Mount Smuts Route
Near Fortress Mountain Resort · Banff National Park
Trail score 60 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality
About this trail
Mount Smuts Route is a 3.4 km loop trail near Fortress Mountain Resort in Banff National Park. The route gains 587 m in total and tops out at 2,830 m. Hike Alberta rates it expert. Allow about 4 hours 30 minutes of moving time. It meets Mount Smutwood Route at 3.3 km, and passes one other mapped junction. Along the way you pass the summit of Mount Smuts. Expect scrambling and exposure; this is mountain terrain. Nearly all of it is mapped as T6 difficult alpine hiking. Also used for scrambling.
- Length
- 3.4km
- Elevation gain
- 587m
- Estimated time
- 4h30min
- Moving time
- Route
- Loop
- Highest point
- 2,830m
- Lowest point
- 2,300m
Elevation profile
2,300 m to 2,830 mHighest point 2,830 m, lowest 2,300 m, 587 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 93% over 100 m.
Predicted coverage: 0% of route
0% LTE · 0% 5G
- Longest modelled gap
- 3.4 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
- 1.9 kmMount SmutsSummit · 2,938 m
Good for
- Hiking, Scrambling
- Dog friendly (on leash)
- Summit, Views, Alpine
Rankings
Trailhead
The trail starts at 50.7968° N, 115.3850° W.
Banff National Park admission
National park admission required
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.
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
- Mount Birdwood RouteHard · 3.6 km · 544 m gain · 0.1 km away
- Birdwood Pass RouteModerate · 7.3 km · 424 m gain · 0.5 km away
- Commonwealth Traverse RouteHard · 6.8 km · 774 m gain · 1.7 km away
- The Fist RouteHard · 3.3 km · 675 m gain · 1.8 km away
- Pig's Tail RouteHard · 1.6 km · 347 m gain · 2.5 km away
- Tryst Lake to Tent Ridge RouteModerate · 2.1 km · 235 m gain · 2.9 km away
All 588 trails in Banff National Park
Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30