14 Fun Things To Do in Waterton Lakes National Park With Kids!
Waterton Lakes National Park is an absolute GEM (not to mention incredibly underrated) and I loved our trip there with the kids. I grew up only a few hours from here, and can’t believe it took me until my 30s to visit. This list has so many fun things to do in Waterton including wildlife sightings, fun foods, and an amazing scenic boat ride!
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1. Enjoy Wildlife Sightings at the Bison Paddock
The Bison Paddock is a short, self-guided drive that is completely free and you are very likely to see bison here. The drive is only a few miles long (4-5 km) and on dirt roads, but you don’t need a high clearance vehicle to drive it.
We saw all the bison right at the beginning along the road, but you can see them all over the paddock depending on the day. You won’t actually be getting out of your car at the Paddock (it’s important to stay in your car for safety reasons).
The grasslands of Waterton used to be filled with herds of grazing bison, but since the bison are mostly gone from this area, the paddock preserves an important part of Waterton’s history.
2. Drive to Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon is another classic stop in Waterton National Park, but be warned that it can be busy. Visiting early in the morning is probably your best bet for avoiding people. We visited both at midday and closer to sunset and both times it was very busy, but still worth it.
The 10 km (5.5 mile) drive to Red Rock Canyon itself is really nice, and a great place for spotting wildlife. The canyon is located at the end of the drive and is a nice short paved loop trail that gives several different viewpoints of the canyon. It’s just over 1 km to hike (0.7 miles). The trail is paved, but it’s fairly busy and narrow so a stroller probably wouldn’t be ideal, but it is doable.
3. Have Afternoon Tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel
Afternoon tea was another one of our favorite things to do in Waterton National Park (OUR FULL REVIEW)! I was a little worried about doing this activity with a couple of toddlers but it was actually really fun. They even have a smaller kids sized tea for kids 5 and under which is still the same fun experience with smaller portion sizes.
The tea experience started with a fun selection of tea sourced from Jolene’s Tea House in Banff. Then the kids favorite part, the sweet and savory scones. And lastly followed by a course of sandwiches and delicious and beautiful desserts.
It’s a little pricey, but such a fun and unique experience that it’s definitely worth doing if you are interested in it. Make a reservation ahead of time so you don’t miss out!
4. See Cameron Falls
Cameron Falls is a really beautiful waterfall that you can visit right in town. There are a few different ways to get there. You can park right near the base of the waterfall. There is also a paved path that you can take through town that passes by several spots in the townsite including Cameron Falls.
Tip: if you want to take the paved trails to the top of the falls you can see it from a different view and some really pretty views of the lake and mountains. But the best view of the waterfall is from the bottom right near the parking area.
5. Try a Beavertail
A beavertail is a famous Canadian dessert that consists of a fried dough and topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar, or a variety of other toppings.
If you have never tried a beavertail dessert (or even if you have), you can take the opportunity to try one in Waterton. I like the classic cinnamon sugar ones myself, but there are tons of options!
6. Enjoy the Views from the Prince of Wales Hotel
The Prince of Wales Hotel is a MUST visit if you’re in Waterton. The hotel sits on top of a hill with really incredible views of the lake and surrounding mountains. If you want to stay at the hotel, depending on the season it can actually be quite affordable (compared to what I thought it would be!)
Regardless of if you’re staying or not, you can go explore the hotel and walk around a bit. There are a few walking paths out front and of course you can sign up for afternoon tea that I mentioned above.
7. Hike to Blakiston Falls
Blakiston Falls is a wonderful family friendly trail in Waterton that I would highly recommend hiking if you have time.
You’ll start by driving the Red Rock Canyon Parkway which is a 9 km (5.5 mile) scenic drive that is worth doing on it’s own. We saw 6 black bears on this drive!!
NOTE: You can definitely combine this hike with Red Rock Canyon since they start at the same place and are both short hikes.
ANOTHER NOTE: someone stopped their car on the parkway to see the bears for over 30 minutes which is a very irresponsible thing to do. If you see a bear, you can slow down to get a look at it, but do NOT block the road and keep your distance.
To get to Blakiston Falls, you will cross the footbridge on the left side of the trail (check the map at the beginning of the trail). The trail is only 1.5 miles with 250 ft of elevation gain so it’s totally doable with small children.
At the end of the trail there are several really incredible man made viewing platforms where you can see the falls from different angles. Because of the fire damage (from the massive wildfire in 2017), there are some really incredible mountain views along the way as well.
8. Play in Cameron Lake
Cameron Lake is one of the two main scenic drives near Waterton Lakes National Park. It’s a 16 km (10 mile) drive called the Akamina Parkway that has several hiking trails and ends at Cameron Lake.
The wildflowers were so beautiful along this road and the lake was a great place to play with kids. If you want to spend more time at the lake, you can rent small boats or kayaks too. It’s a crowded place, but the parking lot is very large and there are lots of bathrooms as well.
If you want to explore the lake from different viewpoints you can also hike along the lakeshore trail for more solitude!
9. Take a Scenic Cruise on Wateron Lake to Glacier National Park
One of our favorite parts of our trip to Waterton was our scenic boat cruise with Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co. It’s a really unique way to see the area and also absolutely STUNNING!
There are two choices for cruises, one that goes to the international boundary and back. The other choice (the one that we did) goes all the way into a remote area of Glacier National Park and you get to get out of 30 minutes and explore the Goat Haunt area.
Here is more information about the cruise options and the schedule. We also have a full review of our experience with kids and all the information you need to know before doing a scenic cruise in Waterton.
10. Eat at Wieners of Waterton
It sounds funny, and it is! But it’s also a fun and tasty place to eat, especially with kids. Our kids were STOKED to find a hot dog restaurant and they gave it a 10/10.
Here you can get a locally made sausage, traditional beef hot dog, or even falafel if you’re not really a hot dog person. It’s worth it to try just for the jokes you can make!
11. Play at One of the Most Beautiful Playgrounds Ever!
If the kids have had enough with waterfalls or hiking and sightseeing, you can make a stop at one of the prettiest playgrounds I’ve visited. The playground is perfect for kids of any age. There is a traditional playground and they also have a splash pad during certain months.
There are some bathrooms available here too.
12. Learn at the Visitor Center
Downtown in the Waterton Townsite, you can find a fabulous visitor center for Waterton Lakes National Park. If you have a National Parks passport (not your real passport!), you can get it stamped here. They have a fun little movie to watch, and lots of educational opportunities in addition to a small gift shop offering.
The location is really convenient and walkable if you plan to hang out downtown at all it’s very near to center of town. If you’re looking for more planning resources for your trip to Waterton, you can learn more with our Full Guide to Waterton National Park.
13. Stay at Payne Lake
Payne Lake is not inside Waterton National Park, but we had fun staying here. The Payne Lake Wilderness Huts were a great place to stay with kids!
They have wonderful and clean huts that have a kitchen, showers, and all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay. Each room has a theme which is so fun! We got to stay in Duck Blind.
On the property, they also have a unique playground that the kids LOVED. And you can explore nearby Payne Lake for a nice view. It’s only about 20 minutes from Waterton and a bit cheaper than staying in town.
14. Explore East Glacier National Park
And lastly, you can’t talk about Waterton without talking about Glacier National Park. Since the two are connected (and are an International Peace Park), it totally makes sense to visit both if you have a long enough trip. If you have your passport, you can make a quick trip (or a longer trip) to explore the East side of Glacier National Park.
Some of the closest areas to explore are: Many Glacier (my favorite!), St. Mary, or the East side of Going to the Sun Road. You can also visit Two Medicine if you want to go just a bit farther. They are all beautiful and worth visiting.
And if you want more information about Glacier National Park check out all of my articles to help you plan an epic mountain adventure with your family!
15. Hike to the Bears Hump
This is a hike that I really wanted to do, but because my husband wasn’t on this trip with me, I didn’t feel safe taking both toddlers on it at the same time. Because I haven’t done it, I can’t comment on how safe or difficult it was, but the pictures of the views from the top look pretty insane – think Norway vibes!! I will definitely be hiking it on my next trip to Waterton.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Waterton National Park. These are some of our absolute favorite things to do in Waterton and we can’t wait to visit again. It’s a small and BEAUTIFUL place to visit so I hope you love it as much as we did.
We’ve also got you covered if you’re looking for more family friendly Canada adventures. Happy travels!
