Crypt Lake

To get to Crypt Lake in Alberta’s Waterton National Park, you ride a boat shuttle across the majestic Upper Waterton Lake, switchback up a trail that rises above the lake, hike up a canyon past a trio of waterfalls, climb an 8-foot ladder to shimmy through a tunnel, hold onto a metal rod that has been bolted into a steep cliff face, and then hike over a berm to a gorgeous lake that straddles the international boundary and does not have an outlet. Water instead seeps through the earth, forming a waterfall on the other side. I’ve never been on a hike that packs so much excitement into 5.4 miles (each way) and 2,214 feet of elevation gain!

Crypt Lake, photographed on September 27, 2009.

Waterton National Park is the Canadian arm of the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park, which straddles the border between Montana and Alberta. You have to access this hike from the Waterton Townsite in Alberta. It’s an in-and-out hike, with no options to keep going or camp.

Your first step is to find the Shore Line Cruise Company dock and ticket booth, which are on the edge of Upper Waterton Lake in the Waterton Townsite, near the Bayshore Inn and Pat‘s Waterton general store. The Waterton Townsite is small and quaint and you won’t get lost. Buy a ticket for the Crypt Lake Shuttle. Plan on leaving somewhere around 9 or 10 a.m. and riding a shuttle back around 4 or 5 p.m. The schedules vary throughout the season. Depending on the exchange rate, you’ll spend $15 to $20 for the ticket. Link to the cruise company.

The shuttle across Lake Waterton takes about 15 minutes. You’ll be left at a small dock at the Crypt Lake Trailhead. Be sure to know when your ride back leaves — if you miss the shuttle home, your options are very limited. There is an outhouse at the trailhead, but no water or other facilities.

The trail quickly starts to rise above Upper Waterton Lake, offering you a few choice views of the lake and the gorgeous, glacially carved mountains that surround it before heading southeast up a long canyon. You follow Hell-Roaring Creek most of the way. Near the trailhead, you’ll see a side trip to Hell-Roaring Falls that adds 30 to 60 minutes to your trip and rejoins the Crypt Lake trail later on. You probably want to save Hell-Roaring Falls for the trip back, if time permits.

As you climb, you’ll see a couple of other waterfalls. One is seen from a viewpoint just off the trail; the other is Crypt Falls, which is the only outlet from Crypt Lake. Neither waterfall was exactly gushing when I did this hike in late September, but I’m sure they are impressive earlier in the season. You’ll cross over a couple of streams and pass in and out of the forest. Be aware that you are in prime grizzly bear country and take reasonable precautions. Also, watch for mountain goats.

The ladder that you climb to get to the tunnel that leads to Crypt Lake. Photographed September 27, 2009.

After roughly four miles of climbing up the canyon, you will come to a small area with a horse hitching post and another outhouse. From here, you essentially cross the mouth of the canyon, shortly coming to an 8-foot ladder that is bolted into the rock and leads you to a 60-foot tunnel. The first two thirds of the tunnel are tall enough for most people to walk upright through, but you might have to scrunch through the final third. I’m almost six feet tall and made it through with no problems.

The tunnel that leads to Crypt Lake. Photographed September 27, 2009.

At the end of the tunnel, you will see a metal handrail that has also been bolted into the cliff. This short section of the trail passes through a steep, but not vertical, cliff face. A route has been blasted out of the cliff and the handrail provides additional support. I’m sure that some people choose to end their adventure here, within 15 minutes of the lake, but none of the 15 hikers in my group did.

The cliff face that stands between the Crypt Lake Tunnel and Crypt Lake. Photographed September 27, 2009.

You’ll hike over a berm, then arrive at the incredible Crypt Lake, about five miles from the trailhead. Crypt Lake is set in a cirque, surrounded by mountains on most sides and at the end of a hanging canyon. It has the glacial turquoise color that really makes you reach for your camera. More interestingly, there is not a stream that flows out of it. Instead, water seeps through the berm and forms Crypt Falls on the other side. The lake straddles the Canadian-United States border. Almost the entire lake is in Canada, but the south tip is in the USA. This might be your best chance to start an international backcountry incident.

A gorgeous reflection in Crypt Lake, seen from the south shore on September 27, 2009.

If you have time, a trail circles the lake, and the view from every shore is outstanding. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes to make it all the way around and be sure to keep an eye on the time. The shuttle won’t wait for you. To get home, retrace your steps.

I have done the vast majority of my hiking in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Yellowstone offers truly secluded backcountry and fascinating thermal features. Grand Teton offers some incredible peaks and incredible views. But the glaciers that carved Waterton and Glacier parks created a landscape that is every bit as unique — and every bit as stunning – as Yellowstone and the Tetons. This adventure is a great introduction to the mountains of Glacier and Waterton.

Note 1: A much longer route from northeast of the Waterton Townsite allows horses to access much of the trail.

Note 2: If you have another day, take the full Upper Waterton Lake cruise, which starts in Waterton Townsite and follows the shores of Lake Waterton into the United States and Goat Haunt, Montana. The lake, surrounded by glacially carved mountains and completely pristine, is absolutely gorgeous and the cruise is well with your time. It departs throughout the day. Depending on the exchange rate, plan on spending somewhere around $35. If you take the cruise, then hike to Crypt Lake the next day, you may be able to negotiate a frequent-floater discount.

Note 3: Be sure to ask about trail conditions before you buy your ticket. Snow can linger on this hike and the lake can remain frozen well into the summer.

Note 4: Dogs are allowed on backcountry trails in Waterton National Park, but you probably won’t be able to get Fido up the ladder and back to Crypt Lake.