Waterton Lakes National Park to Open Backcountry Hut This Winter

This past June Parks Canada announced approval for the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) to operate its first facility in Waterton Lakes National Park. The Parks Canada warden cabin at Cameron Lake will be converted to an ACC backcountry hut providing overnight accommodation during the winter.

The ACC is widely respected for the consistently high quality of its system of backcountry huts and cabins throughout Canada’s mountain national parks. The Cameron Lake Cabin will provide accommodation for up to six guests in an area that is easily accessible by people of all ages on snowshoes or skis. Renovations for this project, which will protect the oldest surviving backcountry cabin in Waterton Lakes National Park, will be fully funded by the ACC.

The approved 2010 Waterton Lakes National Park Management Plan identified the Cameron Valley as a focal point of visitor use during the winter months. The plan further calls for enhanced and expanded winter recreational opportunities, and identifies the renewal of overnight backcountry accommodation as an important objective. The project was well received by the public during a consultation held earlier this year.

The cabin was renovated over the summer to accommodate up to six guests, and will operate only between December 1 and April 30 each year, starting this December. The Cameron Lake area of Waterton has some of the deepest snow pack in Alberta, receiving between 3 and 4 metres (10 to 13 feet) annually.



Jeff
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