Entrance station · Waterton Lakes National Park
The quick threshold between prairie and the lakeside road.
Overview
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 area
Maskinonge Day Use Area“Maskinonge Day Use Area is coming up, a picnic stop beside the wetland near the park entrance. There’s a shelter, thirteen tables and two stoves, so choose it for a meal break rather than a full outing.”
Plays on the road 0.6 km from Waterton Lakes Entrance Gate 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
This drive-through entrance station on Highway 5, just west of its junction with Highway 6, marks the start of the Entrance Parkway. The gatehouses and controlled lanes make this an arrival point, not a place with much to explore on foot. Park admission fees apply; check Parks Canada’s current entry information for the latest options.
From the gate, the road starts across prairie, then runs beside the Waterton Lakes, past the Prince of Wales Hotel and into the townsite. Parks Canada highlights the route for wildlife viewing. The Kootenai Brown Trail also parallels the road from the gate toward town, giving you a way along the same corridor without driving.
I couldn’t confirm public parking or other visitor facilities at the entrance itself, and available information doesn’t establish when it’s staffed or whether passes are sold here. Treat it as an entry point rather than a separate stop; save a longer break for the services in town.
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
EasyKootenai Brown Trail13.8 km · 3.5 hr · 0.1 km awayA smooth paved path links the park gate and townsite.
ChallengingWishbone Trail28 km · 8 hr · 1.7 km awayA long out-and-back through open country to Crypt Landing.
ChallengingVimy Trail24.3 km · 8 hr · 1.7 km awayA long prairie approach ends in a steep climb below Vimy Peak.
EasyBison Paddock Overlook Trail0.6 km · 15 min · 2.4 km awayA quick paved walk to wide valley views, with bison often below.
ModerateBellevue Prairie Trail7.6 km · 2.5 hr · 3.5 km awaySpring wildflowers brighten the open prairie below Bellevue Hill.
EasyLinnet Lake Loop1 km · 20 min · 6.5 km awayA paved 20-minute loop with lakeside views and interpretive stops.
ModerateBear’s Hump Trail2.9 km · 1 hr · 6.9 km awayThe short, steep climb to Waterton’s broad town-and-lake panorama.
EasyPrince of Wales Loop2 km · 45 min · 7.1 km awayA short circuit below the historic hotel, with two lakes in view.
Picnic area · 0.6 km awayMaskinonge Day Use AreaA quiet picnic stop in a sacred Blackfoot landscape.
Picnic area · 0.7 km awayKnight’s Lake Day Use AreaA sheltered picnic beside mountain-framed water.
Scenic pullout · 1 km awayMaskinonge OverlookA quiet roadside view over wetland, lake and the Waterton peaks.
Sight · 2.6 km awayBison PaddockA seasonal bison drive and valley overlook; sightings aren't assured.
Picnic area · 3.3 km awayHay Barn Day Use AreaA shaded picnic clearing beside the Waterton River.
Picnic area · 4.2 km awayPass Creek Day Use AreaA creekside picnic with a shelter and six fire pits.
Sight · 4.7 km awayWaterton Lakes Golf CourseA historic public course with mountain views through the round.
Sight · 5.2 km awayAlpine StablesGuided rides range from lakeside loops to mountain scramblesParkwolf’s Waterton Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
