Parking
Start at the Red Rock Canyon upper parking lot, where Snowshoe Trail begins. Access via Red Rock Parkway, which closes to vehicles from October through May depending on weather; check seasonal road access before planning.
Overview
About Castle River Divide Trail
Why go
- Finishes at a quiet watershed divide
- Forest openings reveal high cliffs and rock walls
Heads up
- A long approach before the short ridge spur
- About 14 miles makes this an all-day outing
Castle River Divide Trail is a roughly 14-mile (22.6-km) out-and-back from the Red Rock Canyon upper lot. Follow Snowshoe Trail to its backcountry campground, then climb about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to the forested ridge at Waterton’s boundary. Allow about eight hours on foot. The old fire road is gentle; the upper spur climbs steadily but not steeply. Choose this for a long, quiet forest day and the watershed divide, not for a broad alpine summit view. The route gains roughly 1,750 feet (530 m) on the way out.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the long walk worth it?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,491–2,007 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 Castle River Divide 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
Red Rock Canyon0:00 / 0:32
“You’re coming up on Red Rock Canyon, where a creek cuts through red and green rock. This is a good stop for a close look at the landscape without a long hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lost Horse Creek Day Use Area
- Older Rock on Top
- Coppermine Day Use Area
- A Squirrel's Cone Store
- 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 Castle River Divide Trail
Follow the signed spurAt Snowshoe backcountry campground, take the uphill Castle Divide spur. Around 0.
At Snowshoe backcountry campground, take the uphill Castle Divide spur. Around 0.8 mile in, stay straight/right at the Lost Lake junction. Near the end, continue straight past the Avion Ridge fork to the ridge-top park boundary; the northeast branch is Avion Ridge, and the trail beyond the boundary heads down toward Castle River. The spur stays in fir forest, with occasional openings toward high cliffs and rock walls. At the endpoint, the Castle River watershed lies northwest of the ridge and the Bauerman/Blakiston drainage is southeast. Return the same way.
Start at Red Rock CanyonBegin at the upper parking lot; Snowshoe starts there and the customary route crosses Red Rock…
Begin at the upper parking lot; Snowshoe starts there and the customary route crosses Red Rock Creek before continuing straight. Red Rock Parkway closes to vehicles seasonally from October through May, depending on weather, so check access before planning. Snowshoe is a former fire road also used by cyclists and horse riders. Pets must remain on leash or in suitable confinement. An overnight stay at Snowshoe campground requires a reservation; the day hike continues past it.
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.
