Cougar Mountain Route
Near Fortress Junction · Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial Park
Trail score 44 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality
About this trail
Cougar Mountain Route is a 9.4 km out and back trail near Fortress Junction in Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial Park. It runs 4.7 km each way. The route gains 1,287 m in total and tops out at 2,841 m. Hike Alberta rates it hard. Allow about 8 hours of moving time. Along the way you pass the summit of Cougar Mountain.
- Length
- 9.4km
- 4.7 km each way
- Elevation gain
- 1,287m
- Estimated time
- 8h
- Moving time
- Route
- Out and back
- Highest point
- 2,841m
- Lowest point
- 1,834m
Elevation profile
1,834 m to 2,841 mHighest point 2,841 m, lowest 1,834 m, 1,287 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 61% over 100 m.
Predicted coverage: 94% of route
48% LTE · 46% 5G
- Longest modelled gap
- 0.3 km
- Model
- 2024 · Natural Resources Canada
Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.
Along the way
- 2.9 kmCougar Mountain NE 1.5Summit · 2,800 m
- 4.6 kmCougar MountainSummit · 2,863 m
Good for
- Hiking
- Dog friendly (on leash)
- Summit, Views, Alpine
Trailhead
The trail starts at 50.7016° N, 114.8751° W.
Kananaskis Conservation Pass
Vehicle pass required when parking
Pass details
Vehicles parked at provincial park and public land sites in Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley need this pass. It is registered to the licence plate. People arriving without a vehicle do not need one, and official exemptions and free days may apply.
$15 daily for one vehicle · $90 yearly for up to three vehicles
Information and prices checked October 21, 2026.
Before you go
Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:
Nearby trails
- Cougar Burns Traverse RouteHard · 28.0 km · 2,401 m gain · 2.3 km away
- Banded Peak TrailHard · 9.4 km · 1,041 m gain · 2.4 km away
- Threepoint and Rose RouteHard · 25.8 km · 2,549 m gain · 3.4 km away
- Outlaw Peak TrailHard · 2.1 km · 312 m gain · 4.2 km away
- Banded Outlaw Cornwall Glasgow Traverse RouteHard · 15.6 km · 1,305 m gain · 4.5 km away
- Banded Outlaw Cornwall Glasgow Traverse RouteHard · 4.2 km · 377 m gain · 5.1 km away
All 111 trails in Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial Park
Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30