Banff National Park, AB

Healy Pass

A long, gradual climb to wildflower meadows, golden larches, and big views at Healy Pass

Length
17.5km
Time
6.5hr
Elev. change
662m
Difficulty
Moderate
  • Dogs allowed
  • High point 2,350 m
  • #42 of 177 in Banff

Hear the audio tour

Who’s Behind the Run Names at Sunshine?

Overview

About Healy Pass

Why go

  • Excellent wildflower and larch displays in season
  • Consistent, gradual grade to an alpine pass
  • Flush toilets at Sunshine Village and at the campground partway along the route

Heads up

  • Long forested approach before the alpine scenery
  • Full-day distance requires an early start and steady pacing
  • Mountain weather and bear-country precautions require preparation
Healy Pass is a long, gradual climb from Sunshine Village to broad alpine meadows and a high mountain pass. Wildflowers brighten the meadows in summer, while scattered larches turn gold in early fall.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy hike it

Map & elevation

The route

Loading the Banff map
Full map
Elevation1,688–2,350 m
TrailheadSunshine Village parking area51.11544, -115.76495
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use the Sunshine Village parking area/base area at the end of Sunshine Village Access Road, off the Trans-Canada Highway. The trail begins behind the main gondola building; follow signs for Healy Pass. Mixed paved and unlined gravel parking, flush toilets, and benches are available. Check the current shuttle or gondola access schedule before setting out.

Safety

Bear country—carry bear spray and make noise. Mountain weather changes quickly; bring layers and be prepared for cold, rain, or snow. Stay on designated trails, respect posted closures, and treat stream water before drinking.

8 active Banff alerts

  • ClosureRed Deer River valley bottom closed for ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison harvest taking place through November.Official details
  • ClosureLake Minnewanka and Aylmer area closureLake Minnewanka Trail, Aylmer Pass Trail, and campgrounds Lm8, Lm9, Lm11, Lm20, Lm22 and Lm31 are closed to all users because black bears are displaying food-seeking behaviour.Official details
See all 8 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Banff Tour Guide

Your drive to Healy Pass, 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 area

Who’s Behind the Run Names at Sunshine?
Listen
“Ever wonder who the ski runs at Sunshine are named after? They're basically a who's-who of Banff's early, rugged history. Wheeler’s run is for A.O. Wheeler, a surveyor who co-founded the Alpine Club of Canada.”

Plays on the road 1.5 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Tiny Travelers: Western Toad Migration
  • Sunshine Village: Gondola to the Alpine
  • Sunshine Mountain Lodge: Banff's Only On-Mountain Stay
  • Sunshine Meadows in Golden Season
  • 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.”
tesja22App Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Trail guide

Hiking Healy Pass

Trail stats and routeThis is an out-and-back route: 8.8 km/5.5 miles one way and 17.6 km/10.

This is an out-and-back route: 8.8 km/5.5 miles one way and 17.6 km/10.9 miles round trip, with about 650 m/2,130 ft of elevation gain. Most hikers should plan on 6–7 hours round trip. The trail is non-technical, but the distance and steady climb make it a full-day outing. The stored line follows the physical corridor once from Sunshine Village to Healy Pass; the return distance is included in the total.

The route follows Healy Creek through forest before opening into alpine meadows near the pass. It ends at Healy Pass; the Healy Pass Peak and Simpson Pass routes are optional extensions and are not included here. Dogs are allowed on leash.

Access and safetyStart at the Sunshine Village parking area/base area.

Start at the Sunshine Village parking area/base area. The trail begins behind the main gondola building; follow the signed Healy Pass route. Parking, flush toilets, and benches are available at Sunshine Village, with another toilet at the campground partway along the trail. A seasonal shuttle or gondola may be part of access to the village, so check the current operator schedule before setting out.

Banff National Park admission is required. Mountain weather can change quickly, and this is bear country: carry bear spray, make noise, stay on designated trails, and respect posted closures. Treat stream water before drinking.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Healy Pass

See it all on the map

Trails that start nearby

Places near the trailhead

Parkwolf’s Banff ranking

Top-rated trails in Banff

All 177 trails
  1. 1Moraine Lake RockpileEasy · 0.8 km
  2. 2Larch Valley and Sentinel PassChallenging · 11.1 km
  3. 3Sentinel PassChallenging · 11.3 km
  4. 4Parker Ridge TrailEasy · 5.5 km
  5. 5Big Beehive TrailModerate · 10.5 km
  6. 6Sunshine Meadows LoopModerate · 11.9 km

Take Parkwolf to Banff.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

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