October 08, 2015

Explore Waterton: Bear's Hump Hike

If you missed it, you can read my other Waterton recaps here, here and here

Waterton, Alberta

On our last day in Waterton, we all had breakfast together, and then our entire group (plus Rachel, but minus Ange), hiked to the top of Bear's Hump. The trail head to the hike is at the Waterton Information Centre, which is on your way out (or in) of town. The hike is a steady climb of numerous switchbacks all the way to the top, with stairs built into the trail at some of the steeper parts.

The entire hike is only a 2.8km return trip, with an elevation gain of 225m. The average hiker should be able to do the hike, round trip, in about an hour, which is roughly what it took our group. It's the perfect hike for both the hiker and the non-hiker as this one can easily be done in regular running shoes. The two (almost) three-year old's on our trip both did the hike with us, so this is a great one for young families as well.

Explore Waterton
Explore Waterton

You're sheltered by the trees on the hike up, but layers are still a good idea as you quickly work up a sweat. Once you come to the top, "the hump", you are greeted with a huge, flat open area and a million dollar view! Seriously, this is probably one of the shortest, but most rewarding hikes I have ever done. Unfortunately, it is very windy at the top so it's not enjoyable to be up there for too long, but you'll definitely want to stick around for 10-15 minutes to get some gorgeous photos.

Explore Waterton
Explore Waterton
Explore Waterton
Explore Waterton

Waterton is described as a place "where the mountains meet the prairies", and from the view, you can immediately see why. The Bear's Hump looks out over the entire Waterton Valley, and it's pretty breathtaking. You can see the town, both Middle and Lower Waterton Lakes, as well as Waterton Valley, and Mount Cleveland. If you aren't up for a more challenging hike like Bertha Lake, or don't have the time, then this hike is a must and I can't imagine anyone regretting it.

View of Waterton, Alberta

Hiking Bear's Hump was a fantastic end to our already amazing weekend and I'm so glad almost all of us were able to stick around on our last day for it. It is definitely a hike I look forward to doing again with my family when we return.


**The #ABBloggersRetreat was funded and sponsored by Chinook Country Tourism in partnership with the town of Waterton and Travel Alberta in exchange for posts sharing our stories. Accommodations, food, and activities were provided to the bloggers. A huge thank-you to Kris and Candace for organizing the trip! All opinions and writing are my own. 



4 comments:

  1. I can't believe how amazing it was up there. I can't wait to do it again and spend more time at the top.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree! We should have done a toast at the top too ;)

      Delete
  2. Gorgeous!! I need to do this hike! What a fun trip!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. OMG, some amazing photos in this post! Especially the ones with the sun shining through!

    www.inloveinlondon.com

    ReplyDelete