Hike Alberta
Upper Kananaskis LakeRawson Lake 500 m N
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Rawson Lake Trail

Near Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Moderate · Out and back

Rawson Lake below the headwall of Mount Sarrail
Rawson Lake below the headwall of Mount Sarrail. Photo by davebloggs007 on Flickr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 85 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Upper Kananaskis LakeRawson Lake 1 km Open the map

About this trail

Rawson Lake Trail is a 8.7 km out and back trail near Fortress Junction in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. It runs 4.4 km each way. The route gains 390 m in total and tops out at 2,006 m. Hike Alberta rates it moderate. Allow about 3 hours 15 minutes of moving time. It meets Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail at 0.3 km, Sarrail Ridge Route at 3.2 km and Sarrail Ridge Trail at 3.6 km, and passes four other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass Upper Kananaskis Lake and Rawson Lake, a waterfall and View of the Lake in front of Mount Sarrail. Much of the route follows Rawson Creek. Also used for trail running and mountain biking.

Length
8.7km
4.4 km each way
Elevation gain
390m
Estimated time
3h15min
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
2,006m
Lowest point
1,709m

Elevation profile

1,709 m to 2,006 m
2,0061,709 0 km4.4 km

Highest point 2,006 m, lowest 1,709 m, 390 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 29% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 0% of route

0% LTE · 0% 5G

Longest modelled gap
4.4 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. 0.0 kmUpper LakeTrailhead
  2. 0.1 kmUpper Kananaskis LakeLake
  3. 1.0 kmWaterfall
  4. 1.2 kmRawson Lake TrailheadTrailhead
  5. 3.1 kmView of the Lake in front of Mount SarrailViewpoint
  6. 3.2 kmRawson LakeLake
  7. 3.6 kmEnd of Rawson Lake TrailTrailhead · 2,025 m

Good for

  • Hiking, Trail running, Mountain biking
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake, Waterfall, Views, River or creek

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 50.6098° N, 115.1187° 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 157 trails in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

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