The
Crypt Lake Trail is one of the premium hikes in
Waterton Lakes National ParkWaterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist...
in
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is accessed by a dedicated ferry service operating from the Waterton Park Townsite.
The first part of the trail offers the choice of two alternate routes for ascent and return running through forest, the longer of which passes the impressive Hellroaring Falls. After that the trail becomes an open walk through a valley crossing small mountain streams and leading up to the spectacular views of
Crypt FallsCrypt Falls is a waterfall in southwestern Alberta in Waterton Lakes National Park. It is viewable from the Crypt Lake Trail via Ferry service from the Waterton town-site. It drops out of Crypt Lake and feeds a smaller lake below it. The true height of the fall is unknown but it is estimated to be...
. The cascading Crypt Falls are over 150m high and are fed by Crypt Lake in the hanging valley above the falls. The last part of the trail is the ascent to Crypt Lake. This part is more challenging; in parts the walk runs at the edge of steep drops, secured by cable and also involves crawling through a narrow, but short, tunnel. Finally the trail reaches the shores of Crypt Lake through a small forest.
Crypt Lake
Crypt Lake is a pristine alpine lake occupying a
cirquethumb|250 px|Two cirques with semi-permanent snowpatches in [[Abisko National Park]], [[Sweden]].A cirque or corrie is an amphitheatre-like valley head, formed at the head of a valley glacier by erosion...
that often has ice into August. Most of the area around the lake is covered in
screeScree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
and/or snow, and hiking around the circumference of the lake requires approximately 45 minutes. Wildlife can be spotted in the mountains towering above including mountain goat and bighorn sheep. From Crypt Lake it is only a short walk to the edge of Crypt Falls with views over the valley below.
Hiking
The Crypt Lake Hike while challenging, is one of the most rewarding hikes in Waterton Lakes National Park. Voted "Canada's Best Hike" in 1981, Crypt Lake truly lives up to its name. The hike is accessed via the local ferry service, and begins with a gradual climb through shaded forests. As you progress into the hanging valley, the forest begins to thin-out and you begin the strenuous section of the hike. Immeditaly after Burnt Rock Falls, the hike steadily climbs up onto the open alpine mountain side. During this section of the hike, you will be rewarding with striking views of the Crypt Valley as well as that of the cascading Crypt Falls. After hiking along the mountain side, you arrive at the Crypt Lake Campground. This camping area was provided for overnight backpackers and was equipped with an outhouse and fire place. However, the campground is now permanently closed and is no longer equipped with a fire place. After continuing over the alpine creek adjacent to the campground you follow the trail towards the ledge and tunnel. The ledge is about 50cm wide, and continues over to a steel ladder and access to the tunnel. For nearly 100ft you crawl through a natural mountain tunnel before arriving at the cable tranverse. This section of the hike involes a scramble along a sheer cliff, with the assistance of a steel cable. After the scramble you make your way through a shaded forest before arriving at Crypt Lake. The hike is a total of 17.2 km round trip, with a gradual 2,300 feet elevation gain.
Wildlife
The slopes along the Crypt Lake Trail serve as primary bear country. Both Grizzly Bear and Black Bear can be seen on this trail. It is important to check with the visitor information centre and/or ferry service regarding recent bear sightings on the trail. Other large mammal species that call the Crypt Valley home include; Bighorn Sheep, Moose, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer, and White-Tailed Deer. It is not uncommon to see Stripped or Least Chipmunk frequenting the trail, as well as other rodent species, such as Hoary Marmot, Yellow-Bellied Marmot, Red Squirrel and Richardsons Ground Squirrel. Crypt Lake itself is stocked with Cutthroat trout, making it a popular destination for local fisherman.
Ferry service
Ferry service from the Waterton townsite brings hikers to the trail head twice in the morning and returns to pick them up, twice in the late afternoon (off of peak season [May-June, Sept-Oct], ferry services only make 1 round trip per day.) The time span is reasonable to perform the whole trail, but it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the time. There is no potable drinking water provided at the trail head (ferry landing site) or anywhere along the trail. There is an outhouse at the start of the trail where the ferry docks, and near the top of the trail at the designated campground before crossing to the cave entrance, however hikers are advised to bring their own toilet paper.
External links
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