5 BEST Moderate Hikes in Kananaskis

Here are five of the best moderate hikes in Kananaskis Country. You can expect everything from high alpine passes with expansive views to vibrant wildflowers, waterfalls, and a mountain summit. Granted, that mountain summit is on the upper end of what we’d call a moderate hike.

These are some of our favourite hiking trails in the famed provincial park. They are moderate hikes that almost anyone can complete. A moderate hike will involve some elevation gain and multiple hours on the trail. If you’re looking for a more extensive hike, we suggest checking out our larger list of hikes in Kananaskis.

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Moderate Hikes In Kananaskis

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Rawson Lake

Rawson Lake is a classic hike in Kananaskis Country so it only feels right for it to start off this list. The lake is a pristine piece of alpine paradise set in a huge cirque below Mount Sarrail. It’s a popular spot for fishing and picnics. Even the wildlife love its shores with lots of marmots, pikas, and a female bear that loves to den on Sarrail Ridge above the lake.

The scenic hike starts off strong along the shores of Upper Kananaskis Lakes. As the trail moves along the shoreline it passes the lovely Sarrail Creek Waterfall. Not long after the waterfall the trail begins it journey through thick forest up to the lake. A series of switchbacks with a consistent grade leads up to the lake for a nice challenge that is not demanding.

Upon reaching the lake its idealistic scene with the lake’s quiet shoreline and sparkling green waters. It’s a great spot to have lunch or relax along the shore. If you’re up for a real challenge the steep climb up Sarrail Ridge above the lake offers an incredible view over the Kananaskis Lakes and valley below.

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West Wind Pass

There aren’t many alpine passes that would qualify as a moderate hike, but West Wind Pass is both manageable and offers extraordinary views for the effort. The journey to reach the trailhead along the Smith Dorrien Trail also makes for a great start to a hike—just be prepared for the rough gravel road.

It’s a short punchy climb up to the incredibly scenic West Wind Pass. At the top of the pass hikers are treated to a stunning ridge and surprisingly airy overlook with sweeping views. To the south the views over the Spray Reservoir are superb while the north provides views into the Bow Valley and Dead Man’s Flats.

As it’s a short hike at just over 4 kms long it has a pretty steady climb up through forest to reach the pass summit. Along the way up the trail provide the occasional glimpse back out to the Spray Lakes Reservoir. Those after a full day can grab two different summits from the pass – Windtower to the east or Rimwall to the West.

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Prairie View Lookout

Prairie View Lookout is a moderate hike that’s so great because of both its accessibility and year round conditions. It’s possible to do the hike in the winter and the trail is one of the first to dry out in the spring. It’s also easy to access from the Barrier Lake day use area.

It may not be a remote mountain adventure. However, the trail up to the rocky viewpoint provides sweeping views over a gorgeous lake and can be attained by most hikers. It’s one of the best effort vs reward hikes in the Canadian Rockies. Barrier Lake is also a wonderful starting point for a hike as is has some wonderful mountain views of Mount Baldy and Mary Barclay’s Mountain.

If you want more of a hike you can attain an easy summit by climbing up the Barrier Lake Fire Lookout which sits at the summit of Yates Mountain. It’s a little steeper than the initial climb up to the Barrier Lake Lookout viewpoint.

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Arethusa Cirque

Arethusa Cirque is a huge alpine cirque that is easily accessible thanks to Canada’s highest paved road through Highwood Pass. It’s a short and loop around an alpine meadow, rugged cliff faces, and a larch forest.

The trail starts just off Highwood Pass before a quick climb up through a dense forest into the cirque. While the trail is a loop we like to recommend completing it in a clockwise direction that way you can tackle the steeper section of trail first.

Once the trail breaks into the cirque the views really open up to a huge bowl and massive cliffs. The cliffs of Mount Arethusa tower overhead and offer up some amazing rock formations. As the trail moves around the cirque it is a little less defined and does require navigating some rocky sections.

Arethusa Cirque is an incredible larch season hike as the bowl is full of larch trees. However, it may be one of the most popular larch hikes in the fall and can be extremely crowded on weekends.

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Mount Lipsett

Not far from the Arethusa Cirque lies one of the easiest peaks in Kananaskis Country. Mount Lipsett is an attainable peak that provides sweeping views, spectacular wildflowers, and a short approach that makes for a tremendous hike.

It’s been one of our favourite hikes in Kananaskis Country and is a well-known summit objective for Albertans.The route up to the peak’s summit has a gradual established trail that climbs through forest into a broad alpine ridge before a panoramic summit.

It helps that the trailhead is just below Highwood Pass, Canada’s highest paved road, so a lot of the legwork to the summit is done by car. Mount Lipsett is truly a gem of a hike in Kananaskis Country, which offers wildflowers in July and larches in September.

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