Hiking in the Great Canadian Rockies
The Canadian wilderness – where better to see it other than in the Great Canadian Rockies. Get to exploring what it has to offer deep in its lush, dense forests, in its rich valleys, its roaring rivers and towering giants.
Hiking in the Canadian Rockies has always been a great gift – but not something to take so easy. Beneath its beautiful views hides dangers and risks. We hope to shed light to some of these factors and ensure you can enjoy the great outdoors while being safe and informed.
I have used and relied on many apps and guides online to help me with my hikes throughout the years. Alltrails is one I have used in the past many times and have even subscribed to. I would admit that it is quite useful and I would even still recommend using it to this day. However, I find that their difficulty scale can be quite misleading. Some Hard felt somewhere in between Moderate and Hard. Some Easy ones felt like it was leaned more towards Moderate. In this guide, we would like to broaden that scale wider to cover the gray areas and to explain the difficulty thoroughly.
Difficulty Scale: Expert ,Harder than Hard , Hard, Intermediate, Moderate, Sweaty , Easy, Cake
Estimated Duration : This is a rating I’d give a certain hike – however it may not be 100% accurate and it is taken from my personal experience. It all depends on your fitness level, amount of breaks, weather, trail quality, and more – so take it with a grain of salt.
Banff National Park
| Hike Name | Difficulty | Estimated Duration |
| Mount Rundle | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Cascade Mountain | Harder than Hard | 8-10 Hours |
| Sulphur Mountain | Sweaty | 1-3 Hours |
| Tunnel Mountain | Easy | 30-45 Mins |
| Cory Pass Loop + Mount Edith ( 2 summits ) | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Johnston Canyon + Ink Pots | Cake + Easy | 30mins – 2 hour |
| Middle Sister (Canmore) | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Devil’s Thumb | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Tower of Babel | Hard | 2-4 Hours |
| Sentinel’s Pass | Intermediate | 4-6 Hours |
| Bow Lake Falls | Moderate | 3-4 Hours |
| Lake Agnes + Big Bee Hive | Moderate | 3-4 Hours |
| Heart Creek Bunker | Cake | 30 – 45 mins |
| Mt Jimmy Simpson | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Peyto Lake View Point | Cake | 15-30 Mins |
| Kinglet Lake (By Saskatchewan Crossing) | Intermediate | 3-6 Hours |
| Bow Falls + Surprise Corner | Easy | 30mins-1 Hour |
Jasper National Park
| Hike Name | Difficulty | Estimated Duration |
| Wilcox Pass | Sweaty | 2-4 Hours |
| Columbia Ice Field Glacier | Easy | 45mins-1 Hour |
| Wilcox Peak | Intermediate | 5-7 Hours |
| Boundary Peak | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Grisette Mountain Ridge – Old Man Trail via Roche Bonhomme Route | Hard | 5-7 Hours |
| Maligne Canyon | Cake | 30mins – 1 Hour |
| Athabasca Falls | Cake | 30-45 Mins |
| Sunwapta Falls | Cake | 30 – 45 Mins |
Kananaskis Provincial Park
| Hike Name | Difficulty | Estimated Duration |
| Prairie View + Barrier Lake | Sweaty | 2-3 Hours |
| Mount Baldy (2 Summits) | Intermediate | 4-6 Hours |
| Wasootch Ridge | Hard | 6-8 Hours |
| Elbow Lake | Easy | 1-2 Hours |
| Rae Glacier | Sweaty | 2-4 Hours |
| Rawson Lake | Sweaty | 3-4 Hours |
| Sarrail Ridge | Intermediate | 5-7 Hours |
| Turret Falls | Cake | 30- 45 mins |
| Mist Mountain Hot Springs | Intermediate | 4-6 Hours |
Yoho National Park
| Hike Name | Difficulty | Estimated Duration |
| Emerald Lake Loop | Easy | 1-2 Hours |
| Emerald Peak ( Counter Clockwise) | Hard | 4-6 Hours |
| Mt Stephen Trilobite Beds | Moderate | 4-6 Hours |
Travellers Pursuits 