Hard, 13.76 mi out and back trail
3,822 ft elevation gain
Hiked 7/6/25
Likely the most known hike in Waterton Lakes, this has it all. A boat ride, two massive waterfalls, a tunnel, chains section along the cliff wall, Cutthroat Trout, Bald Eagles, and a small brush with the US border. Epic throughout, add Hells roaring canyon on the way back for geological features.
One of the many good views along the shoreline of Crypt Lake, Sarcee Mountain rises above it all from the US side of the border just off of the trail.
The viewpoint from maybe 15 ft beside the main waterfall, which you can also get on top of. Unnamed lake below and I am not sure if that peak would be considered base of Sarcee Mountain or something else.
Trail shot from when you are near level with Crypt Lake but still maybe half a mile away. Sarcee mountain forms the bowl around the lake.
This was the final hike I did while in Canada, absolutely wonderful country that I would highly recommend visiting if you have not. I’ll have a short hike coming up from when I just drove over the Great Lakes at the start of last week but this hike was the final of the 3 months around the Rockies.
Glorious!
Fuck yeah. I love the second to last picture with the trees in the foreground. Gives that hard to capture sense of perspective you get in person. Good job :)
Thanks! Yeah, it’s tough to show the scale sometimes. Glad I was able to pull it off, that viewpoint is so stunning.
