Trail Running in Canmore, Banff and the Canadian Rockies -2

Canmore — South Side

The south side of Canmore is where most people start. Trails range from flat river paths to long trail runs and most are accessible directly from town.

• Bow River Trails — 8 km and under
  Flat, well-surfaced paths along the river. Great for easy days, recovery runs, or getting comfortable with trail surfaces before stepping it up.
• Canmore to Three Sisters — 9 km
  A pleasant river loop with a bit more variety than the pure Bow River path. Good intro route.
• Backyard Loop Trails — 11 km
  A classic Canmore loop mixing singletrack through forest with some open sections. One of the best "right out the door" options in town.
• Canmore Nordic Centre — "Get In to Green Orchid" Loop — 5 km
  Well-maintained trails through the Nordic Centre grounds. Good for a quick outing or if you want to dial in your effort on a shorter loop.
• Canmore Nordic Centre — "EKG" Loop — 8 km
  More rolling than the shorter loop, with some punchy climbs. A favourite for locals logging easy-to-moderate volume.
• Highline Trail — 6 km
  Ridge running above town with big views. There's some exposure and a bit of scrambling — not technical, but not for total beginners either.
• Highline Trail and Loki Trail — 15 km
  The extended version. Adds Loki Trail for a longer ridge day with sustained views. A step up in commitment from the 6 km loop.
• Guy Lafleur Trail — Three Sisters to Dead Man's Flat — 10 km
  A point-to-point that requires a shuttle or out-and-back. Varied terrain, good for building volume.
• Rundle Riverside — Canmore to Banff — 20 km
  One of the most scenic moderate-distance routes in the valley — follows the Bow with Mt. Rundle as a constant backdrop. Shuttle recommended.
• 'Round Rundle — Mt. Rundle Circumnavigation — 41 km
  A proper big day. The full circumnavigation of Rundle is a Canmore classic — sustained, committing, and deeply satisfying. Not for beginners.

Canmore — North Side

The north side is slightly quieter than the south, with trails that climb quickly into open terrain above town.

• Horseshoe Loop — 7 km
  A good entry point to the north side trail network. Moderate climbing, great views of the valley.
• Horseshoe + G8 + G9 Loop — 12 km
  Extends the Horseshoe with more technical singletrack. Adds a good chunk of vert and variety.
• "Goats of Grotto" Loop — 8.5 km
  A local favourite with a fun mix of terrain. The name tells you something about what you'll encounter.
• Montane Traverse — 8 km
  Undulating ridge trail above town with great views of the Bow Valley. One of the most satisfying moderate runs in Canmore.
• Montane Traverse to Harvie Heights — 17 km
  Extends the Montane Traverse significantly. Good for a longer day without committing to the big alpine objectives.
• Grotto Mountain — Carter Buttress Viewpoint — 5 km
  Short but punchy. Gets you up high fast with a great payoff at the viewpoint.
• Grotto Mountain Traverse — 18 km
  One of Canmore's best big-day objectives. A full traverse with serious elevation, exposed ridge, and some scrambling. Not a beginner route.

Dead Man's Flat, Exshaw and Lac Des Arcs

Just east of Canmore, this area is often overlooked but has some excellent trail running — including some of the best ridgeline running in the entire corridor.

• Wind Ridge — 13 km
  A straightforward climb to an open ridge with good views. Often drier earlier in the season than higher routes.
• Heart Mountain and Grant MacEwan Peak Loop — 11 km
  A very popular summit loop with some scrambling. Rewarding views and a satisfying circuit.
• Mount Yamnuska — 11 km
  An iconic Rockies summit with an exposed traverse. The views from the top are among the best accessible by trail in the area. Some scrambling required.
• Door Jamb Mountain and Loder Peak — 5 to 8 km
  Shorter but steep. Good for a big effort on a tight schedule.
• Mount Allan via North Centennial Trail — 20 km
  A long ridge approach to one of the area's high points. Beautiful and sustained.
• Mount Collembola to Mount Allan Loop — 25 km
  A bigger circuit linking two summits. A serious day with real commitment.
• Quaite Valley — Prairieview — Jewell Pass Loop — 21 to 27 km
  A long, varied loop through meadows and passes. One of the better longer routes in this zone.
• Trans-Canada Trail — Dead Man's Flat to Heart Creek — 14 km
  A point-to-point along the historic TCT corridor. Requires a shuttle or return on the same route.
• Anklebiter Ridge
  (No trail page yet — ask in the shop for beta.)

Kananaskis Country — Highway 40

Highway 40 opens up a huge range of routes, from moderate day trips to committing multi-peak traverses.

• Jewell Pass and Prairie View from Barrier Lake — 16 km
  A great all-rounder with good trail conditions throughout the season. Meadows, ridgeline, and a lake.
• Wasootch Ridge and Porcupine Ridge — 13 to 23 km
  Exposed ridge running at its finest. Route length depends on how far you push the traverse.
• Midnight to Tiara Peak to Porcupine Ridge Traverse — 22 km
  A serious traverse with sustained ridge running and some route-finding. One of the better big days in K-Country.
• Mount Allan from Kananaskis Village — 15 km
  The village approach to Mt. Allan is more gradual than the north side routes. A good choice for a strong intermediate runner.
• Ribbon Creek to Galatea Traverse — 21 km
  A point-to-point classic through some of K-Country's best terrain. Requires a shuttle.
• Northover Ridge — 35 to 40 km
  A remote, committing big day (or overnight) in the Upper Kananaskis area. One of the best routes in the entire zone — but you need to be ready for it.
• Nakiska to Dead Man's Flat via Mt. Allan — 19 km
  A fun point-to-point with the resort as a starting point. Shuttle required.
• Upper Kananaskis Lake Loop — 15 km
  Scenic lakeside running with a big mountain backdrop. More moderate than most Highway 40 routes.
• The Big Traverse — Old Baldy to McDougall to Volcano Peak
  (Ask us for beta on this one — conditions and route vary.)
• Turbine Canyon
  (Ask in the shop for directions.)

Kananaskis — Smith Dorrien Trail

The Smith Dorrien area sits higher than most of the corridor, which means more alpine terrain, more wildflowers, and more snow lingering into early summer.

• Mount Lawrence Grassi Vertical Kilometre (VK)
  A straight-up sufferfest. If you want to know how fast you can gain 1,000 m of vert, this is your benchmark.
• Tent Ridge — 11 km
  A Smith Dorrien classic with a scrambling crux near the top. The views from the ridge are outstanding.
• North and South Buller Pass Loop — 16 km
  A more mellow option by Smith Dorrien standards. Good trail, great meadows, less exposure than Tent Ridge.
• Smutwood Peak — 18 km
  A longer, more remote objective. Sustained climbing and a real sense of being out there.
• High Rockies Trail — any distance
  A multi-day route that can be broken into single-day segments. One of the great long routes in the Canadian Rockies.

Banff to Castle Junction

Banff National Park access adds a different quality to the running — maintained trails, reliable signage, and some of the most spectacular mountain scenery on the continent.

• Lake Minnewanka and Aylmer Lookout — any distance
  One of the most flexible routes in the guide — turn around whenever you feel like it. The lakeside trail is beautiful and accessible from Banff townsite.
• Cory Pass to Edith Pass Loop — 13 km
  Don't underestimate this one. Steep, exposed, and with some genuine scrambling. One of the most demanding routes per kilometre in the Banff area.
• Healy Pass and Egypt Lake — 18 to 30 km
  A meadow-and-pass classic. The shorter version is very achievable; the full loop to Egypt Lake is a proper big day.
• Bourgeau Lakes and Harvey Pass — 13 to 20 km
  A beautiful subalpine climb with an optional extension to Harvey Pass. Good trail throughout.
• Rockbound Lake and Castle Mountain — 18 to 28 km
  Remote feel despite being close to the highway. The full loop to Castle Mountain is a serious objective.
• Armor Peak to Castle Mountain Traverse — 32 km
  A committing traverse for experienced mountain runners. Point-to-point, requires a shuttle.
• Vista Lake to Sunshine Village — 40 km
  A big one. Links the Highway 93 South corridor all the way to Sunshine Village — a point-to-point adventure.

Lake Louise to Field

The Lake Louise and Yoho zones have some of the most iconic terrain in the Rockies. Trails here are well-maintained but can be busy in peak summer — go early.

• Lake Louise Teahouse Circuit
  The classic teahouse trails (Plain of Six Glaciers and Lake Agnes) connected into a circuit. Crowded on summer weekends but genuinely spectacular.
• Paradise Valley to Moraine Highline — Mt. Temple Circumnavigation — 26 km
  A stunning route linking two of the most beautiful valleys in the Rockies. Some off-trail and route-finding required.
• Skoki Loop — 36 km
  A Rockies classic. Rolling alpine terrain through a network of passes and valleys behind Lake Louise. One of the great long runs.
• Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit — 25 to 45 km
  The jewel of Yoho. Note that access to Lake O'Hara requires a bus reservation if you don't want to run in — plan well in advance.
• Iceline Trail — 15 to 21 km
  One of the best moderate long runs in the guide. The upper trail runs along a glacier edge with wild views.
• Emerald Lake Triangle — 21 km
  A satisfying Yoho loop linking Emerald Lake with surrounding ridges and valleys.

Icefields Parkway — Highway 93 North

Higher, more remote, and often snow-covered well into summer. These routes reward the effort with big, committing alpine terrain.

• Bow Hut and The Onion — 18 km round trip
  A backcountry feel even on a day trip. The Onion adds a ridgeline scramble above the hut.
• Molarstone Peak Loop — 33 km
  A big, remote loop. Not a lot of people out here — which is exactly the point.
• Helen Shoulder to Cirque Peak — 16 km
  High, open terrain above Bow Lake. The shoulder itself is a good objective; continuing to Cirque Peak is a full day.
• Wilcox Pass — variable distance
  Classic Icefields Parkway trail with sweeping views of the Columbia Icefield. Can be done as a short out-and-back or extended further.

Highway 93 South (Kootenay)

Kootenay National Park is drier and often sunnier than the Banff side. These routes tend to stay snow-free earlier in the season.

• Stanley Glacier — 15 km out-and-back
  A stunning canyon approach to a hanging glacier. One of the most scenic moderate runs in Kootenay.
• Floe Lake — 20 km out-and-back
  A Rockies classic. The lake at the base of the Rockwall is one of the most photographed spots in the range.
• Vista Lake to Ball Pass Traverse — 29 km
  A long point-to-point linking the Highway 93 South corridor to the Ball Pass area. Shuttle required.
• The Rockwall — South Loop Variation — 40 km
  The southern portion of the Rockwall — a good way to experience the trail without doing the full route.
• The Rockwall — North Loop Variation — 36 km
  The northern portion, with different character than the south. Both variations work as long day runs or comfortable overnights.
• The Rockwall — 56 km
  The full route. A true Rockies classic: three passes, constant cliff scenery, and some of the best sustained trail running in Canada.

Classic Big Days in the Rockies

If you're ready for a real objective, these are the routes we'd send you on. Each one is a proper adventure.

• Iceline Trail — 15 to 21 km — A brilliant introduction to high-alpine trail running.
• Ribbon Creek to Galatea Traverse — 21 km — Best K-Country point-to-point.
• Northover Ridge — 35 to 40 km — Remote and committing. Worth every kilometre.
• Skoki Loop — 36 km — The definitive Lake Louise big day.
• Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit — 25 to 45 km — The most beautiful terrain in the guide.
• Sunshine Village to Assiniboine to Mt. Shark — 60 km — For when you're ready to really commit.
• Skyline Trail — 45 km — Jasper's crown jewel. Almost entirely above treeline.
• The Rockwall — 56 km — The best sustained trail in the Canadian Rockies.

GPX files are available on each individual trail page — download and load directly onto your GPS watch or phone.

Before You Go

Pace expectations. Budget two to three times longer than you would for the same distance on roads. Rough terrain, elevation, and altitude all slow you down significantly.

Bear safety. Bears are active throughout the corridor. Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Make noise, don't run with headphones at full volume, and consider running in groups on quieter trails. Bear Smart Alberta has good resources.

Water and hydration. Bring water for anything over 60 to 75 minutes. Running vests let you carry a bladder or soft flasks along with your phone, food, and a layer. A pocket filter like a Katadyn BeFree is worth carrying on longer routes so you can refill from streams. Drink more than you think you need on hot days.

Navigation and communication. Most areas around Canmore have cell coverage, but it gets patchy in the backcountry. Tell someone your plan and an estimated return time. For remote routes — anything in the Northover, O'Hara, or Rockwall zones — a satellite messenger like a Garmin inReach is strongly recommended.

Layers and weather. Mountain weather moves fast. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, and temperatures drop quickly on exposed ridges. Always carry a wind layer, and don't get caught above treeline in a lightning storm.

Respecting the terrain. These trails pass through sensitive ecological areas. Stay on designated routes, respect trail closures (especially wildlife corridor closures in spring), and practice Leave No Trace principles.

See you on the trails.