Hike Alberta
Ptarmigan LakeDeception PassHalfway Hut 2 km N
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Deception Pass

Near Lake Louise · Banff National Park

Hard · Out and back · Official trail

The lakes below Deception Pass
The lakes below Deception Pass. Photo by Graham Lewis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 80 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Ptarmigan LakeDeception Pass 2 km Open the map

About this trail

Deception Pass is a 19.9 km out and back trail near Lake Louise in Banff National Park. It runs 9.9 km each way. The route gains 731 m in total and tops out at 2,449 m. Hike Alberta rates it hard, and Parks Canada rates it difficult. Allow about 7 hours of moving time. It meets Purple Mound Route at 0.2 km, Mount Redoubt Route at 1.5 km and Mount Richardson Route at 3.1 km, and passes eight other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass Ptarmigan Lake, Halfway Hut, a campground and a stream crossing. Also used for horseback riding, backpacking and cross country skiing.

Length
19.9km
9.9 km each way
Elevation gain
731m
Estimated time
7h
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
2,449m
Lowest point
2,081m

Elevation profile

2,081 m to 2,449 m
2,4492,081 0 km10.0 km

Highest point 2,449 m, lowest 2,081 m, 731 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 26% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 91% of route

8% LTE · 83% 5G

Longest modelled gap
0.9 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

  1. 2.8 kmHalfway HutHut
  2. 3.1 kmHidden LakeCampground
  3. 4.4 kmPtarmigan LakeLake
  4. 7.0 kmDeception PassPass or saddle
  5. 9.5 kmStream crossing
  6. 9.8 kmStream crossing
  7. 9.9 kmStream crossing

Good for

  • Hiking, Horseback riding, Backpacking, Cross country skiing
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake, Views, Camping, Hut or tea house, Alpine

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.4508° N, 116.1090° W.

Driving directions

Banff National Park admission

National park admission required

Buy day or annual pass

Pass details

Visitors spending time in a national park need valid daily admission or a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Admission is separate from camping, reservations, parking and other service fees.

Information checked October 21, 2026.

Official details

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

All 588 trails in Banff National Park

Parks Canada trail data, Open Government Licence Canada
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30