Parking
Start at Emerald Bay Day Use Area, where parking is marked beside the loop. The official route also has access from Linnet Lake Day Use Area and the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Overview
About Prince of Wales Loop
Why go
- A quick, easy circuit beneath the historic hotel.
- Views of Upper and Middle Waterton lakes.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,282–1,322 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 Prince of Wales Loop, 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
Emerald Bay and Kilmorey Lodge0:00 / 0:32
“Emerald Bay is ahead, an easy place for a shoreline picnic beside the marina. There’s a shelter and picnic tables, but expect company; this is a popular townside stop.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Prince of Wales Hotel
- Bear’s Hump
- Waterton Marina and Peace Park Plaza
- Pat’s Waterton and Mount View Road Shops
- 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 Prince of Wales Loop
A short loop below the hotelThe Prince of Wales Loop is an easy 2 km (1.
The Prince of Wales Loop is an easy 2 km (1.2 mi) circuit around the hill below the Prince of Wales Hotel, with views of Upper and Middle Waterton lakes. Allow about 45 minutes; the climb is minimal. This record starts from Emerald Bay Day Use Area. You can also join the loop from Linnet Lake Day Use Area or the hotel. Dogs are welcome on leash and under control.
Keep the nearby loops separateThe trails meet near the hotel, but they are different walks.
The trails meet near the hotel, but they are different walks. Linnet Lake Loop goes around the small lake and is a separate 1 km circuit; Townsite Loop follows the community shoreline for 3.2 km. Follow the Prince of Wales route if you want the short hill circuit, and add another loop only if you want extra distance.
The hotel on the hillThe hotel was built in 1926–27 by the Great Northern Railway and became a National Historic…
The hotel was built in 1926–27 by the Great Northern Railway and became a National Historic Site in 1992. The walk gives you the hotel from below, then opens views across Upper and Middle Waterton lakes from the surrounding hill.
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.
