Best hard hikes in Banff National Park
The 15 best hard hikes in Banff National Park, out of 256 that we map, ranked by trail score.
How we rank trails Ranked by trail score, highest first.
- All hikes
- Easy 81
- Moderate 164
- Under 5 km 195
- Kid friendly 71
- Waterfalls 26
- Lakes 138
- Summits 150
- Views 349
- Glaciers 75
- Loops 17
- Backpacking 77
- Wheelchair friendly 7
The list
Sorted by rank- 1Johnston 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
- 2Moraine Lake HighlineNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 11.9 km · 387 m gain · 4 hLake · Views · Passes Moraine lake88score
- 3Caldron 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
- 4Panorama 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
- 5Paradise 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
- 6Mount Niblock RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkExpert · 4.8 km · 791 m gain · 6 hLake · Summit · Views · Glacier · Passes Lake Agnes and Mount Niblock83score
- 7Tower of Babel RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkExpert · 2.1 km · 504 m gain · 3 h 45 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Tower of Babel83score
- 8Mount Perren RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 7.4 km · 1,120 m gain · 7 hLake · Views · Glacier · Hut or tea house · Passes Moraine Lake and Neil Colgan Hut82score
- 9Neil Colgan Hut RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 10.0 km · 1,233 m gain · 7 h 45 minLake · Views · Glacier · Hut or tea house · Passes Moraine Lake and Peak 3.582score
- 10Devil's Thumb RouteNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 2.0 km · 258 m gain · 1 h 45 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Devil's Thumb82score
- 11Deception PassNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 19.9 km · 731 m gain · 7 hLake · Views · Camping · Hut or tea house · Passes Halfway Hut and Ptarmigan Lake80score
- 12Burstall Pass TrailNear Fortress Mountain Resort · Banff National ParkHard · 25.0 km · 1,036 m gain · 9 hLake · Views · River or creek · Alpine · Passes Mud Lake and Burstall Pass80score
- 13Saddleback · Sheol ValleyNear Lake Louise · Banff National ParkHard · 14.3 km · 1,090 m gain · 7 h 30 minViews · Alpine · Passes Saddleback Pass79score
- 14Mount Rundle SummitNear Banff · Banff National ParkExpert · 12.3 km · 1,604 m gain · 12 h 30 minSummit · Views · Alpine · Passes Rundle 178score
- 15Citadel Pass TrNear Banff · Banff National ParkHard · 18.1 km · 679 m gain · 6 h 15 minLake · Views · Camping · Alpine · Passes Mad Trapper's Smokehouse and Howard Douglas Lake78score