Parking
Mistaya Canyon parking lot on the west side of the Icefields Parkway, 72 km north of the Lake Louise junction on Hwy 93N. Carry the required Parks Canada pass for parking.
Overview
About Sarbach Lookout
From the Mistaya Canyon parking lot, this difficult out-and-back climbs steadily through forest and marshy sections to the former Sarbach Fire Lookout site. The route is 5.1 km one way (10.2 km round trip; about 6.3 miles total) with roughly 580 m of elevation gain and 45 m of loss; Parks Canada estimates 4–5 hours round trip. After crossing the bridge near the canyon, follow the signed Sarbach route past the Mistaya River viewpoint and through the boggy lower section before the sustained upper climb. The rocky viewpoint offers mountain and valley views, including Glacier Lake and Howse Pass, but this hike ends at the lookout area; the continuation toward Mount Sarbach is a separate difficult scramble. Park at the Mistaya Canyon parking lot on the Icefields Parkway, 72 km north of the Lake Louise junction. Carry water and bear spray, keep pets leashed, and plan for steep grades, wet ground, and possible deadfall. Check Parks Canada guidance before setting out.
Why go
- Mountain and valley views from a quiet former fire-lookout site
- A rewarding alternative to the busy Mistaya Canyon stop
Heads up
- Steep, sustained ascent with wet marshy sections and possible deadfall
- The Mount Sarbach continuation beyond the lookout is a separate difficult scramble
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,476–2,048 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureLake Louise area trails and access areas closed for wildlifeMentions Lake Louise, referenced in this guideThe Bow River Trail, Louise Creek Trail, lower Tramline Trail, and Great Divide Trail parking area are closed because the closure prevents wildlife from being displaced from an essential travel…Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Sarbach Lookout, 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 trailhead
Mistaya Canyon's Powerful Slot Canyon ViewListen
“Just ahead is the stop for Mistaya Canyon, a classic Parkway experience where a little effort gets you a big payoff. A short walk leads down to a bridge that hangs right over a deep slot canyon.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Spruce, Fir, Pine, and Larch: Your Banff Tree ID Guide
- Mount Wilson Overlook: A Massive View
- Mountain Goats: Cliff Acrobats of the Rockies
- Bighorn Sheep: The Curl of the Rockies
- 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.”
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
122 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
67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
465 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
