Cowboy Trail & Waterton Lakes Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour
Calgary, Canada
Product ID: 6083
- Flexible access to pause and resume at your own pace
- One booking per vehicle
- Self-guided GPS-triggered smartphone audio tour
- Tour available anytime after download, with no fixed schedule
- Live GPS route map and offline tour download
- Optional attraction admission and interior access
- Seasonal parkway vehicle access; check current Waterton road conditions before travel
- Smartphone or tablet (bring your own; headphones optional, audio plays from the device speaker)
- Vehicle, fuel and transportation (drive your own vehicle)
- Waterton Lakes National Park admission
- Bar U Ranch admission and seasonal interior tours
- Parking and optional detour costs
- In-person guide
7 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English and 1 more
Drive from the Calgary area along Alberta’s Cowboy Trail into Waterton Lakes National Park, where ranchland gives way to mountain lakes and waterfalls. Allow 6–7 hours for the roughly 350 km route, with more distance and time for optional parkway detours and stops. This self-guided smartphone tour has 56 mapped itinerary entries and 60+ GPS-triggered Tripvia stories, including the Okotoks Erratic, Bar U Ranch, Lundbreck Falls, Red Rock Canyon and Cameron Lake.
Download the tour before departure for offline audio and a live GPS route map. Drive in your own vehicle, pause whenever you like and explore at your own pace; there is no in-person guide. Park admission and optional attraction entry are separate. Red Rock Parkway, the Bison Paddock Loop and vehicle access to Cameron Lake are seasonal, so check road conditions before travel.
Meeting point
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The tour begins on Highway 2 south of Calgary, just off Deerfoot Trail or Macleod Trail, and heads south toward Waterton Lakes National Park.
End point
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Finish at Cameron Lake at the end of Akamina Parkway when vehicle access is open; in winter, enjoy the audio tour as far as road access permits.
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Follow Alberta’s Cowboy Trail through ranchland and foothill scenery toward Waterton Lakes National Park.
2
Okotoks
Pass through Okotoks, a foothill town with riverside paths and a lively arts scene.
3
Okotoks Erratic - The Big Rock
See the enormous Okotoks Erratic, carried here by ice and woven into local legend.
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Explore Diamond Valley, where the former towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley now share one foothill community.
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Pass the historic Black Diamond Hotel, a 1929 landmark that still anchors local life.
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Turner Valley
Travel through Turner Valley, part of Diamond Valley and a landmark in Alberta’s early oil history.
7
Eau Claire Distillery
Spot Eau Claire Distillery in Turner Valley, where a separate visit may offer local spirits and food.
8
Turner Valley Gas Plant
View the historic Turner Valley Gas Plant from outside; seasonal guided tours and admission are separate.
9
Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park
Hear about Bluerock Wildland’s protected foothill forest and rugged scenery on an optional detour.
10
Little Chicago - Royalties Monument
See the Little Chicago Royalties Monument, a roadside reminder of the area’s oil-boom years.
11
Longview
Pass Longview, a ranching town known for wide foothill views and local beef jerky.
12
High River
Hear about High River’s heritage streets and river setting beyond the main route.
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Watch for Mount Head on the horizon, a rugged peak named for an early explorer.
14
Bar U Ranch National Historic Site
Discover Bar U Ranch’s cowboy heritage; optional site entry and seasonal access are separate.
15
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See Mount Burke’s distinctive summit in the foothills, once the site of a fire lookout.
16
Chain Lakes Provincial Park
Enjoy views near Chain Lakes Provincial Park and its reservoir; a park visit is optional.
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Spot flat-topped Plateau Mountain above the foothills and its windswept alpine terrain.
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Look toward Mount Livingstone, a striking summit above the ranchlands.
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See remote Mount Speke rising along the southern foothill skyline.
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Livingstone Falls Recreation Area
Hear about Livingstone Falls, a waterfall reached by an optional detour from the driving route.
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Discover Bob Creek Wildland’s protected native grasslands and foothill habitat from the road.
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Pass near Black Creek Heritage Rangeland, where native prairie grasses and wildflowers survive.
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Follow the Oldman River’s story through southern Alberta’s ranchlands and communities.
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Take in the Livingstone Range where the prairie rises abruptly into mountains.
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See Centre Peak, a prominent summit at the heart of the Livingstone Range.
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Crowsnest Pass
Hear about Crowsnest Pass and its mountain communities on a route-side story or optional detour.
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Lundbreck Falls
Enjoy Lundbreck Falls’ twin cascades from the nearby viewing area if you choose to stop.
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Lundbreck
Pass the small hamlet of Lundbreck near its well-known waterfall.
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Cowley
Pass Cowley, a windy prairie community with deep ranching roots.
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Oldman River Dam
See the Oldman River Reservoir and learn how the dam supports the region’s water supply.
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Pass Pincher Station, a reminder of the railway that once connected southern Alberta towns.
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Pincher Creek
Travel through windswept Pincher Creek, named for a lost tool found in the nearby water.
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Look for plains bison from your vehicle on the seasonal Bison Paddock Loop; wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.
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Enjoy wetland and mountain views from Maskinonge Overlook when access permits.
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Drive Red Rock Parkway for colourful geology and mountain views when the seasonal road is open.
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Follow Blakiston Creek’s story as it winds through Waterton’s mountain landscape.
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Red Rock Canyon
Explore Red Rock Canyon’s colourful rock and stream on an optional stop when the parkway is open.
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Blakiston Falls
Hear about Blakiston Falls, reached by an optional walk from Red Rock Canyon.
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See driftwood and mountain reflections along Waterton’s rocky lakeshore.
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Enjoy Linnet Lake’s quiet waters and bird habitat near the Waterton townsite.
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Consider the steep Bear’s Hump hike for panoramic views; trail conditions and access vary.
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See the Prince of Wales Hotel above Upper Waterton Lake; enjoy its hilltop exterior whether or not the hotel is open.
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Waterton Village
Pass through Waterton Park townsite, the lakeside base for the park’s trails and viewpoints.
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Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
Hear how Waterton and Glacier became the world’s first International Peace Park.
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Waterton Lakes National Park Visitor Centre
See the Waterton Lakes Visitor Centre; an optional visit depends on opening hours.
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Cameron Falls
Enjoy Cameron Falls near the townsite, where water cascades over ancient rock.
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Bertha Lake Trail
Hear about Bertha Trail’s forest and waterfall views; hiking is optional and conditions vary.
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See Middle Waterton Lake framed by peaks and the park’s broad valley.
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Upper Waterton Lake
Admire Upper Waterton Lake, a long mountain lake crossing the Canada–U.S. border.
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Drive Akamina Parkway toward Cameron Lake when the seasonal road is open to vehicles.
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Watch for Mount Crandell’s rugged slopes, reshaped by the 2017 Kenow wildfire.
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See Mount Lineham rising above Waterton’s layered mountain scenery.
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First Oil Well In Western Canada National Historic Site
Hear about Western Canada’s first producing oil well at this historic site near Akamina Parkway.
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Carthew - Alderson Trail
Discover the high ridges and alpine lakes of the Carthew–Alderson Trail; hiking is optional.
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Cameron Lake
See Cameron Lake beneath steep cliffs when vehicle access on Akamina Parkway permits.
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Waterton Lakes National Park
Experience Waterton Lakes National Park where prairie, mountains and lakes meet in one remarkable landscape.
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Self-guided drive in your own vehicle, with mostly outdoor and pass-by stories. Optional walks, viewpoints and historic interiors have variable terrain and access; the route is not practical by public transportation. The audio tour still works when buildings are closed. Waterton parkways and the Bison Paddock Loop have seasonal vehicle closures, and weather or construction can affect access. Check current Parks Canada road and attraction information before travel.
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