Guidebook
Lonely Planet Canada
Lonely Planet · 2024
Country-wide guide for combining Canadian falls, from Quebec and Ontario to the Rockies and the North.
Canada · Improvement District No. 4
Crypt Falls
Crypt Falls is a waterfall in southwestern Alberta in Waterton Lakes National Park. It is viewable from the Crypt Lake Trail via ferry service from the Waterton town-site.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Crypt Falls drops 175 metres (574 ft), inside Waterton Lakes National Park. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Improvement District No. 4, Canada. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Crypt Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Improvement District No. 4 are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forBoat cruisesHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Snowmelt-driven: April to June is the big-water window, and some falls almost disappear by late summer.
Getting there
- Base town Improvement District No. 4, Canada
- Country Canada
- Region Improvement District No. 4, Northern North America, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Crypt Falls
Canada
Height175 mWidth—
Most similar
Bird Woman Falls
United States
Height150 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in the United States
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
150 m
175 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsBird Woman FallsCrypt FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 5.6× taller than Crypt Falls. It drops 1.6× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Crypt Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
On the map
49.0056, -113.842
Quick answers
Where is Crypt Falls?
Crypt Falls is in Canada (Improvement District No. 4), inside Waterton Lakes National Park. The nearest base is Improvement District No. 4, Canada. Its coordinates are 49.0056, -113.8420.
How tall is Crypt Falls?
Crypt Falls drops 175 metres (574 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Crypt Falls?
Peak flow is April to June. Snowmelt-driven: April to June is the big-water window, and some falls almost disappear by late summer.
What can you do at Crypt Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: boat cruises, hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Crypt Falls?
The usual base is Improvement District No. 4, Canada. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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