Blakiston Falls is an easy, 2 km out-and-back trail near Red Rock Canyon in Waterton Lakes National Park. The trail begins at the canyon and continues through the forest for 1 km to reach the falls.
The trail has very little elevation, making it a family-friendly trail suitable for young children. The total trail takes between 30 minutes to an hour and can be combined with a trip to the Red Rock Canyon itself.
Blakiston Falls Hike Summary
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 2 km round trip
- Elevation: 77 metres
- Trail type: Out-and-back
- Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Trailhead: Red Rock Canyon
Start the trail at the Red Rock Canyon. You can start from either side as the two paths meet up, but we started on the trail closest to the parking lot and headed downstream.
Detailed Trail Summary
Red Rock Canyon is a busy area in Waterton National Park. Because it’s accessible by car, and a stunning natural location, many families flock to the canyon to spend a morning or afternoon. However, just a kilometre away sits an impressive waterfall that only a fraction of the canyon visitors venture out to see.
If you’re hoping to break away from the crowds without hiking too far into the backcountry, Blakiston Falls is a great spot to do so.
Although Blakiston Falls is only 1 kilometre from the parking lot, you should still carry bear spray and practice basic wildlife safety. Hike in a group and talk loudly to alert wildlife to your presence. While we hiked this trail, we came across a deer and several grouse on our way to the falls, so wild animals are definitely in the area!
We hiked through forest burned in the Kenow Wildfires in 2017, which has lots of new growth coming in. It’s so beautiful to witness the regeneration of a forest and see the resilience of nature after times of destruction. This is also a good reminder for Jasper, whose fire last year have left many believing the park is “ruined” when it’s simply in the first stage of regrowth.
We quickly reached the first viewing platform which gives a great vantage point of the waterfall. After admiring the waterfall from afar, we continued on the the second viewing platform which almost brings visitors right over the falls.
Although the trail continues much further down Blakiston Valley past the falls, they were our main goal for the trip. We hiked back to Red Rock Canyon to admire the unique rock formations here before heading back into town for dinner.
