Early Season Hikes Near Calgary to Try This Spring
Hiking season is back!
Go Outside subscribers receive advice, stories, trip reports, interviews, reflections, opinions, and outdoorsy goodness in their inboxes. If you enjoy and value our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Contributions from readers like you make this newsletter possible.
Ah, look at that view! Hiking season is back, with so many trail options for a great day spent outside. Whether you’re after mountain vistas, forest treks or scenic lakes, there is truly something for everyone in Alberta’s outdoors.
For us, kicking off hiking season with a short, easy hike is the way to go. (And yes, you can still hike in the winter, but we tend to prioritize ski boots over hiking boots when there’s snow on the ground).
Last year, our first hike of the year was an early May visit to Watridge Lake in Kananaskis (pictured above), a 7.6 kilometres return trip accessed from the Mount Shark day use area. We’d visited this spot before on x-country skis, but never on hiking boots. It’s a wide, easy and flat trail, perfect for the first hike of the year, or anyone looking to take it a bit easy.
It felt great to be back hiking in the mountains under bright blue skies, after our usual winter hiatus. With a shorter, less strenuous hike, you can more comfortably get back into the swing of things and remember all that hiking entails. After months away from the activity, you’ll inevitably forget something (or like us, many things).
Once we reached Watridge Lake and admired the view, we continued on to Karst Springs, located about a kilometre farther. The combination of vibrant green moss, rushing water and mounds of snow still on the ground made for some cool photos.
This year, Annalise’s first spring outings have involved simple wanders, as she continues to recover. Pictured above is Bow Lake, a must-stop along the stunning Icefields Parkway.
Cailynn, meanwhile, is sticking pretty close to home, as she awaits the imminent arrival of her baby. (She is still enjoying bike rides with her toddler, thanks to an electric cargo bike … stay tuned for an Urban Arrow appreciation post in the near future).
Where else can you hike this spring? Classic options near Calgary include Ha Ling Peak, Heart Mountain, Yamnuska and Prairie Mountain (currently temporarily closed). Note it can be especially helpful at this time of year to read recent All Trails reviews and see what conditions others have recently encounted… from what we’re reading, you’re still likely to find snow on many trails.
If you’re in Banff National Park, many passes at higher elevations stay snow-bound until late June. Try drier, south facing slopes around Banff, or stick with lower elevations. Two options for this time of year are Tunnel Mountain Summit and Surprise Corner to Banff Hoodoos Trail (pictured above). Cailynn hiked both last November and shared her thoughts in the post below:
Other early season hikes we’ve enjoyed in past years are Baldy Pass and Raspberry Ridge, both in Kananaskis. Raspberry Ridge (pictured below) is a 9.5-kilometre route near Longview to a fire lookout, and fire lookout hikes can be a great early-season option as they’re often snow-free when other mountain destinations are not. Baldy Pass (pictured at the bottom of this post) varies in length depending on where you start and finish, with the shortest return distance 7.4 km (starting at Baldy Pass Trailhead and returning via the same route).
No matter where you go, remember to stay on established trails and avoid trail braiding. And be mindful of annual trail closures — some areas are closed until mid- to late-June, specifically to allow the area to dry and prevent damage to trail, or for protection of wildlife. Hiking in soft or muddy conditions can damage trails.
Early season is also a good time to get refreshed on hiking basics. Here’s a great guide from Banff National Park on safety, trail etiquette and what to pack, and Friends of Kananaskis has this detailed guide on what to know before you go. Remember, too, that bears and ticks are both out already.
Happy hiking!
