Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail

Near Fortress Junction · Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Moderate · Point to point

Upper Kananaskis Lake and the surrounding peaks. Photo by davebloggs007 on Flickr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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

About this trail

Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail is a 10.4 km point to point trail near Fortress Junction in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The route gains 249 m in total and tops out at 1,769 m. Hike Alberta rates it moderate. Allow about 3 hours 15 minutes of moving time. It meets Aster Lake Trail at 5.0 km, Rawson Lake Trail at 9.2 km and Blueberry Hill at 10.1 km, and passes four other mapped junctions. At 1.4 km a 70 m side branch with the same name splits off. The map also shows two separate sections with the same name that are not part of this route. The distance and climb above follow this route only, not its branches. Along the way you pass Upper Kananaskis Lake, a campground, a waterfall and a stream crossing. Also used for trail running, mountain biking and backpacking.

Length: 10.4km
Elevation gain: 249m
Estimated time: 3h15min; Moving time
Route: Point to point
Highest point: 1,769m
Lowest point: 1,709m

Elevation profile

1,709 m to 1,769 m

Highest point 1,769 m, lowest 1,709 m, 249 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 15% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 0% of route

0% LTE · 0% 5G

Longest modelled gap: 10.4 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

0.0 kmUpper Lake Circuit JunctionTrailhead
0.0 kmUpper Kananaskis LakeLake
2.6 kmPoint Backcountry CampgroundCampground
3.3 kmWaterfall
6.8 kmStream crossing
9.2 kmRawson Lake TrailheadTrailhead
9.2 kmWaterfall
10.3 kmUpper LakeTrailhead

Good for

Hiking, Trail running, Mountain biking, Backpacking
Dog friendly (on leash)
Lake, Waterfall, Camping

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 50.6324° N, 115.1507° 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