Reservable camping information

Waterton Lakes National Park

  • General camping information
    Operating season (nights):
    • April 10 to October 12, 2020 (weather permitting)
    Reservable period (nights):
    • May 8 to September 9, 2020
    Reservable percentage:
    • 95% reservable
    Kiosk hours:

    • 8 am to 9:30 pm.

    After hours registration:
    • After hours, please refer to signage in kiosk window. Locate confirmation # and proceed to designated campsite. Register in the morning at the kiosk by 11 am.
    Check in time:
    • Any time after 2 pm.
    • Visitors who would like to arrive at the campground earlier may enjoy the rest of the park while waiting for their campsite to become vacant (a valid national park entry pass is required).
    Check out time:
    • Before 11 am.
    Quiet hours:
    • 10 pm to 7 am.
    Maximum length of stay:
    • 14 nights.
    Maximum persons per site:
    • 6 people.
    Maximum vehicles per site:
    • 2 vehicles: maximum 1 wheeled camping unit and 1 regular vehicle. We do not permit 2 wheeled camping units on the same site.
    • All vehicles must fit on the gravel driveway or park in a nearby parking lot, as we do not allow parking on the grass.
    • • On some sites, there are size restrictions on camping units (including tents) allowed on those sites.
    Maximum camping units per site:
    • 2 tents or 1 RV/camper and 1 tent. However, some sites may be restricted in size of camping unit, including tents. Some sites are tent only.
    • Walk-in tent sites are limited to 1 tent per site.
    Generator policy:
    • Generator use is limited to 7 am – 9 am, 11:00 am.- 1:00 pm and 5 pm – 7 pm.
    Amperage of electrical service:
    • A section (full service section) has 15, 30 and 50 amp service,
    • B section (full service section) has 15, 30 and 50 amp service,
    • G section (electrical only section) has 15, 30 and 50 amp service
    Fire policy:
    • Campfires are allowed in shared kitchen shelters only – there are no firepits on the individual campsites.
    • Firewood is available for sale in the town of Waterton.
    • Campsites do not have firepits.'/li>
    Alcohol policy:
    • Alcohol is permitted on registered site only
    Pet policy:
    • Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. They must not be left unattended. Please keep all pet food stored inside. See Bare Campsite Program brochure upon arrival for more information.
    Internet/Wi-Fi access:
    • There is no Wi-Fi in Townsite Campground. Some restaurants and hotels in the Waterton community offer Wi-Fi access. A free Wi-Fi hotspot is also available at the playground entrance kiosk, one block north of the campground.

    Campground location:

    • Townsite campground: Located in the Waterton Townsite at the end of Windflower Avenue. The campground is at the south end of the Townsite near Upper Waterton Lake.

      • Waterton Lakes National Park is located in southwest Alberta, 271 km south of Calgary and 132 km southwest of Lethbridge.

      • From the South: From Glacier National Park, Montana, take the Chief Mountain International Highway in summer or go north through Cardston on Montana Highway 89 to Alberta Highway 2 then west on Highway 5 any time of year. From St. Mary, Montana it is about 80 km to the park (approximately a 1 hour drive).

      • In summer, follow Highway 17 through Chief Mountain Customs and on Chief Mountain Highway to the park gates, then proceed south 8 km (5 miles)on Highway 5 to the Townsite. Turn left at Mountview Road. Turn right at Harebell Road (Pat’s Garage) and continue on Windflower Avenue directly to the campground entrance.

      • From the North: From Calgary take Highway 2 south to Fort Macleod, then west on Highway 3 to Pincher Creek, then south again on Highway 6 (approximately 3 hours drive).

      • From Lethbridge, drive south to Cardston on Highway 2, then west to the park via Highway 5 (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes).

      • From the West: From British Columbia, travel by way of the Crowsnest Pass on Highway 3 to Pincher Creek and then south on Highway 6. From Fernie, BC, it is 204 km to the park (approximately 2 hours drive).

      • Once in the park, proceed south 8 km (5 miles) from the entrance gate on Highway 5 to the Townsite. Turn left at Mountview Road. Turn right at Harebell Road (Pat’s Garage) and continue on Windflower Avenue directly to the campground entrance.

    • Townsite campground geographic coordinates:
      • Latitude: 49.048746
      • Longitude: -113.909336
      • Street address: # 200 Vimy Avenue

    Campground description:

    • Townsite Campground (242 sites):

      • Electricity, water and sewer without firepit (drive-through): 93 sites
      • Electrical-only, without firepit (back-in): 45 sites
      • Unserviced without firepit (back-in):48 sites
      • Unserviced without firepit (tent-only): 17 sites

      • Unserviced without firepit (walk-in, tent-only): 30 sites
      • 4 accessible full serviced sites,
      • 2 accessible electrical-only sites.

      • Sunny and open, few trees. Subject to strong south winds.
      • Fires are only allowed in common kitchen shelters.
      • Washrooms with hot/cold running water, showers and flush toilets.
      • Communal water taps and a dump station are available.
      • The walk-in campsites are located in the H section of the campground and are approximately a 5-20 m (16-65 ft) walk from the parking area.
      • Access to nearby hiking paths.
      • Most Full service sites are pull-through sites.
      • Electrical sites are back-in only.
      • Walk-in tent sites only allow one tent per site.
      • Major construction is scheduled for Townsite Campground in Fall, 2020. During this construction, some sites will be closed and other campsites may be affected by extra noise or activity within the campground.

  • Fees

    For information regarding camping fees for Waterton Lakes National Park please see our Fees page.

  • If there is no vacancy for your dates

    • The Townsite campground is 95% reservable.
    • ***The only first-come, first-served campsites are unserviced, and are in high demand.

    • In Waterton Lakes NP, there is a non-reservable campground, which operates on a first-come, first-served basis:

      • Belly River Campground (24 sites – primitive sites, unserviced, outhouses), located on Chief Mountain Highway, 26 km from Waterton Townsite.

    • There is also a privately operated campground near the park:
      • Crooked Creek (5.5 km east of park): 403-653-1100

  • Require additional information?

    Reservation service:

    General park information:

    • Telephone: 1-888-773-8888
      • 8 am to 8 pm Eastern Time, April to September
      • 10 am to 6 pm Eastern Time, October to March
      • waterton.info@pc.gc.ca

    For information and reservations specifically for backcountry camping:

    • 403-859-5133

    For information and reservations for group camping:

    • Belly River Group Campground (2 sites – primitive sites, unserviced, outhouses, no potable water). Located on Chief Mountain Highway, 26 km from Waterton Townsite. Group = minimum 25 persons.
    • 403-859-2224

    • Terms and definitions
    Site-specific
    Guests select the specific campsite or accommodation when they make their reservation. All front-country camping reservations made through the Parks Canada Reservation Service (PCRS) are site-specific reservations.
    Operating Season (Nights)
    The "Operating Season" is the nights that the campground is open. Sometimes the campgrounds are open for longer than the period for which they accept reservations. Any dates of the "Operating Season" outside of the "Reservable Period" are dates that the campground operates on a first come, first served basis only.
    Reservable Period (Nights)
    The "Reservable Period" is the nights for which you can make a camping or accommodation reservation. Note that many campgrounds may be open longer than this period, and operate outside of these dates on a first-come, first-served basis.
    Kiosk
    The administration/entrance booth of a particular campground, this is where you "check-in" and register your arrival.
    Vehicle
    Car, truck, motorcycle, truck-camper, motorhome, or recreational vehicle. A motor home pulling another vehicle may count as two vehicles.
    Camping Unit
    Tent, tent-trailer, truck-camper, trailer, 5th wheel, motorhome or recreational vehicle.
    Serviced Site

    Refers to a campsite offering either electrical, water, and/or sewer hook-ups or any combination of these services directly on the campsite. Fully-serviced sites offer electrical, potable water, and sewer hook-ups. "Unserviced" sites do not offer any of these hook-ups.

    The terms "serviced" and "unserviced" refer to the individual campsites; they do not refer to the washroom facilities or other amenities available at the campground.

    Drive-through Site
    Campsite where the driver does not have to reverse their vehicle to exit (there is a separate entrance and exit to the individual campsite). Ideal for larger vehicles and trailers.
    Walk-in Site
    Campsite which requires some degree of walking to access the site, and therefore requires a tent. Vehicle will be parked a short distance away.
    Overflow Site
    Overflow campsites vary from park to park, and may range from a paved area to park a camping unit (not generally suitable for tents) to a more traditional, grassy site. They are unserviced and are not reservable.
    Accessible Site
    A campsite which is accessible to guests with limited mobility.
    Firepit

    A designated structure for campfires located on a campsite. Check availability, as not all campsites offer a fire pit. In some parks, a fire permit is required to have a fire.

    In some parks, only communal firepits are available, and access is shared with other guests.

    Fire permit
    In some campgrounds, guests will require a valid fire permit to have a campfire. A fire permit may include firewood. Please refer to the ‘Fire policy’ section of the QRT for individual campground policies.
    Firewood
    In some campgrounds firewood is sold by the bundle, whereas in others a fire permit may give the holder access to the campground wood pile. Please refer to the ‘Fire policy’ section of the QRT for individual campground policies.
    First-come, First-served Site
    Campsites that are available on a first come, first served basis only. These sites are only available to guests who are physically located at the campground. These sites cannot be registered over the telephone or on-line. These campsites may be available for only 1 night or for multiple nights depending on availability.
    Shoulder Season
    Shoulder season refers to the season before and after the peak season. While many campgrounds remain open outside of their peak season, the services offered during this period may be limited (please check with the park for more details).
    Entrance Pass
    A valid National Park Entrance Pass is required for all visitors to National Parks that have entry fees.
    Daily Entrance Pass
    A daily entrance pass permits visitor’s unlimited entry to the specified park on a per day basis for the period of time indicated.
    Annual/Seasonal Entrance Pass
    An annual or seasonal entrance pass permits visitor’s unlimited entry to the specified park for the period of time indicated.
    Parks Canada Discovery Pass
    The Parks Canada Discovery Pass permits visitors unlimited entry to the participating Parks Canada national parks and national historic sites across Canada, for a period of 12 months.

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