneath a high ridge in a hanging valley, with Rowe Mountain behind the upper lake. Middle Rowe Lake has a viewpoint on its left side that looks down over the cliffs to Lower Rowe Lake and the route below. That drop is striking, but it may not suit anyone uneasy with heights.
Subalpine larches turn the slopes gold in autumn. At the upper lake, frame the water with the rocky cirque and larch-lined shore; for the bigger look back, continue around Middle Rowe Lake toward the viewpoint. There is no food or developed visitor facility at the lakes in the information available, so treat this as a backcountry hike rather than a serviced picnic stop.
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
ModerateWall Lake Trail10.4 km · 4.5 hr · 2.5 km awayA cross-border walk from Akamina Pass to a lake beneath sheer cliffs.
ModerateForum Lake Trail9 km · 3.5 hr · 2.5 km awayColourful ancient limestone makes the lake shore worth the climb.
ModerateAkamina Pass Trail3.1 km · 1 hr · 2.5 km awayA short climb to the Alberta–B.C. boundary.
ModerateForum Falls Trail5 km · 2 hr · 2.5 km awayA smaller waterfall goal before the longer Forum Lake hike.
ChallengingCarthew-Alderson Trail20.1 km · 8 hr · 3.6 km awayCross a high shale saddle, then descend through lakes to town.
EasyCameron Lakeshore Trail3.1 km · 1 hr · 3.6 km awayAn easy shore walk beneath a broad Continental Divide headwall
ModerateSummit Lake Trail8 km · 3 hr · 3.6 km awayClimb forest switchbacks from Cameron Lake to a subalpine lake.
EasyAkamina Lake Trail1.1 km · 30 min · 3.6 km awayA short forest walk ends beside a sheltered subalpine lake.
Sight · 0.7 km awayLower Rowe LakeA small alpine lake beneath steep cliffs, reached by a moderate hike.
Picnic area · 2.2 km awayLittle Prairie Day Use AreaA useful picnic stop that becomes the winter road's end.
Sight · 3.1 km awayLineham FallsA moderate hike to twin falls beneath two high peaks.
Lodging · 3.3 km awayCameron Lake CabinA winter stay in Waterton’s 1929 warden cabin.
Sight · 3.3 km awayAkamina LakeAn easy half-hour detour to a sheltered subalpine lake.
Sight · 3.6 km awayCameron LakeMountain reflections right at the parking area.
Sight · 5.8 km awayFirst Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic SiteA derrick-shaped monument marks western Canada's first saleable oil.
Sight · 6.6 km awayAlderson LakeBlue water, high cliffs, and an all-day hike to get there.Parkwolf’s Waterton Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
