Trails in Alberta

9 mapped routes in Alberta: 4 hiking trails, 3 scenic drives and 2 off-road 4x4 routes. Together they cover 504 km with 4,580 m of climbing, and the highest point reaches 3,060 m. Every route has a GPX download, elevation profile, gradient and surface analysis.

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Plate CA-AB · 9 routes · GPS traced

Mapped routes: 9
Total distance: 504km
Total climbing: 4,580m
Highest point: 3,060m
Water crossings: 2

Destination guide

About trails in Alberta

Alberta's routes climb from prairie cities into the Front Ranges of the Rockies. In Kananaskis Country, the Mist Mountain and Hot Springs Loop leaves Highway 40 near Highwood Pass for a steep scramble above 3,000 m, and the Mount Indefatigable Hike rises from Upper Kananaskis Lake to views over Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

The Cochrane to Upper Kananaskis Lakes Drive is a scenic 240 km road trip along the Bow and Kananaskis valleys. Off pavement, the Oldman River Road Backcountry Drive explores the foothills of the southern Rockies west of Ranchland, and the Nordegg Baldy Tower Backroads follow gravel forestry roads into the David Thompson country. Closer to home, easy walks and drives circle Red Deer, Airdrie and the Edmonton area.

Best time to go: Hike from July to September, when high trails are mostly snow-free; the Highwood Pass section of Highway 40 is closed to vehicles from December 1 to June 15 each year.
Terrain: Mountain hikes are hard, with steep scree and elevation gains over 1,000 m, while drives and town walks are easy on paved and gravel roads.
Permits & access: A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicles parked in Kananaskis Country; this is grizzly bear habitat, so carry bear spray and check for trail closures.

Ways to explore