Heart Creek Bunker Trail

Near Lac Des Arcs · Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park

Hard · Out and back

Winter view near the Heart Creek trailhead. Photo by davebloggs007 on Flickr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 71 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

About this trail

Heart Creek Bunker Trail is a 5.0 km out and back trail near Lac Des Arcs in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park. It runs 2.5 km each way. The route gains 221 m in total and tops out at 1,389 m. Hike Alberta rates it hard. Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes of moving time. It meets Heart Creek Bunker Trail (TransCanada Trail) at 1.0 km, TransCanada Trail at 1.7 km and Unnamed at 2.0 km, and passes two other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass a stream crossing, Cold War Archives Bunker (abandoned), Cold War Archives Bunker and a waterfall. Some sections are steep, rough or exposed. About 0.5 km is mapped as T3 demanding mountain hiking, starting at 2.0 km. Also used for mountain biking and horseback riding.

Length: 5.0km; 2.5 km each way
Elevation gain: 221m
Estimated time: 1h45min; Moving time
Route: Out and back
Highest point: 1,389m
Lowest point: 1,293m

Elevation profile

1,293 m to 1,389 m

Highest point 1,389 m, lowest 1,293 m, 221 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 34% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 100% of route

0% LTE · 100% 5G

Longest modelled gap: 0.0 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

0.1 kmStream crossing
0.9 kmStream crossing
2.0 kmCold War Archives Bunker (abandoned)Historic site
2.0 kmCold War Archives BunkerLandmark
2.4 kmWaterfall

Good for

Hiking, Mountain biking, Horseback riding
Dog friendly (on leash)
Waterfall, River or creek, Historic site

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.0474° N, 115.1646° W.

Driving directions

Kananaskis Conservation Pass

Vehicle pass required when parking

Buy pass

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.

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 149 trails in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park

Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30