This entry points to the location of the Waterton Campground off Vimy Ave in Waterton. It’s the only central campground in the park and the only one you can book in advance, but its a busy 238-site affair. Facilities include hot showers, flush toilets, kitchen shelters and food storage and full RV hook-ups; no open fires.

The other main vehicle-accessible option is the Crandell Campground, 8km northwest of Waterton on the Red Rock Parkway, but this is closed until further notice as a result of the 2017 fire.

Both the Waterton and Crandell campgrounds regularly fill to capacity on summer weekends, when park staff at the gates will direct you to a commercial RV park a short drive outside the park gates, or the primitive Belly River campground (technically in the park but a long way from anywhere you’d want to be).

Backpackers can enjoy the parks nine designated backcountry campgrounds, where you’ll find dry toilets and a water supply; a few of them also have shelters and cooking facilities. To use a backcountry site you need a camping permit (around $10 per person, plus $12 reservation fee), issued on a first-come, first-served basis by the Waterton Lakes Visitor Centre.

Practical Info

Most campgrounds operate Mid-April to mid-Oct, but winter camping options exist.

Reservations