If you are looking for a family-friendly and uncrowded hiking adventure, the Bellevue Prairie Trail in Waterton Lakes National Park might be for you. While it may lack some of the “wow” factor that some of the park’s more popular trails are known for, it still offers beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding landscape while you traverse gently undulating grassland hills. With mountains on one side and open blue skies on the other, the Bellevue Trail perfectly exemplifies the park’s motto, “where the mountains meet the prairies.” The trail ends by the park’s bison paddock, offering you a chance to see Bison roam the fields, and, when in season, the trail is surrounded by beautiful wildflowers. To help you discover this beautiful area of the Canadian Rockies, we put together this Bellevue Prairie Trail hiking guide, which includes details on trail difficulty, estimated hiking time, and the incredible viewpoints that make it such a memorable hike.
Disclosure: This page (Bellevue Prairie Trail – A Waterton Hiking Guide) may contain product affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. More details can be found on our disclosure and policies page.
You might also be interested in these Waterton Lakes National Park pages:
Best Hikes in Waterton Lakes National Park
Wildlife Watching in Waterton Lakes National Park
Best Things to Do in Waterton Lakes National Park – Complete Activities Guide
Bellevue Prairie Trail Location and Map
The Bellevue Prairie Trail is located in Waterton Lakes National Park, in the extreme southwestern corner of Alberta (link to Google Maps).
About Waterton Lakes National Park
Where Mountains Meet the Prairies: The park’s range lies between the Canadian Rockies and the Prairies, and is often referred to as the “park where mountains meet the prairies.” Waterton Lakes became Canada’s fourth national park in 1895, though its official status, park boundary and name have varied over the years.
Small in Size, Grand in Scenery: Although Waterton Lakes is currently the smallest of the National Parks located in the Canadian Rockies, it has about 200 km of hiking trails, making its backcountry the most developed of the Canadian mountain parks.
Dark Skies: Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park in the United States are now recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) as an International Dark Sky Park and together form the first transboundary IDA International Dark Sky Park.
International Peace Park: Waterton Lakes National Park shares a border with Glacier National Park in Montana, United States: together they form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as a World Heritage Site in 1995 for the parks’ distinctive climate, physiographic setting, and mountain-prairie interface. The Peace Park was first established in 1932 and was the first of its kind in the world. It was intended to promote goodwill between nations and highlight the international nature of protecting wilderness.
Diverse Park Flora: Waterton Lakes National Park is home to many rare plants, more so than any national park in the Canadian Rockies. More than half of Alberta’s plant species are found in Waterton, which is also the only Canadian national park that preserves foothills fescue grasslands. Several different ecological regions converge in Waterton, with prairie plants of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain plants from northern areas, and coastal plants from the Pacific Northwest all overlapping.
Impressive Wildlife: Waterton Lakes National Park is home to more than 60 species of mammals, including elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, plain bison, lynx, bobcats, wolves, coyotes, cougars, black bears and grizzly bears.
How to Get to Bellevue Prairie Trail
The trail is located a short 10-minute drive from the town of Waterton (7 km), along the Red Rock Pathway. It’s also 7 km away from the Park’s main gate.
If coming from outside the park, you can expect the following drive times from the nearest major cities:
From Lethbridge: 130 km (1h30 min drive)
From Calgary: 280 km (3h drive)
From Medicine Hat: 300 km (3h15 min drive)
From Banff: 360 km (3h45 drive)
Driving yourself is the best way to reach the park. There is no outside public transit option with service to Waterton Lakes National Park. There is, however, an airport charter service available from Calgary, though this is a rather expensive means of reaching the park, and obviously isn’t very useful for getting around the park afterwards.
If you need to book a rental vehicle for your hiking excursion, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Alberta.
We also highly recommend Airalo (eSIM card) for your connectivity needs when travelling abroad. Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide.
Nearest Gas Station
The nearest gas station is in the town of Waterton (there’s only one), 7 km from the trailhead (link to Google Maps). Otherwise, the nearest gas stations are outside of the park, in Mountainview to the east (20 km away) and in Pincher Creek to the north (45 km away).
Roadside wildlife
It’s important to drive slowly throughout the park’s roads, as there is abundant wildlife around every corner. Deer are often seen throughout the Waterton townsite, and deer, elk and bears are often seen alongside the Red Rock Pathway.
Bellevue Prairie Trail Access, Fees, and Parking
Trailhead & car park location: The trailhead is located on the right-hand side of the Red Rock Pathway (link to Google Maps).
Trail access and fees
Anyone visiting Waterton Lakes National Park, whether for a hike or simply to enjoy the scenery, must first pay the applicable Parks Canada entrance fee.
Daily Fee: $11 (adults; discount for seniors and free for children)
Annual Waterton Lakes Pass*: $54.50 (adults; discount for seniors and free for children)
Parks Canada Discovery Pass**: $75.25 (adults; discount for seniors)
The Parks Canada Discovery Pass is valid for 12 months after the date of purchase, which can be purchased online here (includes access to all Canadian National Parks)
As of 2025, the Waterton Day Use and Annual passes can only be purchased in person.
*If you plan on spending at least 5 days in Waterton Lakes National Park, you are better off purchasing the Annual Waterton Lakes Pass.
**If you plan on spending at least 7 days within a Canadian National Park during any 12-month period, you are better off purchasing the Parks Canada Discovery Pass. This is usually easily achieved during road trips through the Canadian Rockies.
For up-to-date fee information, consult the Waterton Lakes National Park fee page.
Trail opening Hours: 24 hours – all year. It’s also a great winter hiking and snowshoeing destination for those visiting during the snowy season.
Parking lot: There’s no formal parking lot at the trailhead, only a roadside pullout that can accommodate roughly 10 vehicles.
If the lay-by is full, there are two other small lay-bys on the left side of the road, about 100 m further west up the Red Rock Pathway.
Facilities: There are no toilets by the trailhead or anywhere along the trail.
Bellevue Prairie Trail Details and Map
Distance: 9.5 km
Route Type: Out & back
Elevation change: 50 m (difference between trail high and low point)
Elevation gain: 177m (cumulative elevation gain)
AllTrails rating: (4.3, 77 ratings (2025))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2h-2h30
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but it can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
We find that AllTrails is a great tool to have when hiking, particularly for assisting with navigation when the trail is hard to locate and to help monitor your progress along the trail, which helps estimate how much time you’ll need to complete the trail.
Additional Bellevue Prairie Trail Details
– Canine companions: Dogs are permitted on leashes.
– Summit: There’s no summit along the trail, but the highest point along it is located at an altitude of 1385 m.
– Trail environment: Short grassland. You won’t find any tree cover – you’ll be at the mercy of the weather here (sun, wind, or rain).
– Route Signage: No, but none is necessary as the path to follow is always obvious.
– Trail Surface / Technical trail: The trail surface is fairly easy to navigate. It’s mostly hardened soil with very few rocks or sections of uneven terrain.
– Average trail slope grade: 4%, which is considered very easy. The steepest part is the first km of the trail leading from Red Rock Pathway, where you’ll gently climb about 40 m, after which the trail runs fairly flat.
– Trail difficulty level assessment (based on our personal assessment, taking into account the trail length, slope grade and trail surface) :
Very Easy | Easy | Moderate | Moderately Challenging | Challenging
The trail’s main challenge is its length, which rates as moderate, while the trail surface and elevation gain rate as very easy.
Bellevue Prairie Trail Description and Summary
From the trailhead, you will gently ascend as you traverse through short grassland along the eastern face of Bellevue Mountain. Though the path is narrow, the grass is typically short enough not to be a bother against your legs.
A look to your left shortly after you depart the trailhead will provide you with beautiful views into the valley traversed by the Red Rock Pathway.
Walking through the open landscape of the Bellevue Prairie trail will provide you with stunning and seemingly endless 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and open grassland prairies.
The last portion of the trail runs parallel to the Bison Paddock. From the trail, you’ll have distant views into the paddock, but because the terrain within the paddock is quite hilly, you might not be able to see the Bison from the trail (see further below for more information on how to see the Bison). But if you are lucky, you might see them roaming around the fields.
Although we typically prefer loop trails to out-and-back ones to avoid seeing the same scenery twice, we still found the return leg of the Bellevue Prairie Trail to be quite spectacular, as the Waterton southern mountain ranges rise in the distance as you walk back towards the trailhead.
You will also probably notice some scorched trees, remnants of the Kenow wildfire in September 2017, which burned over 19,000 hectares, impacting 39% of the park’s area, and nearly 80% of its hiking trails.
Bellevue Prairie Hiking Tips
Hiking Experience
The Bellevue Prairie Trail doesn’t require any previous hiking experience. The trail is both easy to follow and easy to walk along. However, you may encounter wildlife along the trails, and it is important to know how to appropriately react in the presence of wild animals.
Cell Service
Cell service in Waterton Lakes National Park is limited and unreliable. While some cell service is available in the town of Waterton, it is generally spotty and may be unavailable in other areas of the park.
Leave No Trace
Stick to the designated path to protect the surrounding environment.
Bugs
The prairie-meets-mountain environment means you can encounter both wetland-loving mosquitoes and sunny-meadow-loving horseflies.
Late May – Mid June: Mosquito activity begins in low-lying, wet areas (near lakes, streams, marshy valleys).
Late June – Mid August: Mosquitoes are most active around dawn/dusk, especially near vegetation and water. Black and deer flies are worse during calm, sunny days in open areas.
Late August – September: Bug activity drops sharply as nights cool.
Ticks are also present in the park and the surrounding area. They are most active from April to June, especially in dry, grassy slopes.
In summary, be sure to pack insect repellent for your visit to Waterton. We can recommend visiting in late August, which is when we spent most of our time in Waterton, as we didn’t find bugs to be a nuisance during our time there.
Equipment
No specialized equipment is required for the Bellevue Prairie Trail, though proper hiking footwear is recommended.
Weather and Exposure
Waterton Lakes National Park is notoriously windy, and this will particularly be true along the open spaces by the Bellevue Prairie trail. The lack of tree cover also means you will be at the mercy of the weather along the trail, whether that be a strong sun or pouring rain.
Be sure to wear sunscreen on sunny days – you won’t find any shade along the trail.
Current Trail Conditions
Check this page of the Waterton Lakes NP for up-to-date trail conditions and any notices of temparory trail closure.
Best Time to Hike the Trail
The best months to hike in Waterton are generally late May through early October.
June & September: These shoulder season months offer a good balance of pleasant weather and fewer crowds. You might encounter some rain or cooler temperatures, but you’ll also experience more tranquillity on the trails.
-Wildflowers will start to peak in late June.
-Mosquitoes can be quite active in June.
-Fall colours are apparent in late September.
July & August: Best weather (warmer, drier and more dependable) but more crowded trails – the park attracts around 500,000 visitors each year. Nearly 50% of visitors come in July and August.
-July is peak wildflower season.
-Bugs are still quite active in July, with their activity decreasing throughout August.
May and October*: These months are more unpredictable, with the possibility of snow, especially at higher elevations, and hiking may be limited to lower-elevation trails.
Quick Summary
If you want wildflowers and smaller crowds, late June to early July is ideal. Daylight hours are also significantly longer during these months, allowing you more time to explore every day.
If you want fall colors and fewer people, aim for mid-to-late September. Cooler temperatures make longer hikes more comfortable.
Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing are also popular in Waterton during the snowy months, particularly along the Bellevue trail, where there is little avalanche risk compared to some of the other park trails. Prior experience with winter hiking and appropriate gear is recommended. Also note that the Red Rock Pathway is closed in winter, meaning that you will have to start your trek from the main road, 3 km away from the trailhead.
It might
Wildlife
g-horned sheep, elk or wolves. Never attempt to feed wildlife, either: feeding wildlife in a Canadian national park is prohibited by law and may lead to a fine of up to $25,000.
Bears: Waterton Lakes National Park is bear territory, so you should carry bear spray at all times (keep it easily accessible in a bear spray holster) and know how to use it.
When possible, hike in groups, and try to make frequent noise while you hike to avoid surprise encounters.
Follow Waterton’s advisories and Trail Condition pages for more information on current bear sightings and trail closures.
For more tips on wildlife encounters and safety precautions, be sure to check out our guide on Wildlife Watching in Waterton.
Hiking Packing List
All Trails subscription – This comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
External Battery – If you are using your phone to track your progress along the trail or to help with navigation, you certainly don’t want your phone to die on you. That’s especially true in the unlikely event that you might get hurt or need assistance.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in steep trails or muddy/boggy trail conditions.
Water Filter Bottle – The Life Straw bottle is an advanced water bottle with a filter that not only improves water taste but more importantly filters out bacteria and parasites, chemicals and microplastics.
Headlamp – very practical and a smart choice if you plan to start your hike before sunrise or finish it after sunset.
Waterton Bison Paddock
If you were unlucky and didn’t see any Bison during your hike, you’ll be happy to know that you can drive to and around inside their enclosure for better viewing opportunities. Walking in would be unsafe given the lack of barriers separating you from the animals. Although Bison look docile, they are wild animals and may charge without warning.
For more details on how to visit the Bison Paddock, be sure to check out our Waterton Wildlife Viewing Guide.
Bellevue Prairie Trail – Alternate Start Point
You can also hike the Bellevue Prairie Trail in reverse, by starting next to the car park by the Bison Paddock (link to Google Maps). Simply take the short dirt road leading there from the park’s main road (highway 6).
If you are part of a group with multiple vehicles, you could park one car at each end and only walk the trail in one direction.
Some of Our Other Favorite Nearby Trails in Waterton
Bear Hump Trail
Most people will tell you that the best views in Waterton Lakes National Park are from the top of the Bear’s Hump, the endpoint of the park’s most popular trail, and we’d have to agree. The sweeping panorama from the summit is simply sublime, reminiscent of the dramatic vistas you might see above a Norwegian fjord. The hike itself is fairly steep, but because it’s so short, it remains accessible to most novice hikers and is a good option for families who don’t mind a brief, vigorous climb.
For more information on this trail, be sure to check out our Bear’s Hump hiking guide.
Bertha Lake Trail
The Bertha Lake Trail has a little bit of everything: panoramic views of the Waterton Valley and Upper Waterton Lake, viewpoints of both the Lower and Upper Bertha Falls, and a stunning glacial alpine lake at its end. It also provides a solid workout, ascending over 500 meters through sub-alpine forest and navigating no fewer than 21 switchbacks. One of Waterton’s most popular trails, it can be shortened by stopping at the Lower Bertha Waterfalls or extended by looping around Bertha Lake, and it offers plenty of opportunities to spot local wildlife along the way.
For more information on this trail, be sure to check out our Bertha Lake hiking guide.
Where to stay near the Bellevue Prairie Trail
Unlike many national parks, Waterton Lakes National Park offers several lodging options right inside its charming lakeside townsite, putting visitors just steps from the trails, restaurants, and waterfront views. Staying within the park means you can enjoy sunrise and sunset over the lake without ever needing to drive far.
Prince of Wales Hotel – One of the most iconic places to stay in the park, this historic 1920s landmark is perched dramatically on a bluff overlooking Upper Waterton Lake. Its vintage interiors, elegant tea service, and panoramic views make it one of Canada’s most memorable national park lodges.
Bayshore Inn & Spa – For those who prefer to stay closer to the heart of the village, the Bayshore Inn & Spa offers modern comforts right on the lakefront. Ideal for travellers who want easy access to restaurants, shops, and boat rentals.
Aspen Village – Meanwhile, the Aspen Village Inn provides a relaxed, family-friendly alternative with spacious rooms and great value, all within walking distance of the park’s main attractions.
Want to Discover More Hiking Trails In The Canadian Rockies?
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Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Waterton Hiking Guide for the Bellevue Prairie Trail and that it will prove useful for planning your hiking trip.
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