Parking
Park at the Sunshine Village ski-area lot off the Trans-Canada Highway via Sunshine Access Road; the route starts from the lot. Resort gondola and shuttle arrangements may be seasonal, so plan access before setting out.
Overview
About Simpson Pass
Why go
- Wide alpine route through Sunshine Meadows and Simpson Pass
- Connects Sunshine Village with the Egypt Lake backcountry
- Larches, open meadows, and high-country mountain views
Heads up
- Point-to-point route requires a return or overnight plan
- Passes and open meadows can be windy, snowy, muddy, or difficult to follow
- Long backcountry distance with limited services after leaving the ski area
Simpson Pass is a one-way backcountry route from the Sunshine Village ski-area parking lot to Egypt Lake Campground (E13). It crosses open alpine country through Sunshine Meadows and Simpson Pass, then continues over the Healy Pass route to the Egypt Lake area.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,996–2,350 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Simpson 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
Sunshine Mountain Lodge: Banff's Only On-Mountain StayListen
“The road ahead leads to the base of Sunshine Village, which is how you access the Sunshine Mountain Lodge.”
Plays on the road 0.2 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sunshine Village: Gondola to the Alpine
- Sunshine Meadows in Golden Season
- Who’s Behind the Run Names at Sunshine?
- Tiny Travelers: Western Toad Migration
- 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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Simpson Pass
Route & statsThis record represents the point-to-point Sunshine Village → Egypt Lake route, not a loop or a…
This record represents the point-to-point Sunshine Village → Egypt Lake route, not a loop or a Simpson Pass-only out-and-back. The mapped route is about 7.8 miles (12.4 km) one way and takes roughly 4.1 hours for a strong hiker. The line is stored once in travel order, ending at Egypt Lake; plan a separate return or an overnight backcountry trip rather than expecting a day-hike loop.
What you’ll seeExpect forested approach, open meadows, high-country views, larches in fall, and the broad…
Expect forested approach, open meadows, high-country views, larches in fall, and the broad saddle of Simpson Pass on the Alberta–British Columbia boundary. The route continues through the Healy Pass area before descending toward Egypt Lake and its backcountry campground.
Access & planningPark at the Sunshine Village ski-area lot off the Trans-Canada Highway via Sunshine Access Road…
Park at the Sunshine Village ski-area lot off the Trans-Canada Highway via Sunshine Access Road and follow the signed route from the lot. Resort gondola and shuttle arrangements can be seasonal. A valid national park entry pass is required. Overnight stays at Egypt Lake require the appropriate backcountry reservation and permit.
Route characterThis is a moderate-to-challenging alpine point-to-point hike with exposed, changeable…
This is a moderate-to-challenging alpine point-to-point hike with exposed, changeable conditions near the passes. Trail finding can be less obvious around junctions and open meadows. Dogs must be kept on leash where permitted; stay on designated trails to protect fragile alpine vegetation.
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.
