Parking
Use the Crandell Lake Trailhead parking area on the right about 7 km along Akamina Parkway from the Waterton townsite. Roadside parking on the parkway is not permitted.
Overview
About Crandell Lake Trail (Akamina Parkway)
Why go
- A short, easy approach to a mountain lake
- A one-hour outing with modest elevation gain
Heads up
- The path climbs steadily despite its easy rating
- This version requires driving the Akamina Parkway
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,524–1,595 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 Crandell Lake Trail (Akamina Parkway), 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
Crandell Lake Trailhead and McNeely’s0:00 / 0:25
“The Crandell Lake trailhead is coming up, for a short hike to a small lake between Mount Crandell and Ruby Ridge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- First Oil Well in Western Canada
- Kootenai Brown Learns to Type
- Lineham Falls Trailhead
- Life in a Burned Forest
- 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 Crandell Lake Trail (Akamina Parkway)
A one-hour lake walkCrandell Lake Trail from the Akamina Parkway is a 3.6 km (2.
Crandell Lake Trail from the Akamina Parkway is a 3.6 km (2.2 mi) out-and-back, with 75 m (246 ft) of gain and about an hour on foot. It is the short access to the lake; the longer approaches from the Waterton townsite and Red Rock Parkway are separate hikes. Expect a steady, manageable climb rather than a flat stroll.
Through a renewing forestFrom the dedicated trailhead, the path climbs through forest toward the lake.
From the dedicated trailhead, the path climbs through forest toward the lake. The Parkway's trails pass through a mix of older trees and newer growth in the area recovering from the Kenow wildfire, so the approach has a story of its own before the water comes into view.
At Crandell LakeThe lake sits in a low, forested saddle between Ruby Ridge and Mount Crandell.
The lake sits in a low, forested saddle between Ruby Ridge and Mount Crandell. The short route reaches the lake area and returns the same way. A separate path continues around the west shore to small beaches and a cook shelter; that extra wandering is not included in the 3.6 km. For a photo, keep some water and the opposite wooded shore in the frame beneath the mountain backdrop.
Getting thereThe trailhead parking area is on the right about 7 km along Akamina Parkway from the townsite.
The trailhead parking area is on the right about 7 km along Akamina Parkway from the townsite. Roadside parking is not permitted. Dogs are welcome on trails when leashed and under control. The Parkway is open year-round, but check current trail conditions before a late-season or winter outing.
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.
