Backpacking, trekking, bushwalking — it has different names in different parts of the world. No matter; wherever you’re from and whatever you call it, it’s one of the best way to get out into nature and enjoy the beautiful wilderness of Banff, Alberta and the surrounding Canadian Rockies. What better way than strapping a pack on your back with gear and food and hitting the trail?

It’s a the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors in Western Canada. After a few days, even if you’re not in the best of physical shape, your muscles will firm up and you’ll enjoy the easy pace of a hike. At that point it’s easy to become absorbed in the beauty around you, especially here in the Canadian Rockies: alpine meadows carpeted in wildflowers, soaring peaks adorned with majestic waterfalls, and skies that seem to go on forever.

Of course there are innumerable trails criss-crossing Alberta and Western Canada, of all difficulty levels and lengths. You could go for an easy out-and-back over the weekend, or spend weeks in the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies, perhaps traversing the peaks of the Continental Divide.

Looking for a short backpacking opportunity right outside Banff town? Check out the Aylmer Pass trail at Lake Minnewanka for a spectacular backpacking trip just outside of town. Want something a little longer? Here’s several options for trips of three or four days.

Assiniboine Loop

This trip starts and finishes at the Mt. Shark trailhead in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, just ouside of Banff National Park. Travel through three connected wilderness areas for awesome views Mt. Assiniboine, the sixth highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, and one of the most impressive in the Banff area. There are some seasonal restrictions here, so check in with a ranger before going out.

Campsites: McBride’s Camp – Night 1; Lake Magog Campground or the BC Parks trail shelter, Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park – Nights 2 and 3 (separate BC Parks campground fees will be collected on-site); Marvel Lake, or stay at the Bryant Creek trail shelter – Night 4.
Elevation gain: 545 m
Distance: 55 km

Bryant Creek

This trip takes you to the amazing Mt. Assiniboine with a great starting point at the Sunshine Village ski area that traverses the flowery (or muddy, depending the season) meadows of Citadel Pass. Hike the Sunshine Village ski area maintenance road or catch a ride on White Mountain Adventures private shuttle to the base village. The trip ends at the Mt. Shark trailhead in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. Check with a ranger for info on seasonal restrictions.

Campsites: Porcupine Campground, Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park – Night 1; Lake Magog Campground, Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park – Night 2 or 3 (where separate BC Parks campground fees will be collected on-site); McBride’s Camp – Night 3 or 4.
Elevation gain: 660 m
Distance: 55.7 km

Banff and Mount Assiniboine

Get into Banff’s backcountry with this series of trails connecting Sunshine Village ski area to the Vista Lake viewpoint on Highway 93 on foot or via a shuttle ride by White Mountain Adventures. On the way, explore the Egypt Lake area en route. After climbing over Gibbon Pass, the trail meanders past a series of scenic lakes before the final descent to the highway.

Campsites: Egypt Lake – Night 1; Ball Pass Junction – Night 2 and 3; Twin Lakes – Night 3 or 4.
Elevation gain: 1390 m
Distance: 40 km

If you want to join a guided backpacking group trip, there are a number of tour and guide companies that offer backpacking trips, often times packaged with pre-and post-trip options for accommodations and transportation. This is a great option of you’re not an experienced backpacker, or if you’re not familiar with Alberta or don’t have a lot of time to spare.

We can recommend Yamnuska Mountain Adventures for your guided backpacking excursion. Their licensed, experienced, professional guides can take you on short or long trips of varying difficulty throughout the year. Yamnuska can also arrange private, guided backpacking tours.

Interested in winter trekking or backpacking on skis? Ski mountaineering or hut-to-hut traverses in the backcountry? Yamnuska can help you with that too.

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Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

200 – 50 Lincoln Park
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

For further information on guided tours in the Canadian Rockies, fill out the blue form on the right side of this page.

Related articles:

• Backpacking in Banff and the Canadian Rockies
• Banff National Park: Four Days Backpacking Vacation
• Lake Minnewanka to Aylmer Pass

The Canadian Rockies’ Alberta province is a confluence of unspoiled wilderness, alpine culture and history, both natural and human. Consequently the opportunities for hiking and walking here in the Western Canada provide some of the most beautiful and stunning natural scenery in the world.

What’s more, you can stay comfortable boutique hotels and lodges in the famous alpine resorts in the Albertan towns of Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and right here in Jasper, or you can opt for a more primitive adventure, camping nearby and traveling to different trails each day. There are also rustic log cabins at Mount Assiniboine, where the wilderness starts at the doorway.

Of course if you’re the do-it-yourself type, there are plenty of trails for you here in the Canadian Rockies. But if you would prefer a guided hiking or walking tour, there are many professional guiding companies to be found here that can arrange a trip for you and your group.

The benefit of the hiking and walking tours is that you can leave behind the large backpacks and enjoy the splendor of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, carrying little on your back, and you have a professional guide that not only will keep you from getting lost, but can educate you on the culture, history and biology of Western Canada and its national Parks.

It’s also possible to arrange for a private hiking or walking tour.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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This is one of the most popular day hikes around Banff, Alberta and perhaps all of Banff National Park. It is one of the most scenic in the area, taking people to view the waterfalls of Johnston Canyon. In fact, if you want to avoid other hikers, you’ll have to hike in the evening or the very early morning before sunrise — it’s that popular (and with good reason!).

The trail begins immediately behind the lodge at Johnston Canyon Resort. It shadows Johnston Creek throughout the canyon all the way to Lower Falls. At various points there are iron bridges attached to the canyon walls that let you pass over the swift and noisy creek.

After a hike of 1.1 kilometers, you reach the Lower Falls. One of the aforementioned bridges crossed the creek here, giving you a straight-on view of this whitewater cataract. Want to get up close? There is a short tunnel through the canyon bedrock behind the falls.

Back on the main trail, you continue up the canyon via more catwalks and broad, well graded trail. There are many viewpoints overlooking the canyon and a small waterfall. Once you reach the Upper Falls there are two viewpoints: the bottom of the falls via a side-trail and catwalk leading to a viewing platform. A short climb on the main trail takes you to the top of the falls and an another viewing platform, which hangs out over the gorge above the waterfall.

A word of warning here: the fences near the edge are there for a reason. Sometimes people insist on climbing through, under, or around the fences to get closer to the falls – and sometimes people fall. When they do, they are swept over the falls, and do not survive. So be please be careful all along the trail, and respect the barriers near the falls.

If you’re still feeling fresh after hiking to the Upper Falls, you can continue to the Ink Pots, another 3 kilometers from the falls. These are seven cold mineral springs bubbling to the surface in the open meadows beside Johnston Canyon Creek. The trail from the Upper Falls climbs out of the canyon and joins a trail from Moose Meadows before dropping down to the springs.

Unlike many of the hot springs found throughout the region, these maintain a constant temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. This spot also offers views of the Johnston Creek valley.

To get to the Johnston Canyon trail take the Bow Valley Parkway west from its eastern interchange with the Trans-Canada Highway to Johnston Canyon, a drive of 17.5 kilometers. The parking area is on the east side of Johnston Creek. From it follow the trail leading across a footbridge to the lodge and trailhead on the opposite side of the creek.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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A somewhat long and strenuous day hike, the hike up to Cascade Amphitheatre is nevertheless easily doable in a day. And it’s worth the effort, as you will get to see some of the natural beauty and geologic features of the Canadadian Rockies, where over time glaciers have left their marks.

The trail starts at the Mt. Norquay ski lodge at the far end of the parking lot; the first kilometer you walk along a service road, skirting the base stations of ski lifts. At 0.8 kilometers, the trail turns to the right, away from the Fort Mile Creek Trail, which continues on straight.

The Cascade Amphitheatre trail turns away from the ski lifts and drops down into a forest. At 2.9 kilometers the trail encounters Forty Mile Creek. No need to ford it though; just beyond this point the trail crosses the creek on a bridge.

But before that climbing begins, the trail rewards you with some nice views, including that of Mouth Louis to the west. This sheer wall of rock is popular with rock climbers and mountaineers, and just beyond Louis to the south is Mount Edith, another popular spot for climbers.

The last fork in the trail is 1.2 kilometers past the bridge over Forty Mile Creek; here the Amphitheatre trail branches uphill; the Elk Summit trail continues on the other fork. The trail also begins to get challenging here, as a series of switchbacks takes you through alpine forests for 2.3 kilometers until you reach the edge of Cascade Amphitheatre.

From the Amphitheatre’s natural entrance, the trail moves on for a little more than a kilometer to the mountain’s summit ridge, which also creates a headwall to the Amphitheatre. The Cascade Amphitheatre, carved out by glaciers, encompasses alpine meadows carpeted with wild flowers in mid summer. You’ll also find marmots and pikas here as well.

While the ascent of Cascade Mountain from the Amphitheatre is not particularly difficult, the route is tricky and can be dangerous at certain times of the year; it’s easy to miss your way and wander near deadly cliffs. If you are set on peak bagging and must get to the summit, then pick-up a copy of A Climber’s Guide to Cascade Mountain at the Banff National Park Visitor Centre in Banff, Alberta.

To get to the trailhead, follow the Mount Norquay Road north from the Trans-Canada Highway (at the Banff West Exit) 6 kilometers to the Mount Norquay Ski Area.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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This is yet another beautiful hike just a few kilometers outside Banff, Alberta at Lake Minnewanka. At nearly 30 kilometers from the end of Lake Minnewanka to Devil’s Gap, this is a long trail but worth it for the incredible scenery, especially in late spring or early autumn. Unless you’re planning on doing an out-and-back, you’ll want to bring a backpack, tent and related gear for a multi-day trip.

This trail starts out the same way as the Aylmer Pass hike, at the Lake Minnewanka parking and picnic area. You start at the west end of Lake Minnewanka and proceeds along to the north shore for about 20 kilometers, with little change in elevation. Along the way you’ll cross Stewart Canyon as well.

There are plenty of places to camp along the way; one of the first options is to hike up the first part of the Aylmer Pass trail to the Aylmer Pass campground. As the trail approaches the east end of the lake, you’ll witness a graduation to more vegetation that is typically Canadian Rockies alpine – pine groves interspersed with wildflowers such as brown-eyed Susans, harebells and western wood lilies.

Once the trail moves beyond the end of Lake Minnewanka, it soon encounters the shore of the first Ghost Lake, following a channel which then connects that lake with the second one. You can ford this channel and hike eastward to Devil’s Gap or turn right and follow another trail 9 kilometers back to the south shore of Lake Minnewanka.

This is also an excellent place for cross-country mountain biking; the entire length of the trail is open to mountain bikes.

To get to the trailhead, from the interchange of the Trans-Canada Highway and the Banff East Exit follow the Lake Minnewanka Road 5.5 kilometers to the parking area at the lake.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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• Lake Minnewanka to Aylmer Pass
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• Hike the C Level Cirque

Looking for a bit of a challenge in your day hike? Or perhaps something with longer options? Look no further.

Compared to many of the other day hikes around Banff, Alberta, hiking from the Lake Minnewanka parking/picnic area to Aylmer Lookout and back to Minnewanka is challenging for most. It can take all day even for experienced hikers.

There is also an option if you want to do some backpacking and camping and make it a two-day trip — perfect if you only have a few days in Banff to get outdoors.

This hike begins just a few kilometers outside of Banff town at Lake Minnewanka. At the end of the paved picnic area you will find the trailhead; the trail follows the lake’s north shore for about 7.8 kilometers. This part of the trail is not difficult, however it gets quite strenuous later on. It eventually forks away from the lake shore moving uphill to the old Aylmer fire lookout and Aylmer Pass.

Here’s is where things start to really get fun! The trail gains 600 vertical meters over the next two kilometers. As you hike up the trail look for the spur trail branching off to the right; this point is 2.3 kilometers beyond the junction with Lake Minnewanka trail. The fire lookout site, at the end of an open ridge below the summit of Mount Aylmer, is where most day hikers chose to head back down to the lake.

The old fire lookout is definitely worth the trip. At an elevation of 2,040 meters, form this ridge nearly all of Lake Minnewanka can be seen – the water is more than 500 meters below this point. From here you can see the twin summits of Mount Inglismaldie and Mount Girouard across the lake. Off to the southwest Mount Rundle and the Bow Valley can be seen. Up above the ridge to the north is Mount Aylmer – from which the trail gets its name. At 3,162 meters, it’s the highest peak in the Banff-Lake Minnewanka area.

If you’re not ready to head back down to the lake just yet, or you planned for a longer hike, the Aylmer trail continues on from the fire lookout trail junction. It continues to climb to up alpine meadows at Aylmer Pass; here you are above the treeline and near the boundary of Banff National Park. From here, above and to the east, is Mount Aylmer, a difficult but not too technical scramble.

If you are planning on a multi-day backpacking trip, there is a campground near the junction of the Aylmer Pass trail and the trail that leads up to the old fire lookout area. If you have the time, you can also continue over the Aylmer Pass into the Ghost River Wilderness Area. A trail continues down the north side of the pass to Spectral Creek, but the descent to Ghost River and beyond involves fording Spectral Creek and the Ghost River, or else bushwhacking along the banks.

To get to the trailhead, from the interchange of the Trans-Canada Highway and the Banff East Exit follow the Lake Minnewanka Road 5.5 kilometers to the parking area at the lake.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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• Lake Minnewanka – Devil’s Gap
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History buffs and nature lovers will both want to check out this Banff National Park trail, which reveals a bit of the mining history of Western Canada, as well as incredible views of Lake Minnewanka, the deep alpine lake that lies just a few kilometers northeast of Banff, Alberta.

The trail begins its climb through pleasant mountain forests and meadows before reaching the town of Bankhead – we should say, “former town” of Bankhead, where there isn’t much but the remains of the anthracite coal mining operation – buildings from the “C Level operation” — that existed here from 1904 to 1922. The town itself was laid out in the valley below. The coal seam worked here was the highest on the eastern slope of Cascade Mountain.

It is at this spot where the mining operations once took place that one can take in views of Lake Minnewanka below. As the trail continues to climb past this spot, hikers will pass several fenced in holes in the ground; these are vent holes from the mine shafts below ground. As you climb you will enjoy views of nearby peaks, such as Mount Rundle, as well as Bow Valley.

The trail continues on until it reaches the cirque. What’s a cirque you ask (unless, perhaps, you speak French)?

It is a bowl-shaped depression created by a glacier in the mountains. While the glacier that created the C Level Cirque is no longer there, we should note that snow can often be found in the cirque well into mid summer. The soil here is rich, and in late summer one can spy the yellow lilies commonly associated with glaciers in this region.

To get to the C Level Cirque, take the Trans-Canada Highway to the Banff East Exit interchange, follow the Lake Minnewanka Road to the Upper Bankhead Picnic Area. The trail begins at the far end of the picnic area parking lot.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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This 4.3-kilometer trail starts at the Cave and Basin historic site above Banff, Canada and descends onto a paved trail; at one time it was used to be a road before being designated as a walking and bicycling path.

It then continues onto the Cave and Basin Marsh Trail. The Marsh Trail meanders along the banks of the Bow River for bit before climbing up for a short way towards Sundance Canyon.

On this part of the trail you’ll encounter a trail junction; the Sulphur Mountain trail, which branches off to the left, goes to the summit of its namesake; the branch to the right goes onto Brewster Creek and Sunshine Road. Go straight at this junction to head onto Sundance Canyon.

When you arrive at the Sundance Canyon Picnic Area the paved trail – and consequently bicycle access – comes to an end. The trail gets somewhat steep here as it continues on before looping through Sundance Canyon and heading back to the picnic area.

Along the way you have a few options if you’re looking for a shorter or easier hike. You can take the Marsh Loop trail where it branches right form the Sundance Trail where the paved trail first meets the river. It continues to follow Bow River to a local marsh before returning to the Cave and Basin parking lot.

Another option is to follow the Healy Creak trail, a roadbed that branches right form the Sundance Trail at the 2.2 kilometer marker and follows the south side of the Bow River Valley before crossing Brewster Creek trail at 2.9 kilometers and Sunshine Road at 4.6 kilometers. This trail is also popular with bikers and cross-country skiers.

To get to the Cave and Basin trail proceed from the intersection at the south end of the Bow River bridge in Banff. Follow Cave Avenue west a short distance to the parking area for the Cave and Basin Historic Site. Follow the paved walkway through the complex the trailhead. If you want to combine some activities, take the Sulphur Mountain trail from its junction before you get to Sundance Canyon; you can then take the Banff gondola back down to the bottm.

While you’re here, you can enjoy the nearby interpretive trails and the historic site itself; this is the birthplace of Banff National Park and the Canadian National Park system – right here in the Canadian Rockies.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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Before there were horses in North America, there was only one way to get around during winter in Western Canada, and that was to walk. Even after European explorers brought horses, often the only way to get around during the months of heavy snow when drifts were too high for horses was to strap on snowshoes and hoof it yourself.

Today, of course, you don’t need to strap on snowshoes and hit the trail to enjoy the alpine wonderland that Banff, Alberta, becomes in winter. But it is an excellent way to enjoy the winter scenery up close. If you want to see the beauty of the Canadian Rockies wilderness in an authentic, traditional way, you can’t get much better than snowshoeing. It’s also an excellent opportunity for viewing wildlife of the area.

And remember, you don’t need instructions or experience – if you can walk, you can snowshoe – and you don’t even need any special gear (other than the snowshoes, of course). Like hiking, you can pick a trail that’s as easy and relaxing or as challenging and strenuous as you like. And there’s something spiritual about the mountain wilderness in wintertime, between quiet, the solitude, and the clean, fresh air. …

Snow-shoe season generally starts in December and lasts through late March. With the multitude of trails in and around Banff town, Lake Louise and elsewhere in Banff National Park, there’s no end of possibilities for snowshoeing once the snow falls. Please see the hiking sections for detailed suggestions.

But please be advised: a number of trails in the park are groomed specifically for cross-country skiing. If trails are marked or groomed for cross country skiing, please observe expected courtesy and avoid walking or snowshoeing on those trails.

If you don’t want to go it alone, however, there are a number of tour operators who offer guided snowshoe trips (they also provide snowshoe rental). As with all mountain activities, it is important to be prepared before you set out to snowshoe. If you have questions about gear, trail etiquette, wildlife, and avalanche safety, please consult Parks Canada.

If you are looking for a guide or equipment rental for your snowshoeing adventure in the Canadian Rockies, consult the specialists at Banff Travel.

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Banff Travel

call toll free: 888-659-3394

211 Bear Street
Bison Courtyard
Banff, Alberta

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What’s better than experiencing the natural scenic beauty of Canada’s Rocky Mountains and the national Parks of Alberta? Not much, except maybe an experience that is tailored to what you and your friends’ abilities are, and what you’d like to do and see.

Many tour companies in the Canadian Rockies operating out of Banff, Alberta, Jasper, and here in Canmore offer group tours and packages for all manner of outdoor activities. Most of these t0ur guides also offer private guided tours for your outdoor experience in Alberta’s backcountry.

Most of the activities you see listed here – backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, ice climbing, mountaineering, rock climbing, hiking, trekking, backpacking – can be done with a private guide. In fact many tour companies will tailor a trip for you or your group, so you can have a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience in Banff National Park or elsewhere in Western Canada. The pace of the activity, the degree of difficulty, and the level of service and comfort is customized to the needs and abilities of you and your group – it will be virtually impossible not to have fun!

We can recommend the guides at Yamnuska Mountain Adventures if you’re looking for a private guided tour in the outdoors of Western Canada. While Yamnuska specializes in mountaineering, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering and hut-to-hut traverses, as well as day-hikes and multi-day backpacking trips and trekking in the warmer months. Equipment rental, food — Yamnuska will even assist you with arranging local transportation.

But let them tell you in their own words: “We specialize in organizing and crafting wonderful hiking experiences. From the beginning we will work with you to plan the trip that best incorporates your needs and objectives. Once you are ‘out there’ you will be with our very professional guides whose mandate is your safety, enjoyment and education.” You can also ask the company for references.”

For further information on guided tours in the Canadian Rockies, fill out the blue form on the right side of this page.

click here for

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

200 – 50 Lincoln Park
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

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