Three Simple yet Stunning Lake Hikes in Kananaskis
Summertime hikes that end at beautiful lakes
Rawson Lake
On a hot summer day, not much beats dipping your toes in an ice cold mountain lake. There’s something so soothing about an expanse of water, especially when it’s surrounded by towering peaks.
While places like Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake get a lot of attention, and deservedly so, we love that the Rocky Mountains are full of scenic and less busy lakes — you just have to be willing to put in a little effort.
Here are three ideas for simple hikes that end at beautiful lakes, all located in Kananaskis Country (yes, that means you’ll need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass). We’re calling them simple as the trails are not too long, not too steep, and are all routes we’ve recently done carrying little ones.
Picklejar Lakes
What’s better than one mountain lake? Try four! The 9-kilometre Picklejar Lakes trail leads to four small lakes, the first of which is pictured above. There’s about 450 metres of elevation gain if you go to all four lakes. While Cailynn found the trail to the first lake pretty straightforward when she hiked it last August, do note that Alberta Parks does not consider this a maintained trail, i.e. there’s no signage or maintenance.
Chester Lake
We love visiting Chester Lake in the fall (just look at all those larches) as well as the winter, but it’s a worthy summer destination, too. You’re likely to find glacier lilies and alpine buttercups dotting the trail, plus the distinctive Mount Chester looks good in every season. This is a 9 kilometre round-trip trail, with about 315 metres of elevation gain. There are also options to travel further, to Three Lakes Valley.
Rawson Lake
Rawson Lake is a popular spot, likely because it involves just under four kilometres of hiking and only 300 metres of elevation gain to reach the lake. It’s not the most exciting trail up, but the lake itself is splendid and it’s hard to beat the effort/reward ratio here. You can also follow a trail around the side of the lake for even more views.
As always, be sure to check for advisories before you head out to any of these trails. As we write this, there’s a warning at Chester Lake for a bear in the area, and Rawson Lake has just reopened after a precautionary closure because of two grizzly bear encounters.
And if you’re looking more for swimming spots than places to dip your toes in, this post has you covered:
Lake hikes are so stunning! One of my favorite trips ever was a late autumn trek to chihuahua lake in Colorado; you can usually get away with much less elevation change. Thank you for sharing this guide!