Bellevue

Elevation: 1390 m
Elevation Gain: 280 m (cumulative)
The Bellevue Trail in Waterton Lakes National Park stretches across rolling prairie between the Bison Paddock and the Red Rock Parkway. The trail is named for nearby Bellevue Hill, whose foot it runs along. The Hill was officially named in 1943 for the “beautiful view” from its top.
My Ascents:
June 19 2022
Trailhead: Horseshoe Basin Trailhead
GPS Track: Bellevue

A lot of Dads get a tie, a mug or a card for Father’s Day. I get a cooler of craft beer, a camping trip and a hike! Sucks to be those other Dads! 😏

Obviously, Gord (my Dad) and “Papa” (my Father-in-Law) feel the same as they keep agreeing to join us for the occasion. So, with another Father’s Day upon us, we travelled en masse to Waterton Lakes National Park for a weekend of campfires, cold beers and hikes! After loving the mountain views from Waterton’s Wishbone trail last year, we decided to see how the similarly pastoral Bellevue trail compared in 2022.

And we’re off! 6-year-old Mera and 4-year-old Penny show Dad, Grandpa and Papa (amongst others) the way from the Bison Paddock trailhead (which we’d also visited the day before on a separate outing to Galwey Brook).

About 1 km from the parking area, we left the Horseshoe Basin trail (which we’d explored yesterday) and set our sights south towards the Red Rock Parkway. Never mind the stick between Mera’s legs – she was pretending to be a horse for some reason. 🐎😂

LEFT and RIGHT: Waterton wildflowers! Last year’s meadow hike along the Wishbone trail had proven to be very flowery and we were excited to find that the Bellevue trail would be similarly bright thanks to complimentary colored goldenasters (left) and lupines (right).

Bellevue Hill rises up to the west above a wildfire-savaged aspen grove.

Papa and Nannie enjoy the views from the wide open trail. After all, you can’t have a Father’s Day without dragging the Moms, Nannies and Grandmas along for our hike! 🙃

Family photos with Penny and Mera’s Nannie and Papa along the way.

♫ On the Road Again… ♫.

LEFT and RIGHT: Mera, Penny and (of course) Crux enjoy a flowery lunchbreak under blue skies. Such "sweet innocence"... 🤣🤨

Beautiful panoramic views of Waterton’s peaks to the south of the Bellevue trail. Click to see larger.

Looking southeast towards Sofa Mountain (which defeated Crux and I in 2017 when paws were found to be inadequate to deal with the hands-on scrambling that was required).

Vimy Peak is an absolute Waterton classic (pity it’s such a long 26 km day 🥵).

Looking south towards the lake (which is not visible from this trail). These craggy peaks are on the other side of the Canada/US border in Glacier National Park.

Crandell Mountain’s north slopes once sported thick forest; now it’s been burned down to the bedrock.

Flower-filled fields forever…

LEFT: Grandpa and Grandma both get in on the wildflower photography.
RIGHT: I do likewise with a sticky purple geranium.

As we neared the trail’s south terminus (the Red Rock Parkway), Ruby Ridge (center left) and Mount Blakiston (the highest peak in Waterton) made impressive appearances to the west.

LEFT: Mera and Penny tame a “bear” 🐻 at the roadside pullout that serves as one of two potential trailheads for this hike.
RIGHT: Our 2022 Father’s Day family photo featuring Mera, myself, Brianne, Penny (and Sparrowhawk)! 🥰

After taking in the sights from the trail’s south terminus at the Red Rock Parkway, we realized that we now needed to hike all the way (5.5 km) back to the Bison Paddock and set off without delay in the hopes of avoiding forecast afternoon storms!

A bison sighting suggested that we are nearer to the trail’s northern terminus (at the Bison Paddock) than we actually were… Like most hikes, this one felt longer on the hike back! 😑

Brianne and Penny: still having fun along the, seemingly, endless Bellevue trail. Crux, however, looks like he’s ready to be done! 😂

Back to the start! Mera and her “horse” lead our tired/weary group back to the northern trailhead by the Bison Paddock.

With the hike completed, it was soon time to focus on the other important parts of our annual Father’s Day celebrations: a campfire and a cooler of cold craft beer! Thanks to my girls for another awesome Father’s Day and cheers to Grandpa and Papa (and all the other awesome Dads out there). Hope the rest of y’all enjoy your mugs and neckties! 👔😝