Use at your own risk! All files are in Garmin® MapSource® format. All tracks are manually edited "Saved Tracks", not "Active Logs". All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Always carry a map and compass and know how to use them. Don't make headlines that you won't be around to read.
Kananaskis Country
- We highly recommend using these excellent maps: Calgary Area Trails and Ibycus Topo. Both are made in Calgary and free for personal use.
Bow Valley
- Wind Ridge. 14km round-trip, 800m elevation gain. Official and un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - Jura Creek. A great little canyon and interesting rock formations. 7.5km round-trip, 100m elevation gain. Un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - CMC Valley. A pretty nice valley, north of Mount Yamnuska. Moderate: approximately 14km and 600m total elevation gain. Official and un-official trails.
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Kananaskis Valley
- Mount Allan via Centennial Ridge. The highest maintained trail in Canada. 17km round-trip, 1,450m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Mount Baldy. Alan Kane's scramble. This is however the easier route around the crux. 4.5km round-trip, 800m elevation gain.
Download GPS Track - Fortress Ridge. The ridge is quite nice, but hiking through the resort is not. 10 - 15km round-trip and up to 900m total elevation gain (depending on the route). Mostly off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Baldy Pass. A half-day hike through the forest. OK, but not very spectacular. 9km round-trip, 500m elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Old Baldy Ridge in October. First muddy equestrian trails, then rough trail with lots of fallen trees and finally steep ascent to the ridge where we hit snow. Not recommended. Un-official trails and routefinding.
Download GPS Track - Barrier Lookout via Jewell Pass. Quite busy during the hiking season, but definitely recommended in spring. Great panoramic views from McConnell Ridge and Barrier Lookout. Moderate: 16km loop, 600m elevation gain. Official trails.
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Elbow Valley
- Forgetmenot Mountain. Very nice hike with excellent views. Depending on the route, approximately 22km round-trip and 1,100m total elevation gain. Un-official trail and off-trail. Elbow River crossing.
Download GPS Track - Powderface Ridge. 10km loop, 750m total elevation gain. Official trail & off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Fullerton Loop. Popular short walk near Calgary. 6.5km loop, 200m elevation gain. Official trails.
Download GPS Track - Forgetmenot Ridge. Excellent views. 12km round-trip, 630m elevation gain – to the north end of the ridge. Add a few extra kilometres, if you're planning to spend some time on the ridge and walk towards the south end. Un-official trails, river crossing.
Download GPS Track - Moose Mountain. A very popular hike to the lookout. Only a short drive from Calgary, but remember that the access road is closed until May 15. Nice 360° views from the top, but be prepared to share the trail with other hikers, cyclists and dogs. The lookout person works and lives there for 5 ½ months every year. When we spoke to him, he said that during the 2004 season there were only 8 days with no tourists on the summit. Moderate: 14km round-trip, 650m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Prairie Mountain. Nice panoramic views from the summit, but the 2 hour climb is boring. Very busy trail with lots of hikers, dogs, and organized groups. Moderate: 8km round-trip, 700m elevation gain. Un-official trail.
Download GPS Track - Prairie Creek – Prairie Link – Powderface Creek Loop. An OK hike, but nothing spectacular. Easy: 13km loop, 300m elevation gain. Official trails.
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Highwood & Forestry Trunk Road 940
- Hells Ridge North End. 11km loop, approx. 650m total elevation gain. Off-trail and old road.
Download GPS Track - Picklejar Lakes. 11km round-trip, approx. 550m total elevation gain. Un-official trail.
Download GPS Track - Pasque Mountain. 14km round-trip, 700m elevation gain. Un-official trails, off-trail and some scrambling.
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Warning: should you decide to complete the horsheshoe route, do not literally follow Daffern's advice and do not descent west from GR738608 NAD27, or you may end up at the edge of a canyon! - Cameron Lookout aka Mount Burke. 13km round-trip, 900m elevation gain. Un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - Windy Peak. 9km linear, approx. 600m total elevation gain, two vehicles required. Un-official and ATV trails.
Download GPS Track - Bull Creek Hills. 10km linear, approx. 1,000m total elevation gain, two vehicles required. Off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Junction Hill. Fantastic 360° views from the summit. 8km loop, 800m elevation gain. Off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Galena Miracle Mine. 17km round-trip, 750m total elevation gain. ATV trails.
Download GPS Track - Pocaterra Ridge [South → North]. Nice ridgewalk with great views. 10.5km linear, 750m total elevation gain, 1,000m total elevation loss. Un-official trails and creek crossing.
Download GPS Track - Elbow Lake & Rae Glacier. Very nice little hike with suprisingly good views. To avoid crowds, go on a weekday! 9km round-trip, 400m elevation gain. Official and un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - Mist Ridge is a really great ridgewalk with excellent views. When hiking on the equestrian trail, watch where you step… 24km loop, 1100m total elevation gain. Un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - The name is self-explanatory: Plateau Mountain is a very unique place with great views. Easy: approx. 14km round-trip, 300m elevation gain. Un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - Raspberry Ridge. A fairly steep hike. Excellent 360° views from the lookout. Moderate: 10km round-trip, 650m elevation gain. Un-official trails.
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Peter Lougheed
- King Creek Ridge. Very steep trail and great views from the top. 7km round-trip, 750m elevation gain. Un-official trails and a little bit of routefinding.
Download GPS Track - Grizzly Peak. Many very steep sections, but once you get to the plateau between Grizzly Peak and Mount Evan-Thomas, you get rewarded with spectacular views. 5.5km round-trip, 900m elevation gain. Un-official trail and some routefinding.
Download GPS Track - Indefatigable Outlier. Great cardio exercise. 9km round-trip, elevation gain 800m. Official and un-official trails, avalanche hazard.
Download GPS Track - Rawson Lake. 8km round-trip, elevation gain 300m. Official trail. An OK hike.
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Spray Valley
- Smuts Pass. This is the longer route that does not involve fording Smuts Creek at the very beginning of the hike. 15km round-trip, 500m elevation gain. Un-official trails.
Download GPS Track - Old Goat Glacier. 10km round-trip, 700m elevation gain. Un-official trail and off-trail.
Download GPS track - Chinaman's (Ha Ling) Peak. Short and steep hike to a decent viewpoint near Canmore. Expect hordes of people on the trail. 6km round-trip, 750m elevation gain.
Download GPS track - Tent Ridge Horseshoe. Outstanding hike with fantastic views. 11km loop, 900m total elevation gain. Off-trail scramble.
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Gorge Creek Trail & Sheep Valley
- High Noon Hills. Depending on the actual route taken, approximately 6.5km loop, 350m total elevation gain. Off-trail route.
Download GPS Route - Green Mountain. 13km round-trip, 550m total elevation gain. Equestrian trails and off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Surveyors Ridge. 8km one-way, 650m elevation gain. Equestrian trails, seismic lines and off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Death's Head. 7km round-trip, 350m elevation gain. Equestrian trails and off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Missinglink Mountain Southwest Ridge. 5km loop, 350m elevation gain. Gorge Creek Road and off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Sandy McNabb. Yet another shoulder season hike. Off-trail.
Download GPS Route - Threepoint Creek. Gillean Daffern's hike #295, start "B", Hog's Back option. 13km round-trip, 350m total elevation gain. Official and un-official trails.
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Note that currently (2007) the trail is still officially closed after the 2005 floods. Proceed at own risk!
Sibbald & Jumpingpound
- Belmore Browne Peak. Nice scramble with decent views. 9km round-trip, 650m elevation gain. Off-trail and scramble.
Download GPS Track - Seventy Buck Valley. The best viewpoint in the Sibbald area. 5km loop, 300m elevation gain. Off-trail.
Download GPS Track - Eagle Hill. One of the best early season hikes, because it actually offers mountain views! Difficulty level: moderate in March/April when still partially snowbound, easy in summer when dry. 14km round trip, 300m elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Jumpingpound Loop is a shoulder season hike. The entire loop is 9.5km, but shorther options are also available. Three trailheads (Pine Grove, Jumpingpound Creek and Pinetop provincial recreation areas), little elevation gain and only short 50km drive from Calgary.
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Ghost & Waiparous
- Burnt Timber Lookout. 10km round trip, 550m total elevation gain. ATV trail.
Download GPS Track - Black Rock Mountain. Outstanding hike in the popular off-road area. Watch for dirt bikes and ATVs! 17km round trip, 950m total elevation gain. Only 11km if you drive a 4WD vehicle. Un-official trail and some routefinding. (Note: as of 2006-05-05, Garmin still has not resolved the 60CSx altimeter issue. Hence, some track points have the altitude of 29,999 metres.)
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Parks in Calgary
- The future site of Bearspaw Natural Environment Park is located along the south bank of the Bearspaw Reservoir, 4 km west of City limits. The park is not serviced yet and there is no parking. Use at own risk.
Download GPS Track - Inglewood Bird Sanctuary – only few minutes from Downtown. A good place to see deer from a short distance.
Download GPS Track - Griffith Woods is the newest natural environment park in Calgary. Pretty similar to Weaselhead but more developed. There are signs at every trail junction; no GPS necessary.
Download GPS Track - Weaselhead is probably the most beautiful park in Calgary. The recommended distance is 8km, but the route can be modified to suit your needs.
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Parks near Calgary
- Brown-Lowery Provincial Park – 7km loop and, according to my trustworthy Garmin 60CSx-2.62, 28,656m elevation gain!
Download GPS Track - Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park – the scenery there is quite similiar to that of Horseshoe Canyon in the Drumheller area. From the upper parking lot to Dry Island, depending on the route, it is approximately a 5km loop with 300m total elevation gain. Off-trail.
Download GPS Route - The Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area is a 2,000 hectare natural area located south west of the city. There are 20 kilometers of trails: from 2km wheelchair accesible walk through 10km scenic loop. Anyone using the area must preregister on their website. Access fee required.
Download GPS Track - Big Hill Springs Provincial Park – 1.8km loop, 50m elevation gain.
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Banff National Park
- Cascade Amphitheatre. Almost the entire length of the trail is below the tree line. No views = boring! The cirque itself is a nice place: beautiful alpine scenery and lots of hoary marmots. 15km round-trip, 700m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Aylmer Lookout. Nice views, but the approach is a little bit too long. Congested trail; watch for mountain bikes. 24km round-trip, 950m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Ink Pots via Johnston Canyon. One of very few Banff trails which are hikable in winter. 12km round-trip, 450m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Larch Valley – Sentinel Pass – Paradise Valley Loop. Oustanding if hiked in September or October when larch trees turning golden. Lots of people. 16km, 700m elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Cory Pass – Gargoyle Valley Loop. A very good hike. Fairly steep sections at the beginning. Excellent views in Gargoyle Valley. 13km loop, 1000m total elevation gain, easy when dry, might be difficult when wet. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Harvey Pass. Nice views once you get past Bourgeau Lake. 19km round-trip, 1000m elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Healy Pass. A trail through the forest leading to superb alpine meadows. 20km round-trip, 700m elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Taylor Lake and O'Brien Lake. A typical hike in Banff National Park; a few kilometres through the forest and then a gorgeous lake at the end. This particular trail is a buy-one-get-one-free deal, because you actually go to two different lakes in two adjacent valleys. 16km round-trip, 600m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Boom Lake. A not-so-scenic hike through the forest. 10km round-trip. Official trail.
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Kootenay National Park
- Floe Lake trail is a part of the famous Rockwall Trail. As a day hike: boring with limited views. Not recommended. 20.5km round-trip, 800m total elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Ball Pass. Nice views near the pass, but the approach through the burned forest is not very exciting. 19.5km round-trip, 850m elevation gain. Official trail.
Download GPS Track - Stanley Glacier. A very popular hike to a spectacular valley. 11.5km round-trip, 550m elevation gain. Official trail.
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Yoho National Park
- Wapta Falls. A short 2km (4km return) walk to the most spectacular falls in the area. Official trail.
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