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Hiking · Alberta

Alberta hikes map

Ten trails to start: nine in Kananaskis Country and one in Elk Island National Park, east of Edmonton. Each detail comes from the trail’s Alberta Parks or Parks Canada page, linked on its card. Where a page doesn’t list something, the card says “Not listed”.

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go. Trail reports and safety links

Pins mark the trailhead or parking area that Alberta Parks or Parks Canada gives for each trail. Difficulty colours: dark green is intermediate, light green is easy, white is not rated on the trail page. The filters also apply to the trail cards below.

Before you go

Mountain and backcountry trails carry real risk: wildlife (including bears), weather that changes fast, avalanche terrain and closures. Trail details change, so check the trail report and advisories on the day you go.

The trails

Showing all 10 trails.

Kananaskis Valley

Troll Falls

Forest trail to Troll Falls. Side trails around the falls are blocked off for rockfall, so stay on the main trail.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Evan-Thomas Provincial Recreation Area (Troll Falls Trailhead)
Distance: 1.4 km (as listed)
Elevation: Not listed
Difficulty: Not rated on the trail page
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer and winter (hiking listed for both)
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 50.93623, -115.14122 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Canmore and area

Grassi Lakes Interpretive

The steeper of the two Grassi Lakes routes, with a very steep section and signs on the trail’s history. The area is a wildlife corridor: designated trails only.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park (Grassi Lakes day use)
Distance: 1.9 km (as listed)
Elevation: 125 m (as listed)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer. Alberta Parks says this route closes in winter because of ice.
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 51.08149, -115.39409 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Peter Lougheed

Rawson Lake

A long, steady climb through subalpine forest to an alpine lake, reached from the Upper Lake Trail.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (Upper Lake day use)
Distance: 3.9 km one-way
Elevation: 320 m (as listed)
Difficulty: Not rated on the trail page
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer (hiking listed for summer)
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 50.61236, -115.11775 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Peter Lougheed

Chester Lake

Climbs to Chester Lake. Alberta Parks closes it each spring to prevent trail damage.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (Chester Lake day use)
Distance: 4.6 km one-way
Elevation: 300 m (as listed)
Difficulty: Not rated on the trail page
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer. Closed every year May 1 to June 29 so the trail can dry.
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 50.79030, -115.30040 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Peter Lougheed

Ptarmigan Cirque Interpretive

Alpine interpretive trail from Highwood Meadows. Alberta Parks notes the road here is the highest paved road in Canada, at just over 2,200 m.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (Highwood Meadows day use)
Distance: 4.5 km (as listed)
Elevation: 210 m (as listed)
Difficulty: Not rated on the trail page
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer. Highway 40 past Peter Lougheed is closed December 1 to June 14, and Highwood Meadows day use is listed as June 15 to November 30.
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 50.59594, -114.98519 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Kananaskis Valley

Wedge Pond

A short walk at Wedge Pond, rated easy.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Spray Valley Provincial Park (Wedge Pond day use)
Distance: 1 km return
Elevation: Not listed
Difficulty: Easy
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer (hiking listed for summer)
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 50.87389, -115.14644 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Bow Valley

Grotto Creek Canyon

A canyon trail on Grotto Creek, starting at the Grotto Mountain day use area.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Bow Valley Provincial Park (Grotto Mountain day use)
Distance: 2.1 km one-way
Elevation: Not listed
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer and winter (hiking listed for both)
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 51.06540, -115.20376 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Bow Valley

Heart Creek Interpretive

Interpretive trail from the Heart Creek day use area. Alberta Parks links a trail pamphlet on its page.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park (Heart Creek day use)
Distance: 1.3 km one-way
Elevation: Not listed
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer and winter (hiking listed for both)
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 51.04736, -115.16426 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Kananaskis Valley

Galatea Creek to Lillian Lake

A longer climb to Lillian Lake in the trees, with an option to continue to Upper Galatea Lake in an alpine cirque.

Region: Kananaskis Country
Park or area: Spray Valley Provincial Park (Galatea day use)
Distance: 6.0 km to Lillian Lake, 1.5 km more to Upper Galatea Lake
Elevation: 457 m to Lillian Lake, 154 m more to Upper Galatea Lake (as listed)
Difficulty: Not rated on the trail page
Time: Not listed
Season: Summer. Closed every year May 1 to late June so the trail can dry.
Pass: Kananaskis Conservation Pass required for parked vehicles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 2 m
Trailhead: 50.86118, -115.17620 (from the Alberta Parks trail page)

Alberta Parks trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

Elk Island National Park

Lakeview Trail, Elk Island

Loop above Astotin Lake through aspen and spruce, past beaver ponds. East of Edmonton.

Region: Edmonton and area
Park or area: Elk Island National Park (Sandy Beach or North Astotin Lake parking)
Distance: 3.7 km loop
Elevation: Not listed
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1 to 2 hours
Season: Not listed on the trail page
Pass: Parks Canada admission required (daily pass, Elk Island annual pass or Discovery Pass); youth 17 and under enter free
Dogs: Allowed on a leash no longer than 3 m
Trailhead: 53.67781, -112.82980 (from the Parks Canada trail page)

Parks Canada trail page

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Confirm conditions before you go.

How we checked: On Oct 24, 2026 we read each trail’s page on albertaparks.ca or parks.canada.ca, plus the Alberta Parks pet rules, the Kananaskis annual road and trail closures and the Kananaskis Conservation Pass page on alberta.ca. Distances and elevations are shown as each page lists them (some say one-way, some return, some neither). Alberta Parks doesn’t give hiking times or rate every trail, so those cards say “Not listed” or “Not rated”. Trail descriptions are in our own words. Fees are left out because they change; the pass links go to the current details.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (map background only). Trail facts © their sources: Alberta Parks (Government of Alberta) and Parks Canada, linked on each card. No open-data files or OpenStreetMap data are used in the trail list. Spot a change? Email hello@northwestwa.com.

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