Today I’m sharing some of my all time favorite hikes in Kananaskis, Alberta.
It’s going to be awhile before I’m back out hiking (I’m not a fan of winter hiking), but I wanted to share some of my favorite Kananaskis Hikes. I’m so lucky to have Kananaskis so close to home. It’s about an hours drive west of Calgary and feels about a million miles away from the city. Interested in some of the other hikes I’ve done in Alberta and British Columbia? Check out my hiking page. Alltrails.com is also a great resource for all things hiking.
Rawson Lake
Out of all the hikes I’m sharing in this post, Rawson Lake is probably the longest and steepest hike, which makes it most likely the toughest one. It’s all worth it though once you make it to Rawson lake at the end of the hike. It’s an absolutely beautiful view to take in. I took my lunch with me and ate it looking over the lake. Of course I had lots of curious chipmunks and ground squirrels coming over to see if I was sharing my food.
Troll Falls
If you’re looking for an easy hike with a minimal amount of elevation, Troll Falls is your hike. I’ve only ever done this hike in the summer, but apparently it’s just as pretty in the winter when the waterfall is frozen. Towards the end of the hike you can hear the waterfall before you actually see it. I was surprised at how loud the water was at the base of the waterfall. For more details on this hike, check out my Troll Falls post.
Grassi Lakes
The Grassi Lakes hike is probably my favorite hike on this list. The lakes at the end of this trail are gorgeous! It’s well worth the more moderate hike up to them. I’ve only ever taken the old fire road up, though there is another trail to get there. While the first road isn’t very scenic, it’s not a complicated trail. I believe the other route requires a but more technical skill.
Grotto Canyon
I’ve done this hike a few times – most recently with a few friends a couple summers ago. This was a busier hike than some of the others that I’ve shared in this post. I think it’s because of the fact that it’s considered an easy hike. Despite the fact that it’s easy, you’re still rewarded with some really pretty views. It’s an out and back hike so you know exactly what to expect on the way back out.
Heart Creek Trail
This was probably one of the first hiking trips I did when I first moved to Calgary back in the mid 90’s. I was in Girl Guides and we did a two night camp. It was easy enough for a group of teens to be able to backpack all of their stuff to the campsite. It rained the last day and all I remember is how miserable it was trying to pack everything up at the end of the weekend. The trailhead is easily accessible from the highway which is nice.
If you’re local, what are a few of your favorite Kananaskis hikes? Share them in the comments below.