CYCLING

With more than 200 miles of trail in Waterton Lakes National Park, it is not surprising that hundreds of adventure-seeking cyclists are drawn to Waterton’s alpine slopes and valleys each year.

People with less need for steep pitches and velocity will find cycling around Waterton to be a great way to see our park at a speed that allows them to take in every inch of Rocky Mountain splendor.

Cycling

Cycling Around Waterton Village

When you come to Waterton Lakes National Park, you will find that many of our visitors enjoy cycling around our park and through our Village on bike paths and roadside trails. If you do not want to cart your bike along on your journey to Waterton, excellent rentals are available at Pat’s of Waterton. You can rent a mountain bike or enjoy a side-by-side ride in a traditional surrey. Scooter rentals are also available by the hour all day long.

Mountain Biking in Waterton Park

Mountain biking is limited to four trails in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Snowshoe Trail

This wide, rolling trail is a great choice for beginner cyclists. The trail is relatively open and flat, but cyclists may need to ford the occasional creek.

Length
8.2 km one way

Trailhead
Red Rock Canyon parking lot

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Akamina Pass Trail

This short, steep trail is best suited to more experienced cyclists. It ascends to the Alberta-B.C. boundary then continues into Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park.

Length
1.5 km one way

Trailhead
14.4 km along the Akamina Parkway

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Wishbone Trail

This challenging trail starts off wide but becomes narrow and overgrown once you have passed the Vimy trail cut-off. Please note that cycling is not permitted on the Vimy Trail or past the Wishbone dock on Middle Waterton Lake.

Length
10.5 km one way

Trailhead
0.5 km along Chief Mountain Highway from Highway 5 junction

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Crandell Loop

This is a challenging trail best suited to advanced mountain bikers. The Akamina Parkway portion is steep and rocky and other portions washed away in the 1995 flood are difficult to follow. Some cyclists prefer to make a loop by traveling the Akamina and Red Rock Parkways, linking them via the Crandell trail.

Length
4 km from Red Rock Parkway to Akamina Parkway or 20.6 km for the entire loop

Trailhead
1km down the Canyon Camp road just past the Crandell Campground, or 6.5 km along the Akamina Parkway

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Rules of the Trail

Backcountry Camping

Some backcountry campsites are accessible by mountain bike. If you plan to cycle into the backcountry, you must obtain a wilderness use permit. Please refer to wilderness camping on the Parks Canada website.