Campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park are easy to access via Highway 6, Alberta, Canada, and no driving restrictions are present within the park. The abundant lakes offer picturesque scenery which is colored by the vegetation and wildlife in the park and the campers will never have problems finding the parking lots.
Waterton Lakes National Park is situated in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and within such a small area, in just 505 square kilometers, the park protects more than 60 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 10 species of reptiles and amphibians, 24 species of fish and thousands of species of arthropods, insects and other invertebrates.
Waterton Lakes National Park also has over 175 rare number of plants, such as, pygmy poppy, mountain lady’s-slipper, mountain hollyhock, Lewis’ mock-orange, western wakerobin, white-veined wintergreen, Lyall’s scorpionweed, Bolander’s quillwort, Brewer’s monkeyflower, pink meadowsweet and beargrass.
From the park’s various amazing lake activities, cycling, hiking, climbing, stargazing, sightseeing, fishing, photography, wildlife viewing, golfing, birdwatching, picnicking and horseback riding, it offers campers limitless opportunities to engage in recreational activities all year-round and is indeed a campers paradise.
The park features amazing amenities and facilities, such as picnic sites, day use sites, washrooms with hot/cold running water, exhibits, food storage, free showers, kitchen shelters, dump station, communal water taps and free Wi-Fi.
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park was established in 1886, and located in the Columbia Mountain Range, on the Trans-Canada Highway between Yoho and Mount Revelstoke National Parks, and is open year-round with exceptional deep valleys filled with ancient forests, so many waterfalls, hiking trails and gorgeous scenery.
Backcountry Camping
10 backcountry campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park are, Twin Lakes, Snowshoe, Lone Lake, Lineham Lakes, Goat Lake, Crandell Lake, Boundary Bay, Bertha Lake, Bertha Bay, and Alderson Lake.
For overnight stays, a backcountry use permit is required. Reservations are recommended for backcountry campsites and up to 90 days in advance reservations may be made. Backcountry campgrounds have a maximum capacity like all other campgrounds.
Prerequisites for backcountry camping include, getting the details on current trail conditions, purchasing a wilderness pass and booking a site. Backcountry camping fees is $12.75 per person, per night and free for youth of 16 and below. Reservation fees is $11.50 per permit.
4 Best Campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park
The four amazing and stunning campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park are Crandell mountain campground, Belly river campground, Waterton townsite campground and Crooked creek campground. Hikes are prohibited at night in these campgrounds near Waterton lakes national park, as you might quickly get lost and hence bear spray is always essential and the prices begin at $30 a night for each campground.
1. Crandell Mountain Campground
This campground is one of the best among the campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park and is situated in the scenic Blakiston Valley along the Red Rock Parkway and is the most popular destination and the length of this parkway is 8.7 miles through rolling grasslands and featured hikes along the parkway are snowshoe trail and Crandell lake trail. Wildlife is present throughout the parkway, such as whitetail deer, black bear, moose, mule deer and bighorn sheep.
Mountain campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park are the best to enjoy yourself during the peak seasonal periods. Crandell mountain campground offers, washrooms, 129Â sites, camp kitchen, sewage disposal but no showers. Reservations are not allowed and all the sites are available on a first come, first served basis and the campground is open mid May to early September based on the weather condition, and is operated by Parks Canada.
2. Belly River Campground
Camping in campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park gives an exquisite experience that is worth cherishing and Belly River Campground is one of them, which is located along the Chief Mountain Highway, 26 km from Waterton townsite and within just 5 km from the Chief Mountain border crossing. Also, Belly River Campground is a self-registration campground and it offers, flush and dry privies, 24 single sites, kitchen shelters, food storage, picnic tables, a communal area, grey water disposal, parking, fire rings and firewood.
Fire permit is required for each night you have a fire, and the price is $9.25 for a fire permit per night. No potable water is available, and visitors must bring their own drinking and cooking water or filtering systems.
Belly river campground lies right beside the Belly River with a pleasant area of mixed aspen forest. Foxes, deer and bear wander through the area and all the sites are available on a first-come, first served basis and the price is $15.70 for single sites.
This campground is one among the campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park where a group camping facility is available for groups with a minimum of 25 people and a maximum of 100 by reservation only the price is $5.25 per person for one night, and the group campsite registration deposit is $131.25(due at the time of booking). 14 days of maximum length of stay is allowed and is open from mid-May to mid-September, and a National Park entrance pass is required.
3. Waterton Townsite Campground
People tend to visit the campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park, and all the outdoor lovers enjoy camping. Waterton Townsite Campground is situated at the south end of the community of Waterton Village. It offers washrooms, 238 fully and semi-serviced sites, sewage disposal, showers and camp kitchens.
Waterton townsite campground is the most famous among all other campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park. No reservations are accepted, and it is open from mid-May to Labor Day.
All campsites on the townsite campground are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and for reservations, visit the Parks Canada Reservation Service.
4. Crooked Creek Campground
This campground is privately owned and operated. Crooked Creek Campground is situated on Highway 5 and Township Road 292, which is 5.6 kilometers from Waterton Lakes National Park gates. It offers 95 full-service sites, fire pits on every site, walk-in tent sites, power, flush toilets, on-site laundry, picnic tables, a cash-only store for basic amenities, free showers and firewood for sale. Hiking, fishing, playground, spray park, and golfing are nearby. Crooked Creek Campground is easily accessible and is open from May 15 to September 30.
Like any other campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park, reservations are allowed and recommended, and a non-refundable reservation fee of $5.00 per booking will be applied to online bookings for a refund, a 72-hour notice period before check-in time is required.
Bottom Line
These campgrounds are favorite Alberta destinations, and the opportunities to view the scenery have been phenomenal. The Waterton Lakes National Park is not as big as some of the other national parks, but it has such an abundance of wildlife and a great hiking trail between Waterton and Glacier, conducted by Parks Canada and USA, that gives you the experience of a lifetime.
Plan a safe and enjoyable visit to the above-mentioned best campgrounds near Waterton Lakes National Park and experience a great and adventurous camping with your partner or friends.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty
