Canmore, Alberta
Looking for the best hiking in Canmore? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Canmore. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Hiking Spots in and near Canmore
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Kananaskis, Alberta
Backpack the Fortress Cirque
5.012.19 mi / 3507 ft gainNo better way to watch the stars with friends than huddled up in your sleeping bag on top of a 3000m summit. This describes the bivy at The Fortress. Starting at the Chester Lake Trailhead, take the unmarked trail on the right side of the parking lot. These winter cross-country ski trails take y...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike from Headwall Lakes to Chester Lake
5.010.6 mi / 2650.9 ft gainThe hike starts at the Chester Lake trailhead along the Smith Dorian road in Kananaskis. The first few kilometers follow the old logging roads, now used as cross country skiing trails. Find the beginning of the trail at the upper right end of the parking lot, and continue to follow parallel to t...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike to Chester Lake
5.06.2 mi / 984.3 ft gainChester Lake was officially one of my favorite hikes of 2016. It's a short & sweet 5 km's to the lake, with outstanding views in every direction. Fall colors were just starting to peak through and the sky looked amazing. From what I understand, this is one of the more popular hikes in the are...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Scramble the Fortress
Have you ever done a hike where you just don't want the day to end? Scramble the Fortress and you'll know the feeling. The thing that drew me to the Fortress was its summit elevation of 3000 masl, as well as its blocky, fortress-like profile when viewed from the north. It's so much more than that...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Exploring Burstall Pass
5.0Head to the northwest corner of the parking lot to find the trail. For the first 5.5 km the trail is quite easy, with only modest elevation increase. At 5.5 km you will arrive at what is known as the gravel flats. Depending on the time of year the gravel flats can be either quite dry or a wide, s...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hiking Burstall Pass
5.09.3 mi / 1542 ft gainThe trail begins along the berm beside Mud Lake. After a rather uninspiring 3 km (you can mountain bike this part) the trail narrows and enters trees where tangled roots twist across the path and you breathe in the smells of damp earth and moss.Ten minutes later the trail spits you across a spl...Read more -
Bragg Creek, Alberta
Hike Jumpingpound Summit
3.03.1 mi / 1148.3 ft gainThis is a great short hike that will only take about ½ day. Take Hwy. 1 west and take the exit for the Sibbald Creek Trail. Follow this road until you hit the Powderface Trail. (NOTE: this road is closed from December 1 – May 14 annually). Follow this road for approximately 15km’s. Take note tha...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike Opal Ridge's South Summit
5.0Opal Ridge is located on the East side of highway 40 in Kananaskis.The trailhead starts at Fortress Gas Station. Park at the North end of the parking lot. The trailhead is easy to spot from here. Follow the creek a couple hundred meters till you reach an open area with power lines. Turn left. Con...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Hike to the Johnston Canyon Cave
4.43.4 mi / 700 ft gainIt’s amazing how much varied scenery you see over the course of the very short 1.7 mile hike. Follow the catwalks through the canyon as the stunning turquoise water flows below. If you’re feeling up for a longer hike, you can continue along the trail to the Ink Pots (makes for a great winter hike...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Hike to the Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon
3.87.5 mi / 1050 ft gainThe hike through Johnston Canyon to its Upper and Lower falls is one of the most popular hikes to do in Banff - mostly due the little effort required for the great reward.To start, take the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) - the parking lot and trailhead are clearly marked by a Johnston Canyon sig...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Hike Johnston Canyon
5.01.6 mi / 393.7 ft gainGetting There: The Canyon is very well marked, but here are directions anyway if you're coming from Banff: Head West on the Trans-Canada Highway for about 5 km or so. Take the Bow Valley Parkway exit, and continue West for another 18km - you'll then see signs to your right for Johnston Canyon. Th...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Hike Alberta's Grizzly Peak
4.0The trailhead is located on the north side of Ripple Creek, the first creek you come across after passing the Grizzly Creek turnoff. There is an easy pull-off on the east side of the highway. You should be able to see the trailhead from the road, which follows the southern slope of the mountain f...Read more -
Kananaskis, Alberta
Ice Climb at King Creek
4.0Follow the defined path trailing roughly along the creek bed, a 20 minute hike from the car park. King Creek lies at the bottom of a gorge with steep rock walls on either side and a cascade of fat ice being forced out of the rocks. It's a gorgeous spot, showcasing the true beauty of Kananaskis.It...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Snowshoe to Rockbound Lake
3.011 mi / 2460 ft gainThis is an amazing trail, but not for the feint of heart!The trailhead is located on the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) in Banff National Park, AB at the Castle Mountain sign. The trailhead is marked by an information sign in the north of the parking lot and the trail initially heads north - not...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Hike to Silverton Falls
1.2 mi / 120 ft gainStarting at the Rockbound Lake trailhead you will want to follow the flat dirt path straight, until you see the junction in the road with the sign pointing you to Silverton Falls (it will be about 500 steps or a quarter of a mile). We made the mistake of taking the first junction which lead us to...Read more -
Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Snowshoe to Silverton Falls and Rockbound Lake
10.4 mi / 2493.4 ft gainPark at Rockbound Lake Trailhead, 0.2 km east of Castle Junction on Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A).The trail wanders through forest until coming to a fork to the right, leading to SilvertonFalls. This is a worthwhile 1 km side trip to a beautiful small waterfall dropping into a turquoise blue po...Read more