Parking
Start at Redearth Creek Parking on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 20 km west of Banff. The trail listing pin is partway along the corridor; use the signed parking area at the highway.
Overview
About Redearth Creek Trail
Why go
- A broad former fire road makes the route easy to follow.
- Lost Horse campground gives a supported 7 km turnaround.
Heads up
- The full return is a long day on the same corridor.
- Most of the route is forested, with only intermittent views.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,407–1,772 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 Redearth 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
Redearth Creek and the Long Walk to Shadow Lake0:00 / 0:30
“Redearth Creek trailhead is coming up, the start of the long walk to Shadow Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Town That Outran Its Ore
- The Orchid That Offers No Nectar
- Hillsdale Meadow: Wildflowers and Pilot Mountain
- A Nest Beside the Waterfall
- 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 Redearth Creek Trail
Is this the outing you want?Redearth Creek Trail is a long, shared out-and-back on a former fire road from the Trans-Canada…
Redearth Creek Trail is a long, shared out-and-back on a former fire road from the Trans-Canada Highway to the end of the bike-access corridor. The mapped route is about 10.2 km one way, or 20.4 km (12.7 miles) return; allow seven to eight hours on foot with stops. The grade is mostly gradual, with about 330 m of climbing and 95 m of descent on the way in. It is a long approach into the backcountry, not a short walk to a viewpoint, and bikes use the same road.
The valley roadFrom the Redearth Creek parking area, the broad dirt road climbs through a tree-lined valley.
From the Redearth Creek parking area, the broad dirt road climbs through a tree-lined valley. The grade rolls over a few short dips, but there is no technical trail or steep scramble. Most of the walk stays under forest, with views opening only now and then. At about 7 km the road reaches Lost Horse campground; it continues to a signed junction at roughly 10 km.
Where to turn aroundThe route ends at the bike-lock junction, where riders leave bikes before continuing on foot.
The route ends at the bike-lock junction, where riders leave bikes before continuing on foot. If you are walking this Redearth Creek segment, turn around here and retrace the same road. Lost Horse campground makes a shorter turnaround at about 7 km, for roughly 14 km return. Shadow Lake Lodge is about 2.4 km beyond the lock-up on foot; going there makes a much longer outing of roughly 25.8 km (16 miles) return, and is outside the route mapped here.
Winter travelAvalanche paths cross the road around 3.3 and 4.4 km, with paths above the route from about 6.
Avalanche paths cross the road around 3.3 and 4.4 km, with paths above the route from about 6.3 to 8 km. In winter, check current avalanche conditions and do not stop in the runout areas. Dogs are allowed on summer trails in Banff when kept leashed and under physical control; some snow-covered routes have dog restrictions, so check the current trail rules before a winter visit.
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.
