Parking
Park at Cameron Lake Day Use Area at the end of Akamina Parkway. The Carthew-Alderson trail starts on the left when you face the lake.
Overview
About Carthew Lakes Trail
Why go
- Three alpine lakes beneath a high saddle
Heads up
- A steep climb back over the saddle after reaching the lakes
This is a hard out-and-back from Cameron Lake to the three Carthew Lakes below a high saddle. Plan on about 11.6 miles (18.6 km) round trip, with 5.8 miles each way, around 900 m of cumulative climbing and about eight hours on the trail. The route earns that day with high alpine views and a string of turquoise lakes. This record turns around at the northernmost lake; the longer through-hike continues toward Alderson Lake and Cameron Falls.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,660–2,339 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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 Carthew Lakes 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
Cameron Lake0:00 / 0:31
“Cameron Lake is coming up at the end of Akamina Parkway. You can reach the shore straight from the parking area, so make this stop even if you don’t want a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Akamina Pass and Wall Lake
- Little Prairie Day Use Area
- Rowe Lakes Trailhead
- Lineham Falls Trailhead
- 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 Carthew Lakes Trail
Climbing to Summit LakeStart at Cameron Lake Day Use Area, where the Carthew-Alderson trail begins on the left when…
Start at Cameron Lake Day Use Area, where the Carthew-Alderson trail begins on the left when you face the water. Long switchbacks climb through fir forest before opening to meadows near Summit Lake. The path levels off around the lake, then starts climbing again on switchbacks toward the high saddle.
Carthew Summit and the lakesCarthew Summit is the saddle between Mount Carthew and Mount Alderson.
Carthew Summit is the saddle between Mount Carthew and Mount Alderson. The view opens over three lakes in the valley, with the Waterton Valley and prairie beyond. From the saddle, the trail drops down loose scree to the lake basin and then continues toward Alderson Lake below Mount Alderson’s cliffs. For this return hike, stop at the farthest of the three lakes and retrace the route. The climb back over the saddle is the part that makes the return feel like a full mountain day. The saddle is the place to frame all three lakes in one shot.
Access and dogsCameron Lake Day Use Area is at the end of Akamina Parkway.
Cameron Lake Day Use Area is at the end of Akamina Parkway. Dogs are allowed on this route when kept on leash or in suitable confinement; check the notices at the trailhead for any area-specific restrictions.
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.
