Hike Alberta
Upper Kananaskis LakeThree Isle Lake Backcountry Campground 2 km N
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Three Isle Lake Trail

Near Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Hard · Out and back

Mount Worthington above Three Isle Lake
Mount Worthington above Three Isle Lake. Photo by Cursedwaffles, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 83 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Upper Kananaskis LakeThree Isle Lake Backcountry Campground 2 km Open the map

About this trail

Three Isle Lake Trail is a 22.5 km out and back trail near Fortress Junction in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. It runs 11.3 km each way. The route gains 867 m in total and tops out at 2,212 m. Hike Alberta rates it hard. Allow about 8 hours of moving time. It meets Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail at 0.9 km, Mount Nomad Route at 3.8 km and Mount Lyautey Route at 7.3 km, and passes eight other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass Upper Kananaskis Lake and Three Isle Lake, a stream crossing, a backcountry campground and a campground. Much of the route follows Upper Kananaskis River. Also used for backpacking.

Length
22.5km
11.3 km each way
Elevation gain
867m
Estimated time
8h
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
2,212m
Lowest point
1,705m

Elevation profile

1,705 m to 2,212 m
2,2101,705 0 km11.3 km

Highest point 2,212 m, lowest 1,705 m, 867 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 39% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 0% of route

0% LTE · 0% 5G

Longest modelled gap
11.3 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

  1. 0.0 kmUpper Kananaskis LakeLake
  2. 0.8 kmUpper Lake Circuit JunctionTrailhead
  3. 3.8 kmStream crossing
  4. 7.7 kmForksBackcountry campground
  5. 11.2 kmThree Isle Lake Backcountry CampgroundCampground
  6. 11.2 kmThree Isle LakeBackcountry campground

Good for

  • Hiking, Backpacking
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake, Views, River or creek, Camping, Alpine

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 50.6321° N, 115.1403° 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