Parking
Start at the Mount Norquay Ski Area parking lot. From the day lodge, follow the service road near Cascade Lift for about 1.4 km; the signed trail entrance is on the right. The route ends beside the Trans-Canada Highway.
Overview
About Lower Stoney Trail
Why go
- A continuous forested descent on a distinct singletrack.
- A short route with a clear start and finish.
Heads up
- Rough, rocky sidehill tread shared with mountain bikes and horses.
- The one-way finish needs a pickup or an uphill return.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,410–1,669 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 Lower Stoney 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
Mount Norquay: The Big Chair and Cliffhouse0:00 / 0:35
“Up ahead is Mount Norquay, where the seasonal sightseeing chairlift takes you above Banff in an open-air seat. Choose this if you'd like the mountain view without a summit climb.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Norquay Green Spot: Banff from Above
- The Lake Left by a Block of Ice
- The Muskrat’s Winter Breathing Hole
- Fenland: Lunch and an Old Spruce Forest
- 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 Lower Stoney Trail
The one-way descentLower Stoney is a shared-use singletrack running about 4.
Lower Stoney is a shared-use singletrack running about 4.2 km one way from Mount Norquay Ski Area to the Trans-Canada Highway. It drops along a forested sidehill on rough, rocky tread. Parks Canada lists 4.2 km, while the mapped route is about 3.7 km; the reason for the difference is unclear, so use 4.2 km for planning. Hiking time is not published; allow about 1.5 hours for the downhill walk. The published descent total also differs from the sampled elevation profile, so treat the profile as approximate.
Find the entranceFrom the day lodge, follow the service road near Cascade Lift for about 1.
From the day lodge, follow the service road near Cascade Lift for about 1.4 km, then look on the right for the signed entrance. The route continues down a steep sidehill to the highway. This is a shared trail: stay alert for mountain bikes, hikers and horses, especially on rough or blind sections.
Plan the finishThe route ends at a gate by the busy Trans-Canada Highway, not back at the ski area.
The route ends at a gate by the busy Trans-Canada Highway, not back at the ski area. Pass through and latch the gate. Cycling directions return along the highway to the Norquay exit; hikers should arrange a pickup or retrace the trail uphill rather than plan on walking beside the highway. Dogs are allowed on Banff trails in summer unless a restriction says otherwise; keep them leashed and under control.
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.
