Parking
South access is by the bear exhibit about 3.5 km along Red Rock Parkway. North access is the parking area on the dirt road beyond Bison Paddock. Arrange a pickup for a one-way walk; otherwise return to your starting end.
Overview
About Bellevue Prairie Trail
Why go
- Spring and summer wildflowers across open grassland
- Long views where the mountains meet the prairie
Heads up
- Without a pickup, the route follows the same corridor both ways
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,343–1,386 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Bellevue Prairie Trail, 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 trailhead
Bellevue Prairie Trailhead0:00 / 0:24
“Up ahead is the Bellevue Prairie trailhead, for a grassland walk below Bellevue Hill. Choose it for spring and summer wildflowers and wide views, with very little climbing.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why Winter Can Turn Warm
- Crossings for Salamanders
- Pass Creek Day Use Area
- Hay Barn Day Use Area
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Bellevue Prairie Trail
A prairie walk, not a summit climbBellevue Prairie Trail follows a 3.8 km (2.
Bellevue Prairie Trail follows a 3.8 km (2.4 mi) point-to-point grassland path below Bellevue Hill, from the bear exhibit on Red Rock Parkway to the parking area beyond Bison Paddock. Without a pickup at the far end, walk back along the same corridor: about 4.7 miles (7.6 km) and 2.5 hours. It has minimal elevation gain; the park rates it moderate, so plan for a few hours of walking rather than a steep climb.
Walk for the prairieThe trail crosses open fescue grassland, with stretches of aspen and long views where the…
The trail crosses open fescue grassland, with stretches of aspen and long views where the mountains meet the prairie. Spring and summer bring the wildflowers. This isn't a summit route: Bellevue Hill stays above you, and the reward is the broad landscape along the way. The return follows the same path, so choose it for open country rather than a changing loop.
Access, dogs and photosThe south access is by the bear exhibit about 3.5 km along Red Rock Parkway.
The south access is by the bear exhibit about 3.5 km along Red Rock Parkway. The north access is the parking area on the dirt road beyond Bison Paddock. Walk out and back from either end, or arrange a pickup to make it a one-way hike. Dogs are allowed on trails in Waterton, but must stay on leash and under control. For a photo, put the path and flowers in the foreground with Bellevue Hill beyond; it gives the open prairie some scale.
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.
