Waterton National Park is favoured by those campers wanting a more secluded experience because of its pleasant weather and the beauties of nature.
The Waterton name originated from its Lake and Victorian naturalist Charles Waterton and is located in Alberta, Canada, covering an area of more than 500 km.
Over 1000 species of flower plants are present in the park. Over 20 species of plants are recurrently occurring in the park, such as White Veined Wintergreen and Lewis Mock Orange.
Over 50 species are rare in Canada, such as Brewer’s Monkeyflower, Lyall’s Scorpionweed and Bolander’s Quillwort. This park also contains ferns like Moonworts.
Waterton Lakes National Park is home to many animals such as bald eagles, wolverines, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, mountain goats, moose, timber wolves, foxes, bison, beavers, coyotes, river otters, lynxes, cougars, snowshoe hares, bobcats, hoary marmots, pikas, black bears and grizzly bears.
Bird species such as Canada geese, bald eagles, MacGillivray’s warblers and orange-crowned warblers are also present in the park.
1. Waterton National Park Campgrounds
The park is open all year long. A park pass and a camping permit, valid for the maximum length of stay, are the prerequisites. A fire permit is also required for each night.
Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta provides three campgrounds: Townsite, Crandell Mountain, and Belly River.
1.1. Townsite Campground
Waterton Townsite Campground is located at the south end of Waterton Village, one of the popular Waterton National Park Campgrounds. This campground offers 246 sites (109 full-service sites, 76 electrical sites and 45 unserviced and walk-in tent sites).
Reservations are recommended for campsites in Townsite Campground. You need a fire permit, which only permits fire in kitchen shelters. This campground offers dumping stations, showers and washrooms.
1.2. Crandell Mountain Campground
Crandell Mountain Campground is operated by visiting the Parks Canada website. It offers 129 unserviced sites, washrooms and kitchen shelters.
1.3. Belly River Campground
Belly River Campground is on the West side of the Chief Mountain highway, 26 kilometres east of Waterton townsite and 5 kilometres from the Chief Mountain border crossing.
This campground provides a self-registration option and offers 24 unserviced sites, available only on a first-come, first-served basis.
Group camping trips and events are provided at Belly River Campground. All sites at Belly River Campground have fire rings, and no potable water facility is available.
Belly River Campground fills quickly, especially in the peak season of July and August. This campground is in a mixed aspen forest beside the Belly River.
2. Backcountry Campsites
There are ten backcountry campsites in Waterton National Park. They are Bertha Bay, Alderson Lake, Bertha Lake, Crandell Lake, Boundary Bay, Goat Lake, Lineham Lakes, Snowshoe, Lone Lake and Twin Lakes.
Except for Lineham Lake, all the above are designated campgrounds with outhouses, tent pads and food storage bins.
Backcountry campgrounds are accessed using the park’s hiking trails, as they are not accessible by road.
3. Campground Host Program
In a campground host program, you can join the visitors by volunteering as a host at any of the campgrounds in Waterton National Park.
4. Lodges and Resorts
Several lodges and resorts are present in and around Waterton. They are Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort, Crandell Mountain Lodge, Aspen Village Inn, Bayshore Inn & Spa, Blue Mountain Motel, Northland Lodge and Waterton Glacier Inn & Suites.
Bottom Line
Waterton National Park is a great place to spend some time away from the city, and the park provides campers with various options to choose from.
You can select any of the campgrounds or backcountry campsites according to your preference; all of them would allow you to enjoy nature along with beautiful views of the lake.
However, while camping, ensure your safety and that of the nature and wildlife around you to have a truly memorable experience.
