Fall (Autumn) Hikes
Autumn brings crisp mountain air and some of the most beautiful scenery of the year. As the larch trees transform into their famous golden hue, the alpine landscapes around Canmore and Banff become truly unforgettable.
Grassi Lakes is a hike located just outside of Canmore and is a favourite among locals and visitors alike! You can take the “more difficult” route (which isn’t strenuous), but the trail is a little more narrow than the “easy” route. This route gives you a nice view of a beautiful waterfall on your way up to the gem-coloured lakes. At the top, you can enjoy not only the view, but also rock climbers scaling the mountains around you! We often take the “easy” route back down, which has a wide and busy path.
The Bow River Trail is a Canmore classic trail right in town! It follows along the Bow River, and offers stunning views of the Canmore mountain ranges! You can take the trail out to the old Engine Bridge, which is the perfect spot for a photo op, and gives a glimpse into the history of years passed in Canmore! There are lots of benches and a few park spaces along the trail that gives you the opportunity to take a break and enjoy the views!
Grotto Canyon is just a short drive from Canmore, and a nice short hike with almost no elevation gain. You actually hike through a canyon, and are rewarded with a few nice little waterfalls at the end. Along the way, try and spot the cave drawings along the canyon walls that date back to pre-European times!
Heart Creek trail is a short and easy out-and-back trail that follows along the creek to a lovely hidden waterfall at the end! This is another popular rock-climbing location, so you can often spot climbers along the way! While you are there, on the opposite side of the parking lot of Heart Creek trail is another popular and unmarked path that leads gently up toward an old abandoned Cold-War era bunker (bring a flashlight!). Construction of the bunker started in the late 1960s to serve as a location to store important government records in the event of a disaster or nuclear bomb. Construction was never completed, and now leaves a large and popular cave to explore! This trail has a few unmarked forks along the way, but if you follow the LEFT trail every time, it will get you safely to the bunker.
Troll Falls is located near Kananaskis Village (about a 40 minute, very scenic drive from Canmore and a lovely opportunity to spend a little time in Kananaskis Village, with beautiful vistas along the perimeter trail around the resort) and is an easy out-and-back trail with relatively little elevation gain and clearly marked and well maintained trail. Enjoy the peace of the forest as you walk along the trail, until you can hear the rushing of the waterfall through the trees. Make sure to continue on to the Upper Falls as well!
While on the drive out to Kananaskis Village, if you have the time, make sure to stop at some of the points of interest along the way! There's lots to discover, and you may be surprised to learn some of the history of the mountains (The Colonel's Cabin, for example, is a short interpretive tour that highlights the history of one of the German PoW camps set up in Alberta during WWII).
If you continue onward along the Kananaskis Trail (Hwy 40), enjoy the views and drive and continue along the road to Highwood Pass. This is the highest elevation mountain pass in all of Canada, and has some phenomenal displays of the geological processes that formed the Rockies so many years ago! From here, another quick hike of Ptarmigan Cirque is a definite must-do, with wildflowers in full bloom in the summertime! The parking area is on the right of the road. To begin the hike, follow the trail, which will lead you across the highway and into the forest.
Be sure to check trail report for trailhead access, as vehicle access is restricted during winter months (typically December to mid-June)
In the town of Banff, there is a gondola that you can take up to the top of Sulphur mountain, or you can hike it (approx 1.5-2hrs to hike up). There are platforms and a boardwalk at the top of the mountain that you can look out over the town, and provides panoramic views of 6 mountain ranges in all directions. If you are looking for a view-- this one is a must! There is also a new state-of-the-art interpretive centre and multi-sensory theatre at the top of the mountain. To top it off, you can enjoy a wonderful meal at the Sky Bistro, with floor to ceiling windows to enjoy the views while you dine in the sky! (You can book gondola/dining experiences online to help with your planning as well!)
Johnston Canyon will be very busy, but is a quintessential Canadian Rockies hike to do, just a short drive from the town of Banff. There are 2 waterfalls, the lower, which is the smaller and busier of the two, and the upper waterfall, which tends to have less traffic and is well worth the short hike. If you are feeling more ambitious, you can leave the crowd behind and continue up to the ink pots and enjoy your lunch next to the spring-fed pools of water in the mountain meadows.
*Be sure to check here for vehicle access, as the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) closes to vehicle traffic for a few months of the summer/early fall. Access to Johnston Canyon via Castle Mountain Junction remains open during these periods.
Healy Pass is one of my favourite hikes to do in the Banff area, and it is a perfect hike to see the golden larch trees in the fall! I would say this is a moderate level of difficulty, with a very gradual increase in elevation, but is lengthy in distance (about 18km round trip). Beyond the larches, you are rewarded with a beautiful view of Egypt Lake in the distance once you reach the pass. The trailhead for this one starts in the Sunshine Ski Resort parking lot.
Another of our favourite ways to spend the day is to take a nice relaxing walk along the Three Sisters Pathway. From Bridge Road in Canmore, take a left after crossing the bridge toward the public boat launch. From there you can follow a section of the Trans Canada Trail that takes you all the way out to the Three Sisters community (or you can turn around at any point along the way). We love how the trail weaves between forested areas, open park spaces, some residential areas, and even passes by a few old mines! If you walk all the way out to the Three Sisters community, you can make a quick stop at the Market Bistro to relax, grab a bite to eat, and regain some energy for the walk back! We have always enjoyed their flatbread pizzas! The trail back follows the same route back into Canmore.
Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are a bit more of a drive, but such beautiful scenery, especially so during Larch Season. A few years ago, Alex and I did the hike to the two tea houses at Lake Louise, stopping at the second to enjoy a lovely lunch there (bring cash!). It is very cool to see the tea house in operation because the staff hike in on a weekly basis, and there are only 2 air lifts by helicopter that bring supplies for the entire season! You start at the trailhead to Lake Agnes Tea House, and can continue on, following the signs to the Plain of Six Glaciers (be sure to make the quick side-trip to the “Big Beehive”, with stunning views of the lake below), where there is the second tea house. The Tea Houses remain open until Thanksgiving weekend, weather permitting (2nd weekend in October).
**Please be sure to plan your transportation to Moraine Lake/Lake Louise in advance, as there are vehicle access restrictions in place by Parks Canada. More information can be found here.