Kananaskis Country

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Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is the main mountain park in Kananaskis Country, Alberta

Upper Kananaskis Lake lies in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta

The Rock Glacier Trail is a good place to spot pikas, Kananaskis Country, Alberta

Highwood Pass is the highest paved pass in Canada, Kananaskis Country, Alberta

About Kananaskis Country

Kananaskis Country is a large network of provincial parks and recreation areas in the Rocky Mountain foothills and front ranges west of Calgary. Created to give Albertans mountain access close to home, it covers alpine passes, glacier-fed lakes and rolling ranch country, and it hosted alpine events at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Visitors parking in the area need a provincial conservation pass.

The Peter Lougheed Visitor Information Centre is a sensible first stop for trail conditions and wildlife updates. Nearby, the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes offer shoreline walks, canoeing and photogenic reflections, and the short Rock Glacier Trail explores a slope of slowly moving rubble. Highway 40 climbs over Highwood Pass, where wildflower meadows open up in summer, while the gravel Smith-Dorrien Trail leads north toward Canmore past more lakes and trailheads. Farther east, Elbow Falls is an easy family outing, and the Bighorn Lookout at Sheep River is a good place to spot wild sheep.

The region suits hikers, cyclists and anyone who wants the Rockies with fewer crowds than Banff. Winter shifts the focus to skiing at Nakiska and cross-country tracks at the Canmore Nordic Centre, while summer adds trail riding and rafting. Bow Valley Provincial Park makes a convenient base near the Trans-Canada Highway.

Best seasonJuly through September for high trails and Highwood Pass; winter brings skiing and snowshoeing.

Ideal stayTwo to four days, depending on how many hikes and valleys you want to cover.

ArrivingMost visitors drive west from Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway, then turn south onto Highway 40.

WiserMap travel guideKananaskis Country Alberta Highwood Pass and WildlifePlan Kananaskis Country in the Alberta Rockies: Highwood Pass, Kananaskis Lakes, Elbow Falls, wildlife, trails, where to stay, local food and getting there.Read the guide

Exploring Kananaskis Country: 12 Must-See Spots

Parks 2

Peter Lougheed Visitor Information Centre

The main information centre in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park has displays on local wildlife, geology and park history, plus staff...

Bow Valley Provincial Park

At the northern edge of Kananaskis Country beside the Bow River, this park has easy trails through aspen forest and wetlands, camp...

Lakes 3

Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes

These two large mountain lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park are surrounded by high peaks and are popular for canoeing, fishin...

Barrier Lake

Barrier Lake is a reservoir on Highway 40 with striking turquoise water backed by Mount Baldy and the front ranges. A day use area...

Spray Lakes Reservoir

A long reservoir in Spray Valley Provincial Park along the Smith-Dorrien road, surrounded by high mountains and popular for fishin...

Hikes 1

Rock Glacier Trail

A short paved interpretive trail on Highway 40 near Highwood Pass leads to the edge of a rock glacier, a slow-moving mass of rock...

Scenic Drives 2

Highwood Pass

At about 2,206 metres, Highwood Pass on Highway 40 is the highest paved pass in Canada. The road is closed in winter and spring to...

Smith-Dorrien Trail

The Smith-Dorrien Spray Trail is a gravel road running about 60 km from Canmore through the Spray Valley to Kananaskis Lakes, past...

Waterfalls 2

Elbow Falls

On the Elbow River in the eastern part of Kananaskis, Elbow Falls is a wide, powerful waterfall reached by a short paved path from...

Troll Falls

An easy family walk of about 3.4 km return from the Stoney Trailhead near Kananaskis Village leads through forest to Troll Falls,...

Winter Sports 1

Nakiska Ski Area

Built for the alpine events of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, Nakiska on Mount Allan is about an hour from Calgary and offers g...

Relaxation 1

Kananaskis Nordic Spa

In Kananaskis Village, this large spa offers a Nordic circuit of hot pools, cold plunges, saunas, steam rooms and relaxation areas...

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