Cross-country Skiing in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Groomed trails and the fresh scent of pine and fir in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Groomed trails and the fresh scent of pine and fir in Peter Lougheed

Cross-country skiing in Peter Lougheed Park in Kananaskis Country is a fantastic way to spend a winter day. Weaving through the park are approximately 75 km of superb cross-country ski trails. They are usually beautifully groomed.

The cross country skiing in Peter Lougheed is some of the finest you’ll find in Alberta. Located in the Kananaskis Lakes area of the park, you’ll find that most trails are easy or intermediate. But there are a few difficult trails – including Blueberry Hill and Lookout. On these two in particular, you’ll get a great workout, enjoy spectacular vistas and have fun on fast downhill sections. 

Be sure to check out cross-country skiing trail reports for Peter Lougheed Provincial Park before you leave home. You will also need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to go cross country skiing in Peter Lougheed.

Pretty part of the drive to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Pretty part of the drive to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

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The Barrier Lake Ranger Station

Stop in at the Barrier Lake Ranger Station to get up to date information on the best trails to ski in Kananaskis Country. I would also suggest checking out Skier Roger’s website for regularly updated trail information.

Groomed trails and the fresh scent of pine and fir when you're cross country skiing in Peter Lougheed
Groomed trails and the fresh scent of pine and fir when you’re cross country skiing in Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed is known for its superb snow
Peter Lougheed is known for its superb snow

Peter Lougheed cross country skiing usually starts in early December

When we finally had a December weekend, clear of obligations and a weather forecast that was favorable, we made for the park, located about 90 km west of Calgary via Highway 40. Even the drive south on Highway 40 to get to the park is beautiful. But do go prepared for snowy conditions with a shovel in case your car gets stuck in a snowbank and always carry an emergency kit.

You might like: How to Survive a Winter Drive: 15 Tips for Safety

The Kananaskis Lookout
The Kananaskis Lookout
View from the Kananaskis Lookout accessed cross country skiing Peter Lougheed
View from the Kananaskis Lookout

Where to park in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

You’ll have to decide beforehand what area of the park you want to explore – mostly because the seven parking lots are spread out over roughly 12 kilometres. The parking lots to the south offer access to the more difficult trails.

Trail map in Peter Lougheed Park
Trail map in Peter Lougheed Park

We ended up doing a very nice 16 km loop that took us from the parking lot at Boulton up Whiskey Jack and Lookout Trails, with a return via the Hydroline (not the prettiest trail) and Fox Creek (beautiful). There was a lot of climbing involved but also some incredible downhill sections. All told it took us about three hours.

There was plenty of snow at the south end of the park and we were told by the rangers that the north end (Pocaterra) could use some more – which is often the case.

Blueberry Hill cross-country skiing
Blueberry Hill cross-country skiing
The view from Blueberry Hill accessed cross country skiing Peter Lougheed
The view from Blueberry Hill across Kananaskis Lake
Bring warm clothes for when you stop for a break as it can be frigid with winds off the lake
Bring warm clothes for when you stop for a break as it can be frigid with winds off the lake

You could easily make a whole day of cross country skiing in Peter Lougheed Park – and we have done that on numerous occasions. In December it was such a treat to leave the Christmas preparations behind and spend part of a day in the silent world of snow. And the heady aroma of fir and pine only added to the pleasure of the day.

A view of Upper Kananaskis Lake accessed cross country skiing Peter Lougheed
A view of Upper Kananaskis Lake

Useful information for cross country skiing in Peter Lougheed

  • Gas is available at only one place along Highway 40, past Nakiska Ski Resort before the Spray Lakes Turnoff.
  • Carry the 10 essentials for outdoor adventures – extra clothing, especially a hat, water, extra food especially high calorie food, a headlamp with extra batteries, fire starter and matches, a bivouac sac (or even a green garbage bag), a small first aid kit, a Swiss army style knife and a map and compass.
  • Sunglasses or goggles are useful.
  • Carry duct tape and a small ski repair kit in case of equipment failure. (I’ve had that happen and duct tape was invaluable – wrap it around your ski poles)
  • Carry a shovel in your car in case it’s snowed while you’ve been skiing. You may need to shovel yourself out.
  • It can be very windy and chilly in the park. Don’t forget high calorie energy food and a thermos filled with something hot to drink.
  • New in 2023 are reusable handwarmers made by Hot Poc that are good up to 100 times. The heat lasts about an hour in each one and it’s way more warming than what you find in a traditional hand warmer.
cross country skiing Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed cross country skiing on a fresh snow day

Additional cross-country skiing in Kananaskis Country

1. Chester/Sawmill Trail system, 18 km north of the Smith Dorrien/Spray Lakes Road (backcountry skiing here).

2. Mount Shark with groomed and track set trails, 42 km north on the Smith Dorrien/Spray Lakes Road.

3. Canmore Nordic Centre.

4. Ribbon Creek area near Nakiska Ski Resort.

The Ribbon Creek Snowshoeing trails are dog-friendly
The pretty Ribbon Creek area

More ideas for cross-country skiing in Alberta and BC

For loads of ideas I recommend Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies by Chic Scott and Darren Farley

Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park - one of the best places for Nordic skiing in Alberta

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