Hiking Crypt Lake Trail in Waterton National Parks

Crypt Lake is an incredible hike in Waterton National Park that should be on your bucket list. This hike is especially unique because the trailhead is only accessible by boat. Hikers must board the ferry in the Waterton Marina and take the 15-minute boat ride across the lake to start the hike. If you are planning to visit Waterton, Crypt Lake should be on your list.

Crypt Lake Hike Summary

• Difficulty: Easy
• Distance: 18.5 km round trip
• Elevation: 881 metres
• Trail type: Out-and-back
• Time: 5-8 hours
• Trailhead: Waterton Marina

Ferry to Crypt Lake

You can reserve your tickets on the ferry to the Crypt Lake trailhead up to 3 days in advance. You cannot reserve the tickets online, but you can visit the Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co. for detailed information including the schedule. During the summer, the boat to Crypt Lake runs at 8:30 and 9:00 am and picks hikers up at 3:30 and 5:30 pm. The ferry costs $34.00 per person.

We boarded the first ferry and arrived at the trailhead at 8:45 am. At the beginning of the hike, the entire boat starts packed together. In the first set of switchbacks, we came across a bear. The bear was sitting inside the curve of a switchback, about 10 metres from the trail. It was not interested in the large group of hikers, and continued to eat vegetation, unbothered.

We hike Crypt Lake on August 30, 2017. This was the day that the Kenow Wildfire started, which made conditions smoky. The weather was also incredibly hot, about 34°C. While conditions were not ideal, we were not yet aware of the wildfire situation and the town was evacuated shortly after we left. I will be returning to Waterton this year, and I am interested to see what has changed since the fires and restoration.

Trail Description

At the 1 km mark, there is a junction to the left to Hell Roaring Falls. You can take this detour on the way up, or save the loop for the way back down. From the junction, continue to the end of the switchbacks. The switchbacks through the forest continue for 2.4 km.

At 3.5 km, hikers reach the Twin Falls viewpoint. This is the second of four beautiful waterfalls along this trail. After this section, the trail leads to an open meadow. Hike through this flat section towards Burnt Rock Falls.

At 5.6 km — the Burnt Falls lookout — switchbacks begin again. From here, ascend to the Crypt Lake campground, which you will pass at 7.9 km. You are now reaching the most difficult part of the hike.

The remaining 800 metres to Crypt Lake are technical and daunting. After passing the campground, the trail continues across a section of scree. Once across the scree, you will reach the ladder and the narrow cave. Pass through the cave to reach the chain section of the hike.

Crossing the Chain Section

As someone with a manageable fear of heights, I did well on the way up the chains. This section is a narrow path along the side of the cliff, with about 1 foot of space to walk along. The chains are well-placed while ascending the trail, but coming down means you need to stoop to use them. This made me feel unsteady and nervous, especially as you are looking down towards the cliff.

If you have a strong fear of heights, you may not want to try this hike, or you make want to turn around before the cave. In general, take this sections slowly and carefully.

Reaching Crypt Lake

After passing the chains, you will ascend the final few hundred metres through the trees to the lake. Crypt Lake sits inside a cirque with 600 metre peaks rising sharply around it.

We ate at the lake, and to our dismay, the weather clouded over. We had hoped to swim in the lake after the long, hot hike to the top, but were too cold after lunch to still consider it. Instead, we too the 1 km loop around the lake, hiking counter-clockwise. Crypt Lake actually passes the 49th parallel into the United States, so hikers can pass the border while circling the lake.

The descent down the chains took us more time than climbing up. However, after the chains, we made good time coming down. We arrived in time to take the first ferry back to Waterton Marina.

Tips for Hiking Crypt Lake

• Bring ample water for the hike, or water filters/purification tablets. We ran out of water in our last hour on the trail because of the hot weather (despite bringing 2L per person).
• Take the chains section carefully and take your time. Be prepared to wait for others on this section.
• Because of the ferry, you will need to be aware of your time. If you are worried about taking too long, save the viewpoint detours until the return trip to make sure you have time to spare.
• Bring good trail runners or hiking boats. The extra grip is useful on the descent.
• By your ferry tickets the day before you wish to hike. This will save your time in the morning and ensure you can make the first boat.
• Take the first boat to give yourself more time to complete the hike.
• Other suggestions of things to bring when hiking in the Rockies.