Crypt Lake Trail: Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada

The hike to Crypt Lake along the Crypt Lake Trail is without question one of the most popular day hikes in Waterton Lakes National Park. You start with a boat ride across Upper Waterton Lake, then hike by four gorgeous waterfalls, climb a steel ladder, crawl through a narrow tunnel for nearly 100 feet, and walk directly above a harrowing cliff as you hold on to a steel cable.

The trailhead to Crypt Lake is actually located at what is known as Crypt Landing, and by far the easiest way to get to Crypt Landing is take a boat named “Miss Waterton” across Upper Waterton Lake to the trailhead at Crypt Landing with 50 hikers at a time. The cruise company also uses a smaller boat named the “Connie Marlene” when fewer hikers are heading for Crypt Lake.

Once you get off the boat, you and fifty other hikers (during peak season) will head for the Crypt Lake Trail. Stay calm and stay polite, and fairly quickly this bottle neck will straighten itself out. The faster hikers will separate from the slower hikers, and it will all work out just fine.

The Crypt Lake Trail in Waterton Lakes National Park climbs quite abruptly initially. In fact, the Crypt Lake Trail climbs about 900 vertical feet in one mile. So be ready to get a little “cardio” going during this first mile of the hike. By the way, you will be hiking through fairly dense forest, so make sure you talk loud so you don’t surprise a grizzly bear that may be on or near the trail.

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