Activities
If you want to cruise the lakes , the most popular summer activity round these parts, contact Waterton Shoreline Cruises at the marina (tel 859-2362). They run scenic two-hour cruises (June-Aug 5 daily; fewer in May & Sept; $21 or $13 one-way) up and down the lake across the US-Canadian border to Goat Haunt in Montana, little more than a quayside and park ranger station, where there is a scheduled thirty-minute stop before the return to Waterton (note that after the ranger station closes in mid-Sept boats no longer stop at Goat Haunt). No immigration procedures are required, but if you wish to camp overnight in the backcountry you need to register with the ranger station. You can take an early boat to Goat Haunt and then return on foot to Waterton on the Waterton Lakeshore Trail , an easy four-hour walk (13km one-way). The same company run a ferry to various trails around the lake, most notably a passage ($11 return) to the trailhead of the famed Crypt Lake walk and the myriad longer hikes from Goat Haunt in the US. Park Transport in Tamarack Mall on Mount View Road (tel 859-2378) organizes two-hour tours round the park ($25), but will also lay on a taxi shuttle (from $7.50) to trails on the area's two Parkways: the most popular drop-off is the beginning of the Carthew-Alderson trail . Windsurfing is also surprisingly popular locally, thanks to the powerful winds - anything up to 70kph - which often roar across the lakes (Waterton is wetter, windier and snowier than much of Alberta). Winds generally gust south to north, making the beach at Cameron Bay on Upper Waterton Lake a favourite spot for surfers to catch the breeze. The water's cold and deep, though, so you'll need a wet suit. If you want to swim , head for the cheap outdoor heated pool on Cameron Falls Drive. Fishing is good on the lakes, but remember to pick up the compulsory national park permit ($6 a week, $13 annual) from the visitor centre or park administration office. Off the water, horse riding is available from the Alpine Stables, PO Box 53, Waterton Park, AB T0K 2M0 (tel 859-2462), located just east off the highway about 1km north of the Visitor Centre. On offer are one-hour outings (hourly on the hour; from $17) and two-hour (3 daily; $31), daily and overnight treks. Canadian Wilderness Adventures (tel 859-2334, fax 859-2342) offer a range of guided walks and tours long and short. Four kilometres north of town on the main highway is the beautiful eighteen-hole Waterton Lakes Golf Course (tel 859-2383 or 859-2114): green fees are around $30 (cheaper after 5pm) and club rental from about $8.
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