If you're looking for a long day hike or a backpacking trip in the mountains, within a few hours drive of Calgary, check out Three Isle Lake in Kananaskis Country. It's a great choice as it also offers several options to continue beyond the lake - including the difficult but reportedly fabulous Northover Traverse along with the easy hike to South Kananaskis Pass and Beatty Lake. Fortunately the hike up to the lake is worthwhile…
I first learned about the South End of Lawson hike via Instagram. Someone had hiked it under cover of snow and their photo caught my eye. The hike sounded intriguing - and the views from the first photo I saw were outstanding. After a bit of research, John and I decided we'd do the hike one June day on the way up to a two night stay at Mount Engadine Lodge as the trailhead is…
The 10.0 kilometre return hike to Rummel Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, is a great choice if you want an easy mountain hike that leads to a lake partially ringed by larch trees. You won't find nearly the crowds on this hike that you do on the nearby hike to popular Chester Lake. The Rummel Lake hike - which gains just 315 metres in total, also offers beautiful views of the Spray Lakes Reservoir.…
Alberta's Goat Creek Trail offers a fun mountain bike ride that traverses the beautiful valley between Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. The trail starts above the town of Canmore at the top of the Smith Dorrien Road- Spray Lakes Road and finishes at the Spray River West trailhead, located approximately 150 metres beyond the Banff Springs Hotel at the northern end of Spray Avenue in Banff. From there you can cycle through Banff to pick…
If you live in the Calgary - Banff corridor chances are pretty good that you already know how fantastic the hiking is along the Kananaskis Trail (Highway 40). But out of town visitors largely have no idea that the hiking here is on par with much that is available in nearby Banff National Park. Most of the hikes on the Kananaskis Trail don't see anywhere near the number of people you see in the national…
When Alberta Parks got the go-ahead back in May to open parks for camping at half capacity beginning in June, I was intent on getting some reservations to parks and backcountry campgrounds I'd never visited before. A getaway to local provincial parks may not be as exciting as travel to far-flung places around the globe, but I am truly thrilled just to be out of Calgary and exploring a new part of Alberta. Kinbrook Island…
If you live in Bragg Creek you're spoiled for choice when it comes to hiking. Fortunately for those of us who live in Calgary, all of the trailheads for the Bragg Creek hikes described below are less than an hour's drive away. All the trailheads are accessed off of Highway 66, with the Fullerton Loop and Sugar Mama hikes the first ones you reach, only 15 kilometres southwest of Bragg Creek. These seven Bragg Creek…
Lake Louise hikes are some of the best you'll find in Banff National Park - and even Canada. Superlative mountain and alpine lake scenery is the reward for your efforts. The downside to most but not all of the Lake Louise hikes are the sheer number of people on the popular trails - especially Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers. If you can do it, book accommodation somewhere close to Lake Louise so…
The town of Canmore is both the gateway to Banff National Park and an access point to Kananaskis Country. As a result there is an unbelievable amount of truly exceptional hiking within an hour's drive. I've tried to showcase Canmore hikes that offer views within a short distance of the town, with most about a 15 -20 minute drive away. The hike to the Sparrowhawk Tarns is the exception. Many of these Canmore hikes can…
The Sugar Mama - Sugar Daddy hike is part of a loop that starts at the Allen Bill parking lot off Highway 66 near Bragg Creek, Alberta. It's a great shoulder-season or winter hike that delivers a workout because of its length. But I'd give it a pass in the summer (unless you bike it) when you get up into the mountains at higher elevations. The full loop is just under 14 kilometres long and…