The Most Rewarding Hikes In Alberta, Canada
The best way to get regular exercise is to find an activity that you enjoy doing. This makes it much easier to stay consistent! For me, the best way to get a good workout lately, and enjoy some forest bathing at the same time, has been to go hiking!
I am lucky to live close to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and the famous Banff National Park. This means plenty of opportunities to go on family hikes. Our family even started a YouTube channel to document my dad’s adventures on the Pacific Crest Trail, and since then, we’ve done many other videos about our favourite hikes. (Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlantPapaJohn)
The BEST HIKES in ALBERTA, CANADA
I’ve been on many hikes over the past few years, and these here are the BEST ones, all for different reasons. Each of these has something about it that makes it a unique experience and more special than the average trail. If you’re looking for your next hike, I recommend trying one of these!
Grassi Lakes near Canmore
This is a fairly easy hike that features a couple small lakes of bright turquoise, clear water. The water looks like something out of the Caribbean, but no, it’s in the middle of a mountain range. I think these bodies of water are stunning and I could stare at that water all day!
We have also seen mountain goats or bighorn sheep every time we’ve done this hike… making it a great choice if you are hoping to see some wildlife. Other interesting features include a beautiful waterfall that makes for a great picture-taking spot, and a staircase made out of rocks.
Can you spot the mountain goat on top of the mountain in my photo below? That turquoise colour of the lake below is the actual colour!
This is a very popular hike due to its close proximity to Canmore, the picturesque lakes, and the shorter length of the hike. Because of this, we highly recommend going on a weekday if you can. It’s also a good idea to get there as early in the day as possible, and try going in the “off-season” if you can- late spring and in the fall.
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Larch Valley at Moraine Lake
I did this hike for the second time this past fall, and the yellow larch trees were absolutely stunning. It was like walking through a golden forest. It is a unique experience that I would absolutely do again. The key with this hike is to time it correctly if you want to see the yellow larch trees at their prime. My photos below were taken on September 24th, 2024.
We recommend reading reviews online to find out if the larch trees have started changing colour, then be sure to book a spot on the Lake Louise shuttle bus in order to get to the trailhead. The shuttle bus runs between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, so you will park at the Lake Louise ski hill, and the shuttle will take you from there to Moraine Lake.
What also makes this hike awesome is that it starts at the famous Moraine Lake- another gorgeous, alpine lake in a bright aqua colour with a backdrop of the Ten Peaks mountains. Though many would argue that it’s just as beautiful as Lake Louise, or perhaps even more so, it is not quite as busy and tends to have a more serene atmosphere around the lake.
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Mount Yamnuska
This is a more challenging hike with a somewhat-scary-but-exciting obstacle- you have to hang on to chains to climb around the corner of a mountain, with nothing but a couple inches of rock for your feet to rest on underneath you. Holding onto the chains is the only way to execute this section of the trail.
In addition to that, it has several other challenges like rock scrambles, shale, and sometimes windy conditions at the top of the mountain. This one can be quite dangerous if you’re not careful… but that is part of what made it exciting overall. In fact, more rescues happen here than any other mountain in the area.
I found this hike had gorgeous views throughout the whole hike, which is not always the case with many hikes. We also did this in the fall, which made the scenery even better.
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Johnston Canyon
This hike takes you alongside a river through a winding canyon in the forest. It is beautiful, quite unique, and feels a little magical! The narrow path is attached to the side of the mountain, and you often have no ground underneath you, just the catwalk and bridges attached to the mountain with water rushing underneath your feet.
There are several waterfalls along the hike, with multiple options for how long you want the hike to be. The first viewpoint you’ll reach is the Lower Falls. Here you will find a very cool tunnel, which leads you to face one of the waterfalls up close. You can feel the mist on your face!
After that, you can continue on to the Upper Falls, and then for a longer hike, keep on going up to the Ink Pots, which are a few KMs further up from the Upper Falls. The ink pots are several beautiful blue & green pools of bubbling water, with circular formations inside them, giving them the look of ink pots. They are located in a beautiful alpine meadow, and it makes a great spot to stop for lunch or snacks!
This hike is one of the most popular in Banff and can be VERY busy. We recommend getting there as early as possible (8 am or earlier), and avoid the busy months of June- August if possible. Another option is to go late in the day during the summer, after 6 pm. Finding parking can also be tricky, so that’s another reason to avoid peak times. You may want to consider parking in Banff, and then booking a spot on a bus to get to the trailhead.
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The Tea Houses at Lake Louise: Lake Agnes Trail & Plain of Six Glaciers Trail
At the famous turquoise waters of Alberta’s Lake Louise, there is one unique feature on two of the hiking trails around the lake- rustic, historic Tea Houses that were built up in the mountains in the early 1900s and are still in operation. Nothing’s better than doing a long hike with a treat waiting for you at the end! Enjoy tea, biscuits, and other homemade goodies in the serene mountains.
The tea houses are truly rustic and operate without electricity. A helicopter does an annual drop-off of goods that are needed, and staff members also regularly make treks up and down the mountain! They bring up supplies, and also carry down garbage. Sometimes horses are also used to bring supplies up! The tea houses are only open from June – October so be sure to plan accordingly.
The Plain of Six Glaciers hike takes about 3-5 hours roundtrip, and the Lake Agnes trail takes about 2-4 hours. Last year, we decided to do something a little different and did both hikes in one day, which took us around 7 hours. It was exhausting, but very satisfying to say we did it!
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Heart Creek Trail & Bunker
This spot features two easy hikes, both worth doing! One takes you along Heart Creek and is very picturesque- it runs along a canyon creek, featuring several river crossings over rustic wooden bridges, and at the end is a rock canyon and hidden waterfall.
The other hike takes you to an old abandoned bunker drilled into the side of the mountain. This bunker was VERY COOL. It is much larger and deeper than you would think, and a good-quality flashlight is a MUST for the best experience (your phone flashlight will not be enough). We went on a hot day, and walking through the cool bunker was a nice retreat from the heat as well.
The bunker was originally built during the Cold War-era to house important Canadian documents, but the project was abandoned. This one is truly a hidden gem that makes for a fun and unique experience!
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Crypt Lake at Waterton
The Crypt Lake trail starts at the shores of Waterton Lake, where the only way to access the actual trailhead is by boat, which is quite unique! Enjoy a slow, peaceful ferry ride to start your morning (you must book your boat tickets ahead of time). Once on the other side of Waterton Lake, the Crypt Lake trail then takes you up the mountain range, eventually ending at the serene Crypt Lake.
The second unique feature of this hike is that there is a metal ladder leading up to a tunnel that is carved into the side of the mountain. After climbing through the low tunnel, there is a section running along the side of the mountain where there are chains to hold onto.
This is a long hike, with a steady uphill climb. The length of the hike is what made it most difficult. We also did it on a very hot day, which really wore us out. Bear sightings here are frequent, so bear spray is a MUST!
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Important Tips for Banff National Park & Canmore
The Banff and Canmore areas can get extremely busy in the summer months. To get the best experience out of any hike in those areas, we recommend the following:
- For some of these hikes, it’s best to go in the “off-season” if you can, avoiding the busy months of June – August. Even September can be quite busy.
- If you can’t avoid going in the summer, get to the hike as early in the day as you can (8 am or earlier), or after 6 pm.
- Parking can be tricky, and for some hikes it’ll be necessary to book a seat on a shuttle bus to get to the trailhead (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake). Thankfully the shuttle buses are efficient and affordable.
- Several of these areas require you to purchase a Conservation Park Pass to park your vehicle in the area, so be sure to check online beforehand and plan ahead.
I hope this has you feeling inspired to get outside and explore! Which of these hikes looks the most interesting to you?
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