Tamarack Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Wildflowers

Camping along this trail is limited to the established trail camps. Permits and reservations are needed for the trail camps. They can be gotten online at the Parks Canada permit/reservation website: reservation.pc.gc.ca/.

Please review the Parks Canada website and follow Leave No Trace principles.

Tamarack Trail begins and ends at other trails in Waterton Lakes National Park backcountry. Thus, to hike Tamarack Trail, it is combined with other trails for a complete hike, ie. Tamarack Hike, a popular, famed route in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Tamarack Trail can be done in either direction. As described here, it is traveled from north to south. Starting at Twin Lakes trail camp where Twin Lakes Trail ends, Tamarack Trail runs to the Rowe Creek Bridge in a pretty meadow where Rowe Lakes Trail ends.

For almost its entire length, Tamarack Trail runs very close to the rock walls of the Great Divide. Steep, sub-alpine, grassy meadows are at the base of these cliffs - this is the land of Tamarack Trail. From these meadows, one looks up at massive, awe-inspiring rock walls of the Great Divide.

Leaving Twin Lakes trail camp, in 0.2 miles one passes Lower Twin Lake Spur. Go straight here to stay on Tamarack Trail. The trail then enters forest as it veers slightly away from the Great Divide to climb over Kishinena Peak's east shoulder. There are awesome views of Lower Twin Lake far below during this climb.

The trail then returns to the base of the Great Divide with its nearby massive rock walls to the west. Here, it is in the upper reaches of the Blakiston Creek watershed for about 3 miles as it runs through meadows, thin forest, and a burn area. The Blakiston Creek valley is seen to the east with rugged mountains forming its sides. A small tarn is passed at the 1.1 mile mark, followed by the Blakiston Valley Trail junction at the 1.7 mile mark. Then shortly later is South Kootenay Pass Trail that leads to the Great Divide.

Continuing on beneath the Great Divide's rock walls, one reaches Lone Lake, a pretty lake set against the cliffs. Here the climb over Mt. Festubert's east shoulder begins. The climb is in thin forest with great views of Lone Lake below. Topping this ridge, one then descends in a burn area, that gives way to healthy sub-alpine meadows as the trail veers east to go over Lineham Ridge.

The climb to Lineham Ridge's high point and down is on loose shale for about 2.5 miles. The ridge's high point is higher than the Great Divide, thus providing awesome views of peaks further west in British Columbia. Basically awesome views in all directions.

Descending Lineham Ridge, the trail eventually leaves the shale for the green meadows, and then pretty forest. Emerging from the forest, at the Rowe Creek bridge, Tamarack Trail ends at Rowe Lakes Trail.

From fir forests, to high, lush meadows, and barren alpine. Summer wildflowers. And the animals that live in such terrain - sheep, bears, pine marten, squirrels, chipmonks, deer, and more.