SUMMARY:
Crypt was ranked as one of the top 20 hikes in the world! Kayaking, beautiful waterfalls, streams, cliffs, a mountain lake, and even a tunnel you have to crouch through! A unique hike that you won't forget anytime soon! Approximately 18 km round trip, not including kayaking or taking the ferry there and back from the trail head. The hike is moderate, but not good for little ones or those afraid of heights or tight spaces!
Crypt was ranked as one of the top 20 hikes in the world! Kayaking, beautiful waterfalls, streams, cliffs, a mountain lake, and even a tunnel you have to crouch through! A unique hike that you won't forget anytime soon! Approximately 18 km round trip, not including kayaking or taking the ferry there and back from the trail head. The hike is moderate, but not good for little ones or those afraid of heights or tight spaces!
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Crypt has been on my list of hikes to do for a while now. My cousin was working for Parks Canada and none of us had ever done the hike, so while she was there, my wife and I thought we'd better do it before the summer ran out. There's a couple ways to get to the trail head, and both of them require crossing the lake. You can pay to take the Ferry, which last time I checked was about $25 round trip. This definitely saves some time and energy, but just be sure to get back in time so you don't miss the last boat! For our first time, we opted to do the more strenuous, but exciting option, kayaking across! It definitely gave it another facet and made the day feel like more of an adventure!
If you've ever been to Waterton, you know that the lake is often full of white caps because of the strong winds. We woke up early, hoping to avoid the waves and getting soaked, but by the time we unloaded the kayaks, the wind started picking up, and so we had to brave the waves going head on into them! If we weren't fully awake before, we were now! The scenery helped to make up for the cold water. It was actually quite relaxing to just sit and rock with the waves while we stopped for breaks and took in the views. It took about 45 minutes to reach the trail head. The bay where it was located was calm and peaceful, protected from the wind. It was nice to enjoy a few minutes of quiet before the other people on the ferry of people got there. By the time we hid away our kayaks and gear in the trees and grabbed a bite to eat, the ferry arrived and people started on the trail. This is one hike though that is nice to be ahead of the crowds when you reach to the tunnel (more on that later).
The first part of the hike is through lush trees and bushes full of berries. Berries = Bears, so make sure to make lots of noise and hike with a group! There's a fork in the road where you can take a right for the more difficult, but possibly more interesting Hell Roaring Falls canyon trail. This has views of streams, waterfalls, and Waterton Lake, but the trail is less maintained and has more difficult ups and downs than the more popular and common Crpyt Lake trail to the left which has more switchbacks, making it a bit easier. We chose to go to the left to get to the lake quicker and easier but ended up going through the Hell Roaring Falls canyon on our way back.
The trail is not too eventful for the first few kilometers or so. Once you get out of the trees, it opens up to views of the valley and you are able to see a couple of very large waterfalls. By this time, my shorts were almost dried off from the kayak over. You'll see a very long waterfall called Burnt Rock Falls which is very impressive, and also VERY tempting to go and take a detour to! I was outnumbered though, so that will have to wait for another time. This look out point is a great spot for a short snack break. After this point, you start to climb quicker and it becomes a lot more rocky. Eventually you'll come to a small creek, which you'll have to cross by jumping across rocks or logs. This is where the most exciting part of the hike begins. If you're afraid of heights or tight spaces, this may not be the hike for you.
You'll begin walking along a narrow scree trail that hugs the side of the mountain. It's not as scary as it sounds, and I felt quite safe the whole time. This will lead you to the most unique part of the whole hike, the TUNNEL! I'd mentioned before that if you can be ahead of the crowds, it makes this portion a lot more enjoyable and quicker to get through. We had a lot of people a head of us, so we ended up waiting in line for a while. It's not a bad place to wait though. You're on the edge of a mountain with an amazing view of the valley and a greenish-blue lake below, that that keeps you entertained. The tunnel is only wide enough for one person at a time, so if there are people coming back from the lake, you have to take turns going through. You climb a metal ladder to get into the tunnel and then crouch a bit to and head towards the light. Once you get to the other side and your eyes get adjusted to the sun again, you see a breathtaking view of the valley below.
This side of the tunnel is a bit more tricky to maneuver than the other, but again, not as bad as it may seem. There's a wire bolted to the rocks to hold on to for support if you choose. Again, if people are coming back from the lake, you make have to squeeze by or wait your turn. After you get through this rocky portion, the trail levels off, turns back into dirt, and begins going back into the trees. The lake is only about 10 minutes away at this point. There is a stream on the way to the lake, and for a little detour, I'd recommend following for a few meters through the trees. It actually turns into Crypt Falls! (you would have seen it cascading down the mountain as you were hiking up the trail). You'll be able to get an amazing view from the top of the falls and watch it flowing down the cliff. Once you get your fill, then head back over the Lake. The trees open up and you're able to get full view of the mountains towering over the lake. If you're still feeling ambitious at this point, there is trail that goes all the way around the lake, and you actually "cross the border" into the United States. This was far enough for us, so we ended up just sitting on the rocks to eat lunch, and took off our shoes to wade into the cold water while we watched a few people who were crazy enough to actually swim in it!
During the hike back, you're able to take in the views a bit better. It's a lot quicker going back down, and because we didn't take the ferry, we didn't have to worry about missing it. Also going back on the kayaks was quicker because you're going with the waves, helping to push you back to shore. Only took us about a half hour. This time, because were were hot and exhausted from the hike, so we welcomed the cold water splashing into the boat!
I'd recommend this hike for anyone wanting something a bit more unique and thrilling. It was ranked as one of the top hikes in Canada and in the top 20 in the world! This does take a bit more planning than others because of the fact you need to cross the lake first to get to it. You probably want to be in decent shape to do it (whatever that means) and relatively experienced, since there are points that are quite steep and the trail can be rocky at times. It's probably not the first hike you'll do in Waterton if you only have a day or two, but if you have a bit more time to spare, or live relatively close by, you'll want to check this one out!
If you've ever been to Waterton, you know that the lake is often full of white caps because of the strong winds. We woke up early, hoping to avoid the waves and getting soaked, but by the time we unloaded the kayaks, the wind started picking up, and so we had to brave the waves going head on into them! If we weren't fully awake before, we were now! The scenery helped to make up for the cold water. It was actually quite relaxing to just sit and rock with the waves while we stopped for breaks and took in the views. It took about 45 minutes to reach the trail head. The bay where it was located was calm and peaceful, protected from the wind. It was nice to enjoy a few minutes of quiet before the other people on the ferry of people got there. By the time we hid away our kayaks and gear in the trees and grabbed a bite to eat, the ferry arrived and people started on the trail. This is one hike though that is nice to be ahead of the crowds when you reach to the tunnel (more on that later).
The first part of the hike is through lush trees and bushes full of berries. Berries = Bears, so make sure to make lots of noise and hike with a group! There's a fork in the road where you can take a right for the more difficult, but possibly more interesting Hell Roaring Falls canyon trail. This has views of streams, waterfalls, and Waterton Lake, but the trail is less maintained and has more difficult ups and downs than the more popular and common Crpyt Lake trail to the left which has more switchbacks, making it a bit easier. We chose to go to the left to get to the lake quicker and easier but ended up going through the Hell Roaring Falls canyon on our way back.
The trail is not too eventful for the first few kilometers or so. Once you get out of the trees, it opens up to views of the valley and you are able to see a couple of very large waterfalls. By this time, my shorts were almost dried off from the kayak over. You'll see a very long waterfall called Burnt Rock Falls which is very impressive, and also VERY tempting to go and take a detour to! I was outnumbered though, so that will have to wait for another time. This look out point is a great spot for a short snack break. After this point, you start to climb quicker and it becomes a lot more rocky. Eventually you'll come to a small creek, which you'll have to cross by jumping across rocks or logs. This is where the most exciting part of the hike begins. If you're afraid of heights or tight spaces, this may not be the hike for you.
You'll begin walking along a narrow scree trail that hugs the side of the mountain. It's not as scary as it sounds, and I felt quite safe the whole time. This will lead you to the most unique part of the whole hike, the TUNNEL! I'd mentioned before that if you can be ahead of the crowds, it makes this portion a lot more enjoyable and quicker to get through. We had a lot of people a head of us, so we ended up waiting in line for a while. It's not a bad place to wait though. You're on the edge of a mountain with an amazing view of the valley and a greenish-blue lake below, that that keeps you entertained. The tunnel is only wide enough for one person at a time, so if there are people coming back from the lake, you have to take turns going through. You climb a metal ladder to get into the tunnel and then crouch a bit to and head towards the light. Once you get to the other side and your eyes get adjusted to the sun again, you see a breathtaking view of the valley below.
This side of the tunnel is a bit more tricky to maneuver than the other, but again, not as bad as it may seem. There's a wire bolted to the rocks to hold on to for support if you choose. Again, if people are coming back from the lake, you make have to squeeze by or wait your turn. After you get through this rocky portion, the trail levels off, turns back into dirt, and begins going back into the trees. The lake is only about 10 minutes away at this point. There is a stream on the way to the lake, and for a little detour, I'd recommend following for a few meters through the trees. It actually turns into Crypt Falls! (you would have seen it cascading down the mountain as you were hiking up the trail). You'll be able to get an amazing view from the top of the falls and watch it flowing down the cliff. Once you get your fill, then head back over the Lake. The trees open up and you're able to get full view of the mountains towering over the lake. If you're still feeling ambitious at this point, there is trail that goes all the way around the lake, and you actually "cross the border" into the United States. This was far enough for us, so we ended up just sitting on the rocks to eat lunch, and took off our shoes to wade into the cold water while we watched a few people who were crazy enough to actually swim in it!
During the hike back, you're able to take in the views a bit better. It's a lot quicker going back down, and because we didn't take the ferry, we didn't have to worry about missing it. Also going back on the kayaks was quicker because you're going with the waves, helping to push you back to shore. Only took us about a half hour. This time, because were were hot and exhausted from the hike, so we welcomed the cold water splashing into the boat!
I'd recommend this hike for anyone wanting something a bit more unique and thrilling. It was ranked as one of the top hikes in Canada and in the top 20 in the world! This does take a bit more planning than others because of the fact you need to cross the lake first to get to it. You probably want to be in decent shape to do it (whatever that means) and relatively experienced, since there are points that are quite steep and the trail can be rocky at times. It's probably not the first hike you'll do in Waterton if you only have a day or two, but if you have a bit more time to spare, or live relatively close by, you'll want to check this one out!