Parking
Start at the Healy Creek/Brewster Creek trailhead parking lot on Sunshine Village Access Road. Use designated parking only; roadside parking is prohibited. The far end is a trail junction, so arrange a shuttle or return on foot.
Overview
About Healy Creek Trail
Why go
- Gentle grades make this a manageable forest route into the backcountry.
- The Sundance junction offers a natural continuation if you have a shuttle.
Heads up
- It is one way; walking back doubles the distance to about 11 km.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,388–1,436 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
- ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Healy Creek Trail, 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.
See the Banff audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Healy and Brewster Creek: The Walk to Sundance Lodge0:00 / 0:21
“You're nearing the Healy Creek and Brewster Creek trailhead on Sunshine Road. Choose Brewster Creek for a long creek-valley walk, about twenty kilometres return and six to seven hours.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Polar Bear in Central Park
- The Rectangular Holes in the Tree
- A Chick Riding on a Loon
- Glass Negatives in a Pacific Canoe
- 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 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 Healy Creek Trail
A gentle one-way forest walkHealy Creek is a 5.
Healy Creek is a 5.5 km one-way forest route from the Healy Creek/Brewster Creek trailhead to the Sundance Canyon junction. Parks Canada reports about 95 m of climbing and 100 m of descent. Allow roughly 1¾ to 2 hours for this leg. It suits a day when you want a forest-and-creek walk near Banff without a big summit climb.
What the route is likeA short access track leaves the parking area and joins the named Healy Creek trail.
A short access track leaves the parking area and joins the named Healy Creek trail. The route rolls gently through forest on a shared track, with creek-side stretches before it meets the Sundance trail network. The reward is the walk through the woods and along the creek, rather than a summit viewpoint. Watch for cyclists on this multi-use route.
Plan the other endThis is a point-to-point trail, and its east end is a junction rather than another car park.
This is a point-to-point trail, and its east end is a junction rather than another car park. Arrange a shuttle or continue into the Sundance trail network; Parks Canada describes carrying on toward Sundance Canyon and Cave and Basin. Those extensions add distance beyond the 5.5 km Healy Creek segment. If you turn around at the junction, budget about 11 km total.
Dogs and accessDogs are allowed on Banff trails in summer unless a route restriction says otherwise.
Dogs are allowed on Banff trails in summer unless a route restriction says otherwise. Keep them leashed and under physical control. Park in the designated Healy Creek/Brewster Creek lot on Sunshine Village Access Road; roadside parking is prohibited.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
123 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
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
