Parking
Use the Muleshoe Picnic Area parking lot on the Bow Valley Parkway; cross Highway 1A to reach the south-ridge approach.
Overview
About Muleshoe Ridge Trail
Why go
- An open ridge bench looks over the Bow River oxbow and forested Bow Valley.
Heads up
- The steep upper route is unmaintained, with deadfall and difficult route-finding.
Muleshoe Ridge is an unofficial 3.4-mile (5.5-km) out-and-back from the Muleshoe Picnic Area parking lot. Cross Highway 1A, climb the south ridge, and continue to the open bench near the wooded high point. Allow about four hours for roughly 850 m (2,800 ft) of climbing. This is a steep, rough outing for hikers comfortable route-finding when tread fades, not a quick viewpoint walk.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,407–2,249 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 Muleshoe Ridge 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
Muleshoe: A Picnic and a Birdwatching Pause0:00 / 0:27
“Muleshoe Picnic Area is coming up, a small Bow Valley Parkway stop that's worth a pause if you enjoy watching birds.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bourgeau Lake and Harvey Pass
- Swimming Races at the Winter Carnival
- The Newspaper Argument Behind an Alpine Club
- Backswamp Viewpoint: River and Mount Bourgeau
- 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 Muleshoe Ridge Trail
The climbThe lower approach passes through aspens and takes two sharp turns before the sustained ridge…
The lower approach passes through aspens and takes two sharp turns before the sustained ridge ascent. Open meadows give the first wide look over the Bow Valley, followed by a brief easier stretch before the upper climb. The upper tread has been reported to disappear into heavy deadfall, with detours below the crest and unavoidable log crossings. Its present condition has not been verified; treat the mapped line as a reference rather than a maintained or necessarily obvious tread, and turn back if the route becomes unsafe or unclear.
At the ridgeThe wooded high point blocks the view.
The wooded high point blocks the view. The payoff is a nearby open bench on the west side, with a broad look over the Bow River oxbow, the forested valley and the mountain wall beyond. Muleshoe Ridge is a west outlier of Mount Cory; the Mount Cory summit scramble is a separate, more demanding outing and is outside this route.
Is this the hike for you?Start at the Muleshoe lot on the Bow Valley Parkway; the approach begins across Highway 1A.
Start at the Muleshoe lot on the Bow Valley Parkway; the approach begins across Highway 1A. No route-side water or other services were verified. Dogs are allowed under Banff’s leash rule; keep them leashed and under physical 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.
