Parking
Park at the Mosquito Creek trailhead on the Icefields Parkway, opposite Mosquito Creek Campground/hostel.
Overview
About Clearwater Pass and Devon Lakes
Why go
- Upper Devon Lakes offers a standout, little-visited panoramic viewpoint
- Wide, flowered Clearwater Pass meadows with huge sightlines in stable weather
Heads up
- Sections of faint or undefined trail demand solid navigation
- Permit logistics for random camping at Devon Lakes add planning overhead
- Early/late season snow and high water can shut the trip down
Clearwater Pass and the Devon Lakes basin make this a serious Banff backcountry objective: broad alpine meadows, turquoise lakes, glacial valleys, and long views with very little traffic.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,815–2,240 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureRed Deer River valley closed during ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison hunt taking place through November, for public safety during the harvest.Official details
- ClosureJohnston Canyon closed for constructionJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area, including the washrooms and P1 parking lot, are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, for construction work to ensure public and worker…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Clearwater Pass and Devon Lakes, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
HI Mosquito Creek: Wilderness Hostel and Alpine TrailsListen
“The cluster of cabins coming into view is the HI Mosquito Creek hostel, a true wilderness base right on the parkway. This is a very rustic, off-grid kind of place, popular with hikers and climbers.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why It’s Called Noseeum Creek: Tiny Biters, Big Role
- Dolomite Country: The Magnesium Rock Shaping This Valley
- The Doctor and the Kicking Horse
- Hector Lake: A Quiet Hike with a River Crossing
- 178 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 177 trails, 236 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
Trail guide
Hiking Clearwater Pass and Devon Lakes
The route and mileageThis is a demanding out-and-back from the Mosquito Creek Trailhead on the Icefields Parkway.
This is a demanding out-and-back from the Mosquito Creek Trailhead on the Icefields Parkway. The route follows Mosquito Creek toward the backcountry campground, continues through the Fish Lakes and Pipestone corridor, and crosses the Clearwater Pass approach toward the Devon Lakes basin. Plan on roughly 34–37 miles (55–60 km) total for the return trip; reports vary with the exact line and lake-basin side trips. Budget about 19–21 hours of hiking, normally spread over two or three days. The faint alpine tread and route-finding above treeline are part of the challenge.
What you’ll seeExpect open subalpine forest and creek crossings near the start, the Fish Lakes basin, broad…
Expect open subalpine forest and creek crossings near the start, the Fish Lakes basin, broad flowered passes, turquoise Devon Lakes, and sweeping views toward the Clearwater and Pipestone valleys. The upper basin feels remote and exposed, with no convenient services once you leave the Icefields Parkway.
Difficulty and conditionsThis is an advanced, high-country backpacking route.
This is an advanced, high-country backpacking route. Multiple passes, long distances, occasional faint tread, stream crossings, and fast-changing alpine weather demand strong navigation and a conservative itinerary. Treat all water, carry bear spray, and plan for lingering snow, mud, or high water early in the season. Random camping at Devon Lakes requires the appropriate Parks Canada backcountry permit.
Good to knowPark at the Mosquito Creek Trailhead across from Mosquito Creek Campground/Hostel on the…
- Park at the Mosquito Creek Trailhead across from Mosquito Creek Campground/Hostel on the Icefields Parkway.
- Dogs are allowed on leash where permitted, but this remote route is not a sensible casual dog hike.
- Confirm current Parks Canada access, camping, and permit requirements before setting out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
122 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
465 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
