Planning a trip to Kananaskis Country and looking for the best hikes in the area?
Kananaskis has easily became one of our favourite places to hike in Rockies and we’re so happy you consider exploring it! It’s basically a quieter/more remote version of Banff with just as stunning views and endless amount of trails to explore. But how do you know which one to pick?
Well, the final decision is still up to you, but to make it a bit easier – here are some of our favourite Kananaskis hikes we’ve had a chance to do over the past few years. Now, let’s get into it!
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PLANNING A TRIP TO CANADIAN ROCKIES?
Checkout these helpful links to plan your trip from start to finish:
- Flights: Calgary Airport is the best starting point for a trip to Canadian Rockies. For getting the best possible rate, we recommend browsing and comparing the prices on multiple flight aggregator websites like Expedia or Kiwi. We personally also subscribe to Thrifty Traveler Premium that delivers amazing flight deals from our home airport right into our inbox.
- Accommodation: Booking.com is our go-to platform for finding best accommodation deals. Check out some of our favourite stays in these blog posts: Unique Stays in Canadian Rockies, Best Places to Stay in Banff for Couples
- Getting Around: You’ll need to rent a car to get around Canadian Rockies easily. Check out affordable car rental deals on RentalCars.com.
- Travel Insurance & eSIM: Travelling to Canada from abroad? Check travel insurance from Heymondo and get 5% off through our link and make sure to set up an eSIM from Airalo to stay connected.
BEST TIME FOR HIKING IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY
Best time to hike in Kananaskis Country is typically from mid June to early October. That being said, every year is different when it comes to amount of snow we receive prior to hiking season and the time when the first snowfalls comes at the end of it, and conditions can also vary from trail to trail. If you’re visiting in early/late season, we recommend checking the comment section on AllTrails as it can be very helpful in finding out how the recent conditions look like.
Winter hiking in Canadian Rockies is not impossible, but it’s very limited due to the avalanche danger in the mountains. Few of the hikes mentioned below are suitable for winter hiking, however we strongly encourage you to do a proper research and check Avalanche Canada reports before hitting any trail in the winter.
IMPORTANT: KANANASKIS CONSERVATION PASS
- All hikes listed below are located in provincial parks that are part of Kananaskis Country which means a valid park pass is required. Day passes can only be purchased online and are per day per vehicle, but if you’re staying six days or longer, it’s more cost-effective to just buy an annual pass that registers two vehicles.
- Note that this is a separate pass from national passes that are required for visiting Banff or other national parks.
EASY HIKES IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY
Grassi Lakes
Lenght: 3.4 km out-and-back via Grassi Upper Lakes Trail
Elevation gain: 158 meters
Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
A walk to Grassi Lakes makes for a wonderful year round quick Kananaskis hike that is especially beautiful during the summer months when the lakes shine with vivid shades of blue and green.
Parking and trailhead are located just off the Smith Dorrien Trail, about 15 minute drive from Canmore (see on Google Maps), which makes the trail very popular for both locals and tourists. Make sure to arrive early or late in the day if you’re visiting during the peak summer months.
There is an option to take more difficult route (or connect both trails into a loop) through Grassi Lakes Interpretive Trail. While it does consists one very steep section, it takes you around beautiful waterfall which is a great bonus. Note that this alternate route is only possible in the summer.
Wedge Pond Loop
Lenght: 1 km via Wedge Pond Loop trail
Elevation gain: 32 meters
Duration: 15 – 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
If you happen to drive the scenic Highway 40 (also known as Kananaskis Trail), Wedge Pond makes for a great pit stop and opportunity to stretch your legs! The walk around the lake is quick and easy, but is nothing short of amazing views of the mountains around. Since it’s surrounded by aspens and cottonwood trees, it’s also one of the places to see the golden fall colors.
Note that Highway 40 is closed annualy from December 1 to June 14 , so visiting Wedge Pond is only possible during summer and fall. Parking is located right next to the lake (see on Google Maps).
Troll Falls
Lenght: 4.7 km out-and-back via Troll Falls trail
Elevation gain: 227 meters
Duration: 1 – 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
Troll Falls is a great family friendly hike near Kananaskis Village that you can visit year round. In fact, we find this one to be even more beautiful in the winter when the waterfalls freeze over. Just don’t forget to pack the ice cleats or microspikes!
Parking is located at the end of Stoney Trail road near Kananaskis Village and Nakiska ski area. See the location on Google Maps.
Grotto Creek Canyon
Lenght: 7.1 km out-and-back via Grotto Canyon Trail
Elevation gain: 342 meters
Duration: 2 – 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
To finish the section of easy Kananaskis hikes, we can’t forget the Grotto Creek Canyon! This trail takes you through a gorge at the base of Grotto Mountain where you’ll find yourself surrounded by impressive limestone walls. Once again, we prefer to visit in the winter as it turns into a real winter wonderland. Just note, that microspikes are absolutely necessary for safe exploration.
Grotto Canyon is located on Bow Valley Trail just outside of Canmore and you can find the parking right next to the Grotto Canyon Pond.
CANADIAN ROCKIES HIKING ESSENTIALS
MODERATE HIKES IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY
Prairie View Trail
Lenght: 10.8 km out-and-back via Prairie View Trail
Elevation gain: 509 meters
Scrambling required: No
Duration: 3 – 4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
This trail follows an old forestry road to a stunning viewpoint looking over the Barrier Lake and surrounding mountains as well as the prairies. Hence the name Prairie View Trail, but don’t be surprised if you also hear the names Yates Mountain or Barrier Lake Fire Lookout. Those are the two names for the same viewpoint on top of Yates Moutain that you can reach if you decide to extend the Prairie View Trail by another 15 minutes.
We love to do this trail year round as it’s easily one of the most scenic half day hikes in Kananaskis area which has a great effort to reward ratio and it’s not located in avalanche terrain.
Look for Prairie View Trail Parking on Google Maps to reach the trailhead.
West Wind Pass
Lenght: 4.5 km out-and-back via West Wind Pass trail
Elevation gain: 350 meters
Scrambling required: No
Duration: 2 – 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
West Wind Pass is another fantastic moderate trail in Kananaskis that doesn’t compromise on any views, yet it’s an easier objective compared to other hikes in the area with beautiful views of Spray Lakes Reservoir.
Parking is available along the Smith Dorrien Trail Road, right at the beginning of multiple hikes in the area. Look up its location on Google Maps so you know where to pull out your car. If you’d be looking at extending the West Wind Pass trail, look at Windtower or Rimwall summits that we’ve listed below.
Chester Lake
Lenght: 7.4 km out-and-back via Chester Lake Snowshoe
Elevation gain: 380 meters
Scrambling required: No
Duration: 2 – 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
Personally, we’ve only hiked up to Chester Lake in the winter, but we’re absolutely confident to say that it must be beautiful year round (we definitely need to come back during the larch season!).
This is one of those trails where you gain most of the elevation at the beginning, so there are some steep parts that can be a little challenging, but given its lenght, we rate is as moderate. Plus, it feels like a real winter wonderland once you make it up to the lake, so you’ll quickly forget about those steep parts! Definitely one of the prettiest hikes you can do in Kananaskis in winter.
The parking area and trailhead are located on the east side of Smith Dorrien Trail, a bit over an hour away from Canmore.
Ha Ling Peak
Lenght: 7.4 km out-and-back
Elevation gain: 755 meters
Scrambling required: Yes, but only easy scrambling
Duration: 3 – 4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
When looking up towards the Ha Ling Peak from Canmore, you’d think there possibly cannot be any path leading up. In fact, the trail up to Ha Ling peak is a well maintained hike that you can tackle in half a day, any time of a year (just don’t forget to pack the microspikes or ice cleats in the winter).
This is one of the Canmore & Kananaskis classic hikes that you shouldn’t miss, but be prepared that it gets busy due to its proximity to town. Goat Creek Day Area provides decent amount of parking, though it can still fill up on the weekend, so make sure to count with that into your plans.
Rawson Lake & Sarrail Ridge
Lenght: 6.8 km out-and-back to Rawson Lake and 11.4 km out-and-back to Sarrail Ridge
Elevation gain: 423 meters to Rawson Lake, 900 meters to Sarrail Ridge
Scrambling required: Yes, scrambling and rope sections for Sarrail Ridge
Duration: 2-3 hours for Rawson Lake, 4-6 hours for Sarrail Ridge
Difficulty: Moderate (Rawson Lake) to Hard (Sarrail Ridge)
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash (we wouldn’t recommend it for Sarrail Ridge though)
Rawson Lake is a beautiful alpine lake that can be easily combined with a hike up to the Sarrail Ridge in one day. While the hike to Rawson Lake itself is moderate and accessible, the route to the ridge adds a more adventurous element. If you opt for it, be prepared for a challenging hike that involves sections with ropes and scrambling. Worth it? Absolutely! The views of Upper Kananaskis Lake from the top are hard to beat!
Parking is located at the Upper Kananaskis Lake Day Use Area.
HARD HIKES IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY
Smutwood Peak
Lenght: 18.9 km out-and-back via Smutwood Peak Trail
Elevation gain: 929 meters
Scrambling required: Yes
Duration: 7-8 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash (we wouldn’t recommend it though)
The views from Mount Smutwood (or Smutwood Peak) are without doubts some of the best ones you can see in Kananaskis Country, if not all Canadian Rockies! We particularly love this trail for its lenght as it gives you lots of time to soak it all in.
Smutwood Peak is perfect for those who’re looking to spend the full day in the mountains and don’t mind the scrambling sections near the summit. The trailhead and parking lot are located at the first left after the bridge past Mount Engadine Lodge in Kananaskis.
Read our detailed guide for hiking Smutwood Peak.
Windtower
Lenght: 9.7 km out-and-back via Windtower Summit trail
Elevation gain: 919 meters
Scrambling required: Yes, but only very light scrambling
Duration: 4-6 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash
If you’d like to explore lesser known peak in Kananaskis Country that offers views just as stunning as the famous hikes in the area, then Windtower might just be the right choice for you! While still gaining over 900 meters on the way to the top, this trail offers an amazing effort-to-views ratio compared to other peaks around that can require a lot of scrambling. There aren’t any technical sections on this trail, so we’d personally rate it more as moderate to hard.
As you can tell by the name of this peak, it can get really windy on the top, so make sure to pack some layers with you!
Parking is available along the Smith Dorrien Trail Road, right at the beginning of multiple hikes in the area. You shouldn’t have any troubles finding this parking lot on Google Maps.
East End of Rundle (EEOR)
Lenght: 4.8 km out-and-back via East End of Rundle (EEOR) trail
Elevation gain: 838 meters
Scrambling required: Yes
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash (we wouldn’t recommend it though)
Ready for a leg burn and incredible views? East End of Rundle (also known as EEOR) will certainly deliver both. While it’s less than 5 km long, don’t let that fool you. EEOR has hardly any flatter parts and you’ll find yourself hiking up through a steep scree and exposed slopes. However, the views from the top are simply fantastic!
Despite its difficulty, EEOR is a very popular trail, so expect to meet other hikers around, especially in the peak summer months. This is one of the best hikes in Kananaskis Country, after all. There are two parking areas that you can use. The actual parking lot for EEOR is right by the Whitemans Pond, but this one is very limited, so most people continue down to the newly paved Goat Creek Parking Lot which is much bigger.
Mist Mountain Hot Springs
Lenght: 6.3 km out-and-back via Mist Moutain Springs Trail
Elevation gain: 570 meters
Scrambling required: No
Duration: 2 – 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
The Mist Mountain Hot Springs are the only natural/undeveloped hot springs in Banff & Kananaskis area and despite their location high up in the mountains, they’ve become a very popular objective (which is understandable, just look at those views!).
We absolutely loved the whole hike to the springs and thought they were a nice bonus at the end, however if you want to enjoy them just for yourself, you need to time your visit wisely as there’s only space for about 4 people. Another thing to know is that the water is rather warm than hot, so these are not really a hot springs you want to visit on a colder day.
You can park just at the side of Highway 40 as there is no official trailhead sign or parking, but note that this highway is closed annualy from December 1 to June 14.
Tent Ridge Horseshoe
Lenght: 10.1 km loop via Tent Ridge Horseshoe
Elevation gain: 810 meters
Scrambling required: Yes
Duration: 4-6 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash (we wouldn’t recommend it though)
Tent Ridge has easily became one of our favourite hikes in Canadian Rockies and it’s one of those trails we will keep visting over and over again. Even though it’s surrounded by taller peaks, it offers tremendous views of Spray Valley that are simply hard to beat and it’s even more stunning during the larch season.
Note, that this is a popular day hike that makes for a great adventure, however it shouldn’t be underestimated as it includes scrambling sections. Since it’s a loop, it is recommended to do this hike clockwise so you do the scrambling section on the way up and the easier section on the way down.
Trailhead is located along Mount Shark Road. There is a small unofficial dirt parking lot near the end of the trailhead which is marked on Google Maps.
Read our detailed guide for hiking Tent Ridge.
Rimwall
Lenght: 6.3 km out-and-back via Rimwall Summit
Elevation gain: 899 m
Scrambling required: Yes
Duration: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Dogs allowed: Yes, but must be on leash (we wouldn’t recommend it though)
Rimwall is a fantastic hike/scramble that offers beautiful views of Spray Lakes area. While only 6.3 km long, it’s certainly not an easy one, so get ready for a challenging uphill climb with some scrambling sections near the summit and simple route finding. This trail should only be attempted by experienced hikers.
Parking is located along Smith Dorrien Trail road in Kananaskis Country. Look for West Wind Pass Trailhead on Google Maps as these two trails share the same parking and follow the same initial section.
WHERE TO STAY IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY?
Canmore is your best option near Kananaskis Country as it provides plenty of accommodation options. In fact, staying in Canmore while visiting Canadian Rockies can save you some bucks as hotels are typically more affordable than in Banff. Here’s a few options you can consider:
- Best budget stay: The Georgetown Inn
This small boutique hotel has been opened since 1993 and offers prices that are hard to beat in both off season and peak season. The rooms look cozy, the location is great and the feedback from guests is amazing. The Georgetown Inn is a great value! - Best mid-range stay: Basecamp Lodge Canmore
Basecamp Lodge provides comfortable mid-range accommodation with spacious rooms and convenient location just 15 min walk from the downtown Canmore. Free ‘grab and go’ breakfast is included in the stay. There are multiple properties by Basecamp in Canmore and if you’re travelling in larger group, then Basecamp Resorts or Basecamp Suites might be a better option. - Best luxurious stay: The Malcolm Hotel
If you don’t mind to splurge and want to treat yourself with a luxurious stay, then The Malcolm Hotel located just a short walk from downtown Canmore is a great option with modern rooms and amenities. And the rooftop deck with heated pool and hot tubs is like from a dream! - Best unique stay: Mount Engadine Lodge
Mount Engadine Lodge (on the photos) is actually located right in the heart of Kananaskis Country and it has easily become one of our favourite unique stays here in Rockies. To be honest, it is on a pricier side, but all stays include amazing all-inclusive dining and with its remote location, it feels like staying in a backcountry hut. We stayed in one of their glamping tents during the winter, but the lodge operates year round and it’s a perfect base for exploring Kananaskis Country.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: HIKING IN KANANASKIS
» Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park your vehicle in Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley Corridor. It can be purchased online and is tied to your license plate.
» Kananaskis Country is a prime grizzly territory, always carry a bear spray, know how to use it and keep it easily accessible at all times! If possible, hike in a group of 4 and more people.
» Most of the trails in Kananaskis Country have poor or no cell service. Have an offline map downloaded in your phone and make sure your battery will last. We recommend using offline maps from AllTrails offline or Mapy.cz. Consider carrying satellite communicator such as Garmin inReach (Amazon Canada or Amazon US).
» Weather – we’d recommend picking a nice day as any trail that involves scree or scrambling sections gets much more dangerous in wet conditions.
» Mosquitos can be really bad during the summer months, make sure to pack mosquito repellent.
» You’ll be exposed on the trails that go above the treeline, so cover your head, wear sunglasses and apply sunscreen if going during the hot summer day. On the other hand, you should also always pack some layers that you can put on top of the mountain.
» Proper hiking shoes are neccessary and hiking poles can be very helpful for hikes that consist of steep sections or scrambling.
KANANASKIS HIKES: FINAL THOUGHTS
Kananaskis Country is truly one of the most beautiful places to hike in the world and we’re so happy that you plan to spend some time there! Whether you chose an easy walk or one of the challenging trails, Kananaskis is full of beautiful views and we hope this blog post helped you to find the right trail for your next visit.
Looking for more hiking inspiration? Check out our hiking guides category!
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