Sawback, Alberta

Views in the Lake O'Hara area are unique from the “sea of mountains” look that defines many excellent weekend hikes in the Rockies. With Odoray, Yukness, Huber, Wiwaxy, Schaffer, Biddle, and Lefroy in such close proximity to each other, it is easy to imagine you are in Pakistan, Nepal, or Argenti...

When exploring, sometimes the best days are when you bite off a bit more than you can chew and push your limits. On a summer day without a cloud in the sky, Midnight Peak would be challenging, but in winter it's a difficult test to be attempted by the prepared and able.The trail to Midnight Peak ...

This trail was really easy to find and follow, unfortunately that means the description will be short.Park your car at Porcupine Creek on Highway 40 and take off to the southeast! The path follows the creek and requires a couple of creek crossings on makeshift bridges, but once the creek forks yo...

First things first: prior to August 15, there are only 4 groups of people allowed in this area per day, and after August 15, only 2 groups are allowed in. Start early!Starting at Lake O'Hara, head towards the Elizabeth Parker ACC Hut. Continue past the hut and meander through meadows and forests....

From the parking lot, cross the dam, heading west onto the trail, with the lake on your left. Once you reach the forest, you will come to a 'Y' intersection, from which point you have two options:6.7 miles (10.8 km), 4 hours roundtrip, out-and-back For a shorter hike, go right at the 'Y' intersec...

The river is perfect for first time rafters and families, but the Kananaskis River also provides enough thrills for even a seasoned whitewater enthusiast. You will spend approximately 2 hours paddling, surfing and, if you feel brave enough, swimming in this glacial fed river! The section of rive...

Park at the Evan Thomas parking lot to and the trailhead is in the south of that parking lot. It follows a well-defined trail up for most of the way before you start gaining elevation. When the trail starts heading south, keep an eye out for a small trail that will keep you heading east. This por...

Located on Highway 40 (Kananaskis Trail) and marked by the "Galatea" sign, there's not much more to this hike other than putting one foot in front of the other, but the amount of traffic it sees is a testament to the quality of this hike.Even on the backend of winter the numerous shades of green ...

Make the trek down Hwy. 40 (about 33 km’s) to the trail head - Galatea Day Use Area. It’s very easy to find, as this is one of Kananaskis most popular day hikes. The trail leads into the forest, crossing a suspension bridge and a couple more bridges after that. Due to some flood damage, the bridg...

Head 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...

The 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...

No 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...

The 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...

Chester 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...

Elevation gain: 300m/984ftEstimated time: 3-6hoursStarting at the trailhead parking lot off of the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Lakes Road this snowshoe is easy to follow on the clearly marked trail. There is a trail that splits off to the left for cross-country skiers make sure you are following the righ...

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...