Parking
Park at Akamina Pass Trailhead on the right side of Akamina Parkway, about 14 km from Waterton townsite.
Overview
About Wall Lake Trail
Wall Lake Trail is a 10.4 km (6.5 mi) return out-and-back from Akamina Pass Trailhead on Akamina Parkway to Wall Lake in British Columbia’s Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park. The walk starts in Waterton Lakes National Park, crosses Akamina Pass and finishes at the shore beneath sheer headwalls. Count 5.2 km one way; you return on the same corridor, and this distance does not add the Forum Lake or Forum Falls branch. It is moderate; allow about 4–5 hours with time at the lake.
Why go
- A cross-border approach ends beneath Wall Lake’s sheer headwalls.
- The route settles into a mostly level contour after the early climb.
Heads up
- The 2.5 km climb arrives early, followed by a long walk to the lake.
- No potable water; the campground food cache is for registered campers.
Near the end, the route opens across avalanche paths and the headwalls come into view before the shore. The mapped walk reaches Wall Lake’s northeast shore below steep rock walls; it does not include a circuit around the lake. The lake and its cliffs reward the long approach. For a photo, include a little rocky shoreline in the foreground to give the walls scale; reflections are more likely when the water is still. Rainbow trout live here, and fishing requires a British Columbia licence.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe lake is the payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,686–1,805 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 Wall Lake 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
Akamina Pass and Wall Lake0:00 / 0:27
“Up ahead is the Akamina Pass trailhead, the start of a moderate hike to Wall Lake beneath sheer cliffs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Cameron 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 Wall Lake Trail
The climb to the provincial lineThe wide roadbed climbs steadily from the trailhead. The first 2.
The wide roadbed climbs steadily from the trailhead. The first 2.5 km gains about 125 m to Akamina Creek campground, with the grade easing near the pass. The Alberta–British Columbia boundary is about 1.5 km in. This old roadbed was built in the 1920s as part of a route intended to cross the park toward the Flathead River valley. The first climb is the main sustained effort, but the lake is still several kilometres beyond the pass.
Past the campgroundAkimina Creek backcountry campground is about 2.4 km from the trailhead.
Akimina Creek backcountry campground is about 2.4 km from the trailhead. It has an outhouse, tent pads and a food cache for registered campers; the cache is not a day-hiker supply. Beyond it, the Wall Lake route skirts the end of a forested ridge and stays close to the same elevation as it contours toward the lake. It is a natural backcountry path, not a maintained lakeside promenade. Follow the signed hiking route at the Wall Lake fork; horseback riders use a separate trail.
Water, weather and dogsThere is no potable water in Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park.
There is no potable water in Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park. Bring your own, or treat or boil stream water before drinking. The pass is exposed and mountain weather changes quickly; summer storms can bring lightning, hail or snow. Pets must stay leashed and off beaches and out of park buildings in British Columbia. Parks Canada says the backcountry setting is not suitable for dogs because of bears and other wildlife, so this is a poor choice for a dog that needs shoreline access.
Getting to the startPark at Akamina Pass Trailhead, on the right side of Akamina Parkway about 14 km from Waterton…
Park at Akamina Pass Trailhead, on the right side of Akamina Parkway about 14 km from Waterton townsite. This is the start for the 10.4 km return. The separate 2 km Wall Lake access described from Akamina Road near a ranger station, and the longer route combining Wall and Forum lakes, are different hikes. Check both jurisdictions’ trail reports before leaving because the route crosses between Waterton and the provincial park.
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.
