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13 Hikes in Kananaskis You Don’t Want to Miss

Whether you’ve come to visit Banff National Park or live nearby, hiking in Kananaskis will leave you wanting to come back for more. With jaw dropping views, we’d consider many of these to be the best hikes in Kananaskis.

While we think that the views from these Kananaskis hikes are more than worth it, there’s more than that! From waterfalls to stunning mountain lakes to alpine meadows filled with wildflowers, the incredible beauty and variety of these hikes is what makes Kananaskis one of the best places for hiking.

While there are plenty more amazing hikes, you won’t want to miss these 13 Kananaskis hiking trails.

View from Sarrail Ridge hike

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Why Hike in Kananaskis

hiking in kananaskis country

Kananaskis Country is one of our favorite places to hike. It’s much easier to escape the crowds of Banff National Park and find quiet hiking trails.

With the closer proximity of these Kananaskis hikes to Calgary and Canmore, it’s definitely a locals favorite place to hike. While no one can dispute the incredible views you can get in Banff, you’ll find equally breath taking views in Kananaskis.

Kananaskis Hikes You Don’t Want to Miss

This isn’t an extensive list of hikes in Kananaskis, nor are these ALL the best hiking trails in Kananaskis. This is a list of hikes that everyone should do at least once. Each one provides something different, whether it’s a mountain lake, stunning mountain views or both.

hikes in kananaskis everyone should do

This also does not take into account winter hiking in Kananaskis. Many easy summer trails can turn deadly in the winter if the trail enters into avalanche zones. We’ve made note of which ones make good winter hikes in Kananaskis but also recommend these easy Kananaskis snowshoe trails.

What do you Need for Kananaskis Hiking

You’ll find the remoteness of Kananaskis will often leave you without a cell signal, which means you need to be prepared in advance:

  1. Get the AllTrails app and download your maps before venturing out for the day.
  2. Research your Kananaskis hiking trail to make sure it’s within your physical capabilities.
  3. Hike with a group.
  4. Always let someone know where you’ll be and when you should be expected back.
  5. Bring bear spray in a holster and know wildlife safety.
  6. Pack plenty of water and high energy food for the day.
  7. Always bring extra layers. What can start out as a hot summer day at the trailhead can quickly turn to high winds and even snow at higher elevations.
  8. Wear proper hiking shoes or boots. The Kananaskis hiking trails are rocky with plenty of tree roots, making it easy to roll an ankle or slip.
  9. Work your way up gradually to harder Kananaskis hikes.
  10. Bring a camera, you won’t regret it.

We have all our recommended hiking gear for hiking in Kananaskis here.

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Even More Kananaskis Hikes

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Hikes in Kananaskis that should be on everyone's list. These hikes have incredible mountain views, a mountain lake or both.

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Celine Brewer, a local Canmore resident, is the co-owner of Travel Banff Canada. She has a passion for being out in the mountains any time of year. In the summer, you'll often find her hiking or mountain biking. In the winter, she enjoys cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter hiking the most.

As much as she loves the mountains, she also loves travel! When she's not playing outdoors at home, she's either traveling the world with her husband and two kids or working on their other two travel sites: Family Can Travel and Baby Can Travel.