Wind Ridge Hike: Kananaskis Trail Guide

There are plenty of great hikes near Canmore, but the Wind Ridge Hike is one we keep coming back to. As Canmore locals, we’ve done a lot of hiking in Kananaskis Country, and the Wind Ridge Trail remains one of our favourite hikes in Kananaskis Country for its amazing mountain views, wildflowers and great payoff once you reach the alpine meadow.

This is not an easy hike, though. Wind Ridge is a challenging Kananaskis hike with a steady forested approach, a few creek crossings, a steep climb through the trees and a final push into open alpine terrain. It’s well worth the effort if you’re looking for a rewarding hike near Canmore with fewer crowds than some of the more obvious trails in the area.

The real highlight of the Wind Ridge Trail is the view of Mount Lougheed. Overlooking the Trans-Canada Highway just south of Dead Man’s Flats, Mount Lougheed doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves, but it’s one of the most impressive mountains in the Canadian Rockies. The word “majestic” gets thrown around a lot when people talk about mountains, but it really does fit Mount Lougheed.

With its stately head-and-shoulders formation, Mount Lougheed has always reminded me of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Weird, right? You can decide for yourself when you see it from the Wind Ridge hike.

In this guide, I’ll share what to expect on the Wind Ridge Trail, including the trail highlights, distance, elevation gain, difficulty, parking, seasonal closures, safety tips and whether this hike is a good fit for kids or dogs.

Note, despite most locals calling this hike Wind Ridge, Alberta Parks refers to this Kananaskis hike as “Windy Viewpoint”. You may also hear it called the “Windy Ridge hike”.

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Is the Wind Ridge Hike Right for You?

How Long is the Wind Ridge Hike?

Starting and ending at the Mount Lougheed Viewpoint parking lot, the round-trip distance of the Wind Ridge hike is 13.4 km.

How Steep is the Wind Ridge Trail?

The second half of the Wind Ridge Trail is steep and you’ll gain a lot of elevation in a short time. The total elevation gain you’ll encounter along the Wind Ridge hike is 939 m.

How Hard is the Wind Ridge Trail?

Because of the short, but very steep climb to the top, we rate the Wind Ridge hike as a “difficult Kananaskis Country hike”.

The first 4 km of the Wind Ridge hike is pretty easy with a net elevation gain of approximately 230 m. Take the time to savour the easy stroll through the forest as it’s about to become much harder.

In the final 2.3 km to the top of Wind Ridge, you’ll gain approximately 620 m of net elevation. It’s a short, but very steep section with some very slippery gravel trail conditions to navigate. You’ll also encounter a small rock climb, which you can avoid by going around and doing a short rock scramble. Most people, including me, feel the rock climb is the easier option.

How Long Does the Wind Ridge Hike Take?

In our experience, a typical adult should plan on about 5.5 hours to hike the Wind Ridge Trail round trip.

Alternatives to the Wind Ridge Lake Hike

If the Wind Ridge hike isn’t right for you, don’t worry as there are plenty of excellent alternate in Kananaskis Country.

West Wind Pass is another one of our favourite Kananaskis hikes. It’s on the opposite side of the Rimwall mountain, but it ends with a view of Wind Ridge, so you get very similar scenery. It’s a much easier hike and features amazing views of the Spray Lakes Reservoir along the way.

One of the best easy hikes in Kananaskis is a short drive away from the Wind Ridge trailhead. The Heart Creek Trail is a family-friendly hiking trail which follows a creek into a dramatic canyon with many fun bridges along the way.

If you’d like more selection, this list of hikes in Kananaskis Country is sorted by difficulty level.

What to Expect on the Wind Ridge Trail

The Wind Ridge Trail is a spectacular and very rewarding Kananaskis hike just south of Dead Man’s Flats. The Wind Ridge hike is difficult and not for everyone, but if it’s within your physical capabilities, chances are good that you’ll love it. I think it’s one of the very best hikes in Kananaskis (or anywhere in the Canadian Rockies for that matter).

The Wind Ridge hike consists of two main sections – each an entirely different experience:

Forest Hiking and Creek Crossings

The first 4 km of the Wind Ridge hike is an easy stroll through a thick, lush forest with a carpet of moss and old man’s beard lichen swinging from tree branches. The sounds of squirrels and birds will keep you company as you admire the wild roses, shooting stars and Indian paintbrushes which grow profusely along the side of the trail.

While in the forest, the Wind Ridge trail crosses Pigeon Creek, Wind Creek and West Wind Creek. River crossings in the midst of a Rocky Mountain forest always inspire me to pause and soak in the scenery.

Wildflowers and Alpine Meadow Views

At the 4 km mark, the forest starts to mingle with the alpine meadow. Wildflowers grow prolifically in the open meadows, attracting lots of butterflies. Look behind you for some of your first elevated glimpses of Mt. Lougheed, just a small taste of what’s to come.

You’ll leave the forest behind at the 5 km mark of the Wind Ridge hike and enter the alpine meadow. You’ll be walking west with unimpeded views of a semi-circle of beautiful mountains including The Rimwall, Wind Tower, Mount Lougheed and Wind Mountain. This is one of the most scenic views you can earn hiking in Alberta.

As if the mountain views weren’t enough, the south-facing alpine meadow on Wind Ridge is home to thousands of alpine wildflowers of every colour imaginable.

Amazingly enough, due to the cooler temperatures at the higher altitude we even found crocuses in bloom at the top of Wind Ridge in mid-July (a flower which typically blooms in Alberta in March-April).

Steep Climb to Wind Ridge

The Wind Ridge hike through the alpine meadow is very steep, but the views from the top are totally worth it. Once you reach the top of Wind Ridge, you’ll have earned views of the other side of the ridge, including excellent views stretching from the Alberta prairies all the way to Cascade Mountain in Banff National Park.

Mountain Views from the Wind Ridge Trail

From the ridge, you’ll also get beautiful views of the Bow River meandering through the Bow Valley, with Canmore and Dead Man’s Flats below. Finally, it’s a great opportunity to see the famous Three Sisters from behind.

Wind Ridge Trailhead, Parking and Directions

The Wind Ridge hike is located just south of Dead Man’s Flats on George Biggy Sr. Road. You can access George Biggy Sr. Road by taking the Dead Man’s Flats turnoff from the Trans-Canada Highway, then turn south.

The Wind Ridge parking lot is a moderate size, but it can fill up on weekends, so I recommend getting here early if possible.

As the Wind Ridge parking lot is in Kananaskis Country, you will need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to park here.

Wind Ridge Seasonal Closure and Access Rules

Alberta Parks notes that the Wind Ridge trail is closed every year from December 1 to June 15 to protect critical winter range habitat for elk and bighorn sheep. Not to worry, there are plenty of other excellent winter hikes around Canmore you can enjoy.

If you’d like more info on the Wind Ridge seasonal closure, check out the Alberta Parks Windy Viewpoint website.

Wind Ridge Trail Map

It used to be easy to get lost in the forest on the Wind Ridge hike, but recently Alberta Parks has done an excellent job installing trail maps at all the main junctions along the Wind Ridge trail. You can probably navigate the full length of the Wind Ridge hike with these trail maps, but we recommend having an electronic or paper back-up just in case.

We use the AllTrails app every time we go hiking in Kananaskis, Banff and around the world. It helps us stay on track and track our stats (distance, elevation gain, etc.). You’ll find this hike in AllTrails by clicking this link for the “Wind Ridge Trail Map“

Hiking Wind Ridge with Kids

If you are considering hiking wind Ridge with kids, we strongly encourage you to assess their skill levels before attempting this challenging Kananaskis hike. Our kids have grown up in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and, when we did this hike, they were nearly 5 and 7, and already very capable little hikers. At the time it was their longest and hardest day hike to date.

Wind Ridge is a difficult hike and may not be suitable for some kids. Ours were definitely the youngest kids on the Wind Ridge hiking trail that day.

Before attempting the Wind Ridge hike with kids, we recommend:

Looking at the Wind Ridge hike stats above and making sure your kids are capable of such physical exertion. During the steep part, you’ll be gaining over 270 m of elevation for every 1 km hiked towards the top of Wind Ridge, that’s an average 27% incline. Imagine climbing the height of 1.5 Calgary Towers for every kilometre you walk…

Gauging their adventurousness. There are a few sections along this hike which may intimidate some hikers, both kids and adults alike. There is a small rock climb or scramble to deal with and the steep sections can be very slippery, especially going down. Kids who get scared in risky situations may not enjoy this hike.

Including breaks, it took us 7.5 hours to hike the full length of the Wind Ridge trail with our kids, about 2 hours longer than for adults hiking Wind Ridge without kids.

Best Places to Stop for Lunch or a Break

There are three good places along the Wind Ridge trail to stop for a break or lunch.

After 4 km of hiking through the forest, you’ll emerge from the trees and enter an incredible alpine meadow featuring millions of beautiful alpine wildflowers. The views of majestic Mt. Lougheed are truly breathtaking from here.

Your first really steep stretch of the Wind Ridge trail comes after entering the alpine meadow. Near the top of this stretch is a reasonably flat patch of meadow where you can stop, rest and soak in the incredible Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery.

A little further up the Wind Ridge trail, the alpine meadow becomes rockier (requiring a small rock climb or scramble). Large rocks covered with beautiful red lichen jut out of the southern slope of Wind Ridge.

These rocks are about halfway through the difficult upper section of the Wind Ridge hike, making it a great place to plop down on your picnic blanket and have a well-deserved rest.

The rocks are home to a colony of Hoary Marmots. Please do your part to keep them wild by not feeding them.

The other spot we recommend stopping is, of course, the flat, treeless clearing at the top of the Wind Ridge hike. The incredible views from the top include Mt. Lougheed and a rare view of the back of the Three Sisters.

The Wind Ridge hike is very close to Canmore, so you could reward yourself after this difficult hike with an ice cream in Canmore or a great meal at one of Canmore’s many excellent restaurants.

Wind Ridge Hiking Safety

Hiking Kananaskis comes with bear risk. We love bears and would hate for any harm to come to them or you, so please take the time to educate yourself on how to be bear smart.

The Wind Ridge hike is popular with dog owners. We recommend bringing your dog only if they are athletic enough to deal with the steep slopes and the rock scrambles.

Although you will likely see lots of people with off-leash dogs, please keep your dog on leash. Besides being the law, an off-leash dog can very easily draw a bear or cougar back to your group.

This happens far too often and puts your life and the life of the animal in danger. Here’s an example of a person who was lucky to walk away from a grizzly attack at Grotto Mountain (a stone’s throw from Wind Ridge).

We recommend checking the latest Wind Ridge trail report to check trail conditions and possible closures before you head out. (Keep in mind Alberta Parks calls this hike Windy Viewpoint).

Wind Ridge Trail Logistics

There are washrooms in the Wind Ridge Trail parking lot. There are no toilets on the trail, so make sure everyone goes before they begin.

There are no drinking water facilities, so fill your hydration packs before you leave home or your hotel.

With several popular Kananaskis hikes and mountain biking routes in the area, the parking lot fills up early in the day. When full, cars overflow to parking along George Biggy Sr. Road.

Cell service can be spotty on Wind Ridge. We had a weak signal in a few spots in the alpine meadow, but that was it. Don’t count on having service.

If you’re looking for a cozy cottage in the Rocky Mountains, the Banff Gate Mountain Resort is steps away from the Wind Ridge Trailhead. Despite its somewhat misleading name (it’s about 15 minutes away from the Banff National Park entrance gate), it gets very good reviews.

What to Bring While Hiking Wind Ridge

Wind Ridge is a difficult Kananaskis day hike, so make sure you’re prepared before heading out. Review our list of Kananaskis hiking gear essentials to ensure you have a safe & fun day of hiking the Wind Ridge Trail.