Waterton Lakes National Park, AB
A short climb to the Alberta–B.C. boundary.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 trailhead
Akamina Pass and Wall Lake“Up ahead is the Akamina Pass trailhead, the start of a moderate hike to Wall Lake beneath sheer cliffs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead 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!!!!”
Trail guide
This moderate out-and-back climbs from Akamina Pass Trailhead to the Alberta–B.C. boundary, then returns the same way: 3 km (1.9 mi) in about an hour. The trail is wide, with steep sections; Parks Canada lists 123 m (404 ft) of elevation gain.
The short pass hike turns around at the provincial boundary. Beyond it, the trail continues into Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park on an old roadbed built in the 1920s. Wall Lake, Forum Lake and Forum Falls are longer continuations or side trips, not part of this 3-km outing. The longer campground distance sometimes given for this route ends farther into B.C.
The trailhead is about 14.3 km along Akamina Parkway from Waterton townsite. Use the designated parking area and do not park along the road. Dogs are allowed on leash in Waterton. In winter, vehicle access on the Parkway stops at Little Prairie Day Use Area, several kilometres short of this trailhead.
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 · At the trailheadA cross-border walk from Akamina Pass to a lake beneath sheer cliffs.
ModerateForum Lake Trail9 km · 3.5 hr · At the trailheadColourful ancient limestone makes the lake shore worth the climb.
ModerateForum Falls Trail5 km · 2 hr · At the trailheadA smaller waterfall goal before the longer Forum Lake hike.
ChallengingCarthew-Alderson Trail20.1 km · 8 hr · 1.2 km awayCross a high shale saddle, then descend through lakes to town.
EasyCameron Lakeshore Trail3.1 km · 1 hr · 1.2 km awayAn easy shore walk beneath a broad Continental Divide headwall
ModerateSummit Lake Trail8 km · 3 hr · 1.2 km awayClimb forest switchbacks from Cameron Lake to a subalpine lake.
EasyAkamina Lake Trail1.1 km · 30 min · 1.2 km awayA short forest walk ends beside a sheltered subalpine lake.ChallengingCarthew Lakes Trail18.6 km · 8 hr · 1.2 km awayThree alpine lakes, with a hard climb on the way back.
Sight · 0.8 km awayAkamina LakeAn easy half-hour detour to a sheltered subalpine lake.
Lodging · 0.9 km awayCameron Lake CabinA winter stay in Waterton’s 1929 warden cabin.
Sight · 1.2 km awayCameron LakeMountain reflections right at the parking area.
Picnic area · 1.4 km awayLittle Prairie Day Use AreaA useful picnic stop that becomes the winter road's end.
Sight · 2.5 km awayUpper Rowe LakesA meadow and alpine lakes at the end of steep switchbacks.
Sight · 2.8 km awayLower Rowe LakeA small alpine lake beneath steep cliffs, reached by a moderate hike.
Sight · 4.9 km awayAlderson LakeBlue water, high cliffs, and an all-day hike to get there.
Sight · 5.4 km awayLineham FallsA moderate hike to twin falls beneath two high peaks.Parkwolf’s Waterton Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
