Best hard hikes near Calgary
The 15 best hard hikes near Calgary, out of 647 that we map, ranked by trail score.
How we rank trails Ranked by trail score and distance from Calgary, so the score is one of two inputs.
- All hikes
- Easy 373
- Moderate 348
- Under 5 km 653
- Kid friendly 347
- Waterfalls 44
- Lakes 151
- Summits 409
- Views 773
- Glaciers 24
- Canyons 21
- Loops 100
- Backpacking 84
- Wheelchair friendly 26
The list
Sorted by rank- 1Mount Glasgow North RouteNear Kananaskis Village · Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 11.1 km · 904 m gain · 6 h 15 min · 63 km from CalgarySummit · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Mount Glasgow North83score
- 2Eagle HillNear Mînî Thnî · Sibbald Lake Provincial Recreation AreaHard · 14.4 km · 443 m gain · 4 h 45 min · 57 km from CalgarySummit · Views · Passes Eagle Hill80score
- 3Mount Fullerton RouteNear Kananaskis Village · Don Getty Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 15.4 km · 1,054 m gain · 7 h 30 min · 66 km from CalgarySummit · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Mount Fullerton80score
- 4Forgetmenot Ridge TrailNear Kananaskis Village · Don Getty Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 6.1 km · 634 m gain · 4 h 15 min · 61 km from CalgarySummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Lower Ridge and Forgetmenot Ridge North Summit77score
- 5Grotto CanyonNear Exshaw · Bow Valley Provincial ParkHard · 11.6 km · 741 m gain · 5 h 30 min · 80 km from CalgaryLake · Waterfall · Canyon · Cave · Passes Grotto Mountain Pond81score
- 6Three Isle Lake TrailNear Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial ParkHard · 22.5 km · 867 m gain · 8 h · 89 km from CalgaryLake · Views · River or creek · Camping · Passes Upper Kananaskis Lake83score
- 7Iyarhe Ipan RouteNear Paddy's Flat · McLean Creek Off Highway Vehicle Public Land Use ZoneHard · 5.9 km · 634 m gain · 4 h · 55 km from CalgarySummit · Views · Passes Iyarhe Ipan and Swany's Ridge74score
- 8Lusk Ridge RouteNear Stoney Nakoda · Kananaskis Conservation Pass areaHard · 19.9 km · 1,496 m gain · 10 h 30 min · 58 km from CalgarySummit · Views · Passes Lusk Ridge East and Lusk Ridge74score
- 9The Wedge RouteNear Mount Kidd RV Park · Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 7.6 km · 1,114 m gain · 7 h · 79 km from CalgaryLake · Summit · Views · Alpine · Passes Wedge Pond and The Wedge79score
- 10Gorge CreekNear Diamond Valley · Bluerock Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 21.6 km · 713 m gain · 7 h 15 min · 61 km from CalgaryWaterfall · River or creek · Canyon72score
- 11Burstall Pass TrailNear Fortress Mountain Resort · Banff National ParkHard · 25.0 km · 1,036 m gain · 9 h · 92 km from CalgaryLake · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Mud Lake and Burstall Pass80score
- 12Mount Rae RouteNear Fortress Junction · Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial ParkExpert · 4.5 km · 754 m gain · 5 h 45 min · 81 km from CalgarySummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Mount Rae77score
- 13Anklebiter Ridge RouteNear Exshaw · Bow Valley Provincial ParkHard · 5.5 km · 891 m gain · 5 h 30 min · 80 km from CalgaryLake · Summit · Views · Alpine · Passes Grotto Mountain Pond and Anklebiter Ridge76score
- 14Cat Creek Ridge TrailDon Getty Wildland Provincial ParkHard · 13.7 km · 1,516 m gain · 9 h 45 min · 84 km from CalgarySummit · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Cat Creek Ridge77score
- 15Sarrail Ridge TrailNear Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial ParkHard · 4.4 km · 490 m gain · 3 h 15 min · 92 km from CalgaryLake · Summit · Views · Alpine · Passes Rawson Lake and Sarrail Ridge79score