Exploring Burstall Pass

Kananaskis, Alberta

5.0/5

based on 2 reviews

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Added by Matt Ford

Distance: 9 miles round trip. Elevation gain: 1,480 ft. Amazing views of lakes and peaks. A great full day hike. Fantastic view point with views of glaciers and valleys.

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, shallow river.

You can stop here, or do a bit of route finding to get to the trail on the other side of Burstall Creek. If you decide to wade through the water bring an extra pair of socks or take off your shoes!

Once you find the trail, which is marked by signs throughout the wide creek bed, the trail starts to gain elevation a bit quicker than the first section of the hike. From the gravel flats to the summit it's only about another hour to hour and a half.

Enjoy the view from the summit of the pass and consider having lunch there, the views will not disappoint!

To get to the trailhead, drive west on Hwy 1 out of Calgary for 86km. Take exit 98 onto Three Sisters Pkwy and follow as it quickly turns into Smith Dorrien Trail or Hwy 742, which you follow 48km until you reach the trailhead.

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Exploring Burstall Pass Reviews

Chloe Chiliberti

Exploring Burstall Pass

03/31/18

Amazing hike! Loved it! Did come across two big grizzly bears at the end of the trail when we were almost at the car park, so definitely carry bear spray!

5.0

Tyler Steinbring

Exploring Burstall Pass

05/22/17

This hike was awesome. I did it during the May long weekend and there was three to four feet of snow! It was quite compact though so doing it in regular hiking shoes was fine. We didn't make it to the summit due to the snow but the views were still unreal.

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Exploring Burstall Pass

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