Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Alberta Parks

Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park your vehicle in Kananaskis and the Bow Valley


Trails

    • Hiking opportunities range from barrier-free trails to high alpine backcounty adventures. Some trails provide access to Banff National Park and Elk Lakes Provincial Park in B.C. 
    • Bicyclists can enjoy more than 12 kms of paved trails. Mountain bikers will find a number of challenging trails open for their use.
    • Elbow Lake Trail provides access to trails in Elbow and Sheep valleys. It is the only trail in the park that is open to equestrian users.
    • In winter, there are more than 85 kms of groomed cross-country ski trails in the Kananaskis Lakes area, as well as 30 kms in the Smith-Dorrien Trails System.
Trail Length Season Permitted Activities (Legend) Status
1982 Canadian Mount Everest Expedition Interpretive

May 11th: Patches of Snow & Ice.

2.1 km Summer Only Hiking Open
Bill Benson

May 12th: Sign changeover complete. Snow free and blown clean of needles and debris.

0.7 km one-way Summer Only Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Open
Black Prince Cirque Interpretive

Apr 28th: Snow covered.

Note: The Blackshale Creek Suspension Bridge is NOT accessed from this trail.

4.2 km Summer Only Hiking Open
Intermediate Boulton Creek 2.2 km one-way Winter Only Hiking Cross Country Skiing Open
Braille 2.2 km Winter Only Cross Country Skiing Open
Burstall Pass

May 14th: Mainly or fully snow covered, deep in places.

Note: Bikes permitted on first 3.5 km of trail ONLY.

7.4 km one-way Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Burstall Pass (Backcountry) km Winter Only Cross Country Skiing Open
Chester Lake

Closed: Closed May 1 - Jun 29 to allow area to dry and prevent damage to trail.

4.6 km one-way Summer Only Fat Biking Hiking OHVing Closed
Elbow Lake

Warning: No vehicle access via HWY 40, Dec 1 - Jun 14.

Tombstone Backcountry and Equestrian Backcountry Campground: Closed Dec 1 - May 14.

Elbow Lake Backcountry Campground: Closed Dec 1 - Jun 14.

1.4 km one-way Summer Only Hiking Horseback Riding - Equestrian OHVing Warning
Elk Pass

May 18th: Mainly snow covered, with some bare patches over first 2 kms; over a metre of snow at higher elevations. Sign changeover complete.

5.6 km Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Highwood Meadows

Apr 28th: Snowbound.

Warning: No vehicle access to trailhead, Dec 1 - Jun 14.

0.6 km one-way Summer Only Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Warning
Kananaskis Canyon Interpretive

Closed: Stream crossings washed away by penstock/dam construction. Trail is impassable and is closed indefinitely.

0.8 km Summer Only Hiking Closed
Lookout

May 1st: Deep snow. Clear of downed trees, sign changeover complete.

1.7 km Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Lower Lake Interpretive

May 12th: Mainly snow and ice covered. Sign changeover complete. Downed trees removed. Snow and ice patches.

0.5 km one-way Summer Only Hiking Open
Maude-Lawson

Apr 28th: Deep snow.

Note: This trail has been redirected just west of Forks for access to Turbine Canyon.

Turbine Canyon Backcountry Campground: Closed Dec 1 - Jun 24.

7.5 km Summer Only Hiking Open
Intermediate Meadow 4.0 km Winter Only Cross Country Skiing Open
Peter Lougheed Paved

Apr 28th: A mix of bare pavement, ice and snow, with needles and other tree debris throughout. Sign changeover complete. Pavement has been plowed from Elkwood parking to the amphitheatre for construction, as well as campground roads.

12.1 km one-way Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Pocaterra

May 1st: Mainly bare at low elevations; mainly snow covered at high elevations. Sign changeover complete.

Note: This is not the undesignated Pocaterra Ridge or Cirque route.

9.9 km one-way Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Ptarmigan Cirque Interpretive

Apr 28th: Snowbound.

Warning: No vehicle access to trailhead, Dec 1 - Jun 14.

4.5 km Summer Only Hiking Warning
Rawson Lake

May 14th: Deep snow and slippery conditions; cleared of downed trees.

3.9 km one-way Summer Only Hiking Open
Rock Glacier Interpretive

Apr 28th: Snowbound.

Warning: No vehicle access to trailhead, Dec 1 - Jun 14.

0.15 km one-way Summer Only Hiking Warning
Rockwall Interpretive

May 12th: Snow free. Downed trees removed. Blown clean of needles and debris.

0.5 km Summer Only Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Open
Rolly Road Training Grid km Winter Only Cross Country Skiing Open
Intermediate Spruce Road

Apr 28th: Patches of snow and ice. Sign changeover complete.

0.8 km Year-Round Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Cross Country Skiing Open
Difficult Three Isle Lake

Apr 28th: Deep snow.

Note: Bikes only permitted to Invincible Creek, 3.8 km from trailhead

Forks Backcountry Campground: Closed Dec 1 - Jun 14.

Three Isle Lake Backcountry Campground: Closed Dec 1 - Jun 24.

10.2 km Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Upper Lake

May 11th: A mix of bare ground, ice, and snow which can be deep in places. Downed trees removed between N Interlakes and Upper Lake on the NE shore.

Point Campground is mainly snow free

Aster Lake Backcountry Campground: Closed Dec 1 - Jul 2.

 

15.7 km Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
Whiskey Jack

May 1st: Snow patches a low elevations and mainly snow covered at high elevations. Cleared of downed trees. Sign changeover complete.

3.9 km one-way Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open
William Watson Lodge Access

Apr 28th: Sign changeover in complete.

0.6 km one-way Year-Round Wheelchair Accessible Hiking OHVing Cross Country Skiing Open
Peninsula

May 13th: Snow free. Downed trees removed. Day use gate still closed.

0.4 km Summer Only Hiking Open
Tailwater Snowshoe 1.9 km Winter Only Fat Biking OHVing Snowshoeing Open
Frozen Toad Loop Snowshoe 8.1 km Winter Only Fat Biking OHVing Snowshoeing Open
Torpor Loop 6.1 km Winter Only Winter Hiking Fat Biking Hiking OHVing Snowshoeing Open
South Sawmill Loop 2.8 km Winter Only Winter Hiking Fat Biking Hiking OHVing Snowshoeing Open
William Watson Lodge Connector 0.7 km Winter Only Winter Hiking Fat Biking Hiking OHVing Snowshoeing Open
Boulton Creek Interpretive

Apr 28th: A mix of snow, ice and bare ground. Sign changeover complete.

4.9 km Summer Only Hiking Open
Marl Lake Interpretive

Apr 28th: Majority is snow free but with many patches of snow and ice. Downed trees removed. Sign changeover complete.

1.5 km for loop Summer Only Wheelchair Accessible Hiking Open
Lower Lake

Apr 28th: Mainly bare with some ice and snow patches. Downed trees removed. Sign changeover complete.

3.5 km one-way Summer Only Hiking Open
High Rockies (Winter)

Note: Between Nov. 1 and May 1 the trail is closed through the Buller Slide Path due to Highway Avalanche Control.

63.0 km Goat Creek to Peninsula Day Use Winter Only Winter Hiking Fat Biking Hiking OHVing Snowshoeing Open
High Rockies (Summer)

May 13th: Ranges from mainly snow free (with some snow and ice patches) at the north end to deep snow in some areas. Some sections have been cleared of downed trees (Lower Lake to Black Prince, which is a mix of bare, snow and ice) and this will continue as trail melts out.

Note: Hiker-cyclist camping allowed at select day use areas only from Jun 1 - Sep 20. See details.

63.0 km Goat Creek to Peninsula Day Use; 80.0 km Goat Creek to Elk Pass Summer Only Hiking OHVing Open