Hike Alberta

Best hikes in Alberta

We ranked the 2,994 hiking trails in Alberta by trail score, which weighs scenery, trail quality and how often each trail is photographed and visited. 1139 are easy, 662 moderate and 1193 hard.

How we rank trails Ranked by trail score, highest first.

Top 50

Sorted by rank
  1. 1Johnston CanyonNear Moose Meadows · Banff National ParkEasy · 5.7 km · 218 m gain · 2 hWaterfall · Views · River or creek · Canyon · Passes Johnston Creek Valley and Lower Falls97score
  2. 2Plain of Six GlaciersNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 13.7 km · 692 m gain · 5 h 30 minLake · Views · Glacier · Alpine · Passes Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House and Lake Louise96score
  3. 3Lake AgnesNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 6.6 km · 396 m gain · 3 hLake · Waterfall · Views · Alpine · Passes Lake Agnes Tea House and Lake Louise95score
  4. 4SkylineNear Maligne Canyon · Jasper National ParkHard · 45.2 km · 1,953 m gain · 16 hLake · Views · Glacier · Camping · Passes Amber Mountain and Notch94score
  5. 5Maligne CanyonNear Maligne Canyon · Jasper National ParkModerate · 4.0 km · 121 m gain · 1 h 15 minWaterfall · Views · River or creek · Canyon · Passes Maligne Canyon94score
  6. 6Larch ValleyNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 8.9 km · 554 m gain · 4 hLake · Views · Hut or tea house · Alpine · Passes Moraine Lake and Minnestima Lakes94score
  7. 7Bow Falls TrailNear Banff · Banff National ParkEasy · 2.4 km · 54 m gain · 45 minWaterfall · Views · River or creek · Passes Bow falls viewpoint and Bow Falls93score
  8. 8Big BeehiveNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 4.5 km · 387 m gain · 2 h 45 minLake · Waterfall · Views · Alpine · Passes Lake Agnes Tea House and Lake Agnes93score
  9. 9Caldron LakeBanff National ParkModerate · 13.9 km · 956 m gain · 6 h 45 minLake · Views · River or creek · Glacier · Passes Peyto Lake · Viewpoint and Caldron Lake92score
  10. 10Sulphur MountainNear Banff · Banff National ParkModerate · 9.7 km · 670 m gain · 4 h 45 minWaterfall · Summit · Views · Alpine · Passes 224092score
  11. 11Vermilion Lakes RoadNear Banff · Banff National ParkEasy · 8.5 km · 58 m gain · 2 h 15 minLake · Views · River or creek · Passes 3rd Vermilion Lake and Vermilion Lake Viewpoint91score
  12. 12Bow Glacier FallsBanff National ParkModerate · 9.1 km · 187 m gain · 2 h 45 minLake · Waterfall · Views · Glacier · Passes Bow Lake and Bow Glacier Falls90score
  13. 13Johnston Canyon TrailNear Moose Meadows · Banff National ParkHard · 15.1 km · 556 m gain · 5 h 15 minWaterfall · Views · River or creek · Canyon · Passes Johnston Creek Valley and Lower Falls90score
  14. 14Tunnel Mountain SummitNear Banff · Banff National ParkModerate · 4.4 km · 286 m gain · 2 hSummit · Views · Passes Tunnel Mountain and King's Lookout89score
  15. 15Consolation LakesNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 7.5 km · 182 m gain · 2 h 15 minLake · Views · River or creek · Passes Moraine lake and Consolation Lakes89score
  16. 16Prairie MtnNear Paddy's Flat · Kananaskis Conservation Pass areaModerate · 7.8 km · 691 m gain · 4 h 45 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Prairie Mountain89score
  17. 17Moose Lake LoopNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkEasy · 2.8 km · 66 m gain · 50 minLake · Views · Passes Skyline trail (3days) and Maligne Lake88score
  18. 18Cavell MeadowsNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkModerate · 5.6 km · 472 m gain · 3 h 15 minViews · Glacier · Alpine · Passes Edith Cavell Pond and Trail's End88score
  19. 19Bow Summit ViewpointBanff National ParkModerate · 4.6 km · 202 m gain · 1 h 45 minSummit · Views · Alpine88score
  20. 20Lake Louise LakeshoreNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 4.6 km · 75 m gain · 1 h 15 minLake · Views · Passes Lake Louise88score
  21. 21Moraine Lake HighlineNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 11.9 km · 387 m gain · 4 hLake · Views · Passes Moraine lake88score
  22. 22The Whistlers SummitNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkEasy · 2.5 km · 200 m gain · 1 h 30 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Summit Restaurant and The Whistlers88score
  23. 23Grassi LakesNear Canmore · Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial ParkEasy · 3.0 km · 150 m gain · 1 h 15 minLake · Waterfall · Views · Passes Lower Grassi Lake88score
  24. 24Bertha Lake TrailNear Waterton Park · Waterton Lakes National ParkHard · 10.6 km · 592 m gain · 4 h 30 minLake · Waterfall · Views · Passes Upper Waterton Lake and Lower Bertha Falls88score
  25. 25Lake MinnewankaNear Anthracite · Banff National ParkModerate · 3.5 km · 78 m gain · 1 hLake · Views · River or creek · Passes Lake Minnewanka and Lake Minnewanka Cruise87score
  26. 26Cascade PondsNear Anthracite · Banff National ParkEasy · 2.1 km · 31 m gain · 35 minLake · Waterfall · Passes Cascade Ponds87score
  27. 27Little BeehiveNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 2.4 km · 153 m gain · 1 hSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes The Little Beehive and Little Beehive87score
  28. 28Peyto Lake LookoutBanff National ParkEasy · 1.5 km · 60 m gain · 35 minLake · Views · Alpine · Passes Peyto Lake · Viewpoint87score
  29. 29Blakiston Falls TrailNear Waterton Park · Waterton Lakes National ParkEasy · 2.3 km · 75 m gain · 45 minWaterfall · Views · River or creek87score
  30. 30Caldron Peak TrailBanff National ParkHard · 20.1 km · 1,487 m gain · 10 h 30 minLake · Summit · Views · River or creek · Passes Peyto Lake · Viewpoint and Caldron Lake87score
  31. 31Panorama Ridge RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkExpert · 16.9 km · 1,998 m gain · 16 hLake · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Moraine lake and Consolation Lakes87score
  32. 32Ranger SummitNear Bragg Creek · Kananaskis Conservation Pass areaModerate · 8.1 km · 298 m gain · 2 h 45 minSummit · Views86score
  33. 33Lower Sunwapta FallsJasper National ParkEasy · 2.9 km · 78 m gain · 55 minWaterfall · Views · River or creek · Passes Sunwapta Falls and Lower Sunwapta Falls86score
  34. 34PyramidNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkModerate · 8.8 km · 137 m gain · 2 h 30 minLake · Views · Hut or tea house · Passes Patricia Lake and Patricia Lake86score
  35. 35Paradise Valley TrailNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 23.8 km · 1,443 m gain · 10 h 45 minLake · Views · Alpine · Passes Lake Louise and Saddleback Pass86score
  36. 36Rawson Lake TrailNear Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial ParkModerate · 8.7 km · 390 m gain · 3 h 15 minLake · Waterfall · Views · River or creek · Passes Upper Kananaskis Lake and View of the Lake in front of Mount Sarrail85score
  37. 37Boundary Peak RouteJasper National ParkHard · 14.8 km · 1,625 m gain · 10 h 30 minSummit · Views · Glacier · Alpine85score
  38. 38Skogan Pass TrailNear Kananaskis Village · Kananaskis Conservation Pass areaEasy · 4.9 km · 151 m gain · 1 h 45 minWaterfall · Views · River or creek · Passes Marmot Falls85score
  39. 39Overlook LoopNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkModerate · 5.9 km · 189 m gain · 2 hLake · Views · Passes Pyramid Lake84score
  40. 40Bighorn Canyon TrailNear Nordegg · Crescent Falls Public Land Recreation AreaModerate · 5.0 km · 181 m gain · 1 h 45 minWaterfall · Views · Canyon · Passes Crescent Falls Viewing Platform and Crescent Falls84score
  41. 41WapitiNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkModerate · 8.2 km · 58 m gain · 2 h 15 minLake · River or creek · Hut or tea house · Passes Twin Lakes83score
  42. 42Mina Riley LoopNear Jasper · Jasper National ParkModerate · 8.7 km · 242 m gain · 2 h 45 minLake · Views · Passes Riley Lake and Mina Lake83score
  43. 43Mirror Lake HighlineNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkModerate · 1.8 km · 93 m gain · 45 minLake · Views83score
  44. 44Mount Niblock RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkExpert · 4.8 km · 791 m gain · 6 hLake · Summit · Views · Glacier · Passes Lake Agnes and Mount Niblock83score
  45. 45Three Isle Lake TrailNear Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial ParkHard · 22.5 km · 867 m gain · 8 hLake · Views · River or creek · Camping · Passes Upper Kananaskis Lake83score
  46. 46Mount Crandell East RouteNear Waterton Park · Waterton Lakes National ParkHard · 7.8 km · 1,090 m gain · 6 h 45 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Mount Crandell83score
  47. 47Mount Glasgow North RouteNear Kananaskis Village · Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 11.1 km · 904 m gain · 6 h 15 minSummit · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Mount Glasgow North83score
  48. 48Tower of Babel RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkExpert · 2.1 km · 504 m gain · 3 h 45 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Tower of Babel83score
  49. 49Riders of RohanNear Canmore · Bow Valley Wildland Provincial ParkModerate · 2.4 km · 267 m gain · 1 h 45 minLake · Waterfall · Views · Passes Lower Grassi Lake83score
  50. 50Upper StoneyNear Banff · Banff National ParkModerate · 4.4 km · 239 m gain · 1 h 45 minSummit · Views · Passes Stoney Lookout Mountain82score

Questions

What is the best hike in Alberta?
Johnston Canyon ranks first: a 5.7 km out and back trail with 218 m of elevation gain, rated easy.
What is the best waterfall hike in Alberta?
Johnston Canyon, 5.7 km with 218 m of climbing.
What is the best lake hike in Alberta?
Plain of Six Glaciers, 13.7 km with 692 m of climbing.
What is the hardest hike in Alberta?
By elevation gain, Great Divide Trail: 10,897 m over 321.9 km.
How many hiking trails are in Alberta?
Hike Alberta maps 2,994 hiking trails in Alberta.

Best hikes near

Before you go

Open the map

Notices come from park agencies and government services. Check the hike on Hike Alberta before you go for the latest available safety information.