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…
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…
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…
Snowshoeing in Kananaskis Country is a rewarding way to spend a winter day. Many of the trails are just an hour from Calgary, while others can be closer to two hours depending on road conditions. There's a huge amount of variety - with respect to difficulty and terrain. Many of these trails fall into the dead easy category, but still they're very beautiful. If you want a workout with some mountain slendour, you'll have to…
On a chilly, rainy summer's night John and I ventured to the Kananaskis Nordic Spa to see for ourselves what the experience was like. I'd heard many wonderful reports since it opened in the winter of 2018. The spa, fashioned in the Nordic tradition, stimulates your senses with temperature changes (hot, warm and cold pools) along with aromatherapy via the steam room. The Nordic spa is all set against a gorgeous Rocky Mountain backdrop, only…
One of the easiest hikes to do in Kananaskis Country is the hike to Elbow Lake. It's only 1.3 kilometres in from the trailhead with about 137 metres of elevation gain. If you're a keen hiker that won't be enough but there is the option to continue to Rae Glacier. Note that the hike to Elbow Lake is ideal for families. And it makes a great first camping trip. You can knock it off in…
The Prairie View Trail - Jewell Pass hike in Kananaskis Country is a good choice in the shoulder season when you want to get outside but don't want to commit to a long drive. It takes less than an hour to get to the trailhead from Calgary. The Prairie View Trail hike is a very popular one. It's definitely not one of the prettier hikes in Kananaskis Country but in the off-season when you just…
The Galatea Lakes hike in Kananaskis Country is accessed via the trail to Lillian Lake. This area was hit hard in the 2013 floods but the trail has been rebuilt, with new bridges added and lots of new signage. In fact it's one of the best signed trails I've seen in Kananaskis Country. All told it's 5.5 kilometres one way to Lillian Lake and an additional 1.1 kilometres to reach Galatea Lakes. There is an…
The EEOR hike (short for east end of Rundle) near Canmore is an out and back scramble that will test your mettle. It's steep from the get-go with an elevation gain of 875 metres over just 2.9 kilometres. For many people the EEOR hike will be a challenge. It's got lots of loose rock which is unsettling for some - and a cliff band with rock ledges along with some exposure near the top to…
The Pickle Jar Lakes hike is a standout if you're a fan of mountain lakes. And judging by the popularity of this Kananaskis hike, people love a lake as a destination. Four lakes. Even better - though not all are equally beautiful. Be sure to go as far as the third of the Pickle Jar Lakes as it's the prettiest of them all. Route description for the Pickle Jar Lakes hike From the parking lot…