Banff National Park, AB
A steep, rocky west-side climb to the upper mountain.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
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 area
The Fan at the Canyon Mouth“At the foot of a narrow mountain canyon, look for a broad apron of ground spreading into the valley. It may be an alluvial fan, built from material carried down by water.”
Plays on the road 1.7 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…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
The Westside is the 5.4 km (3.4 mi) one-way road between the Sundance Trail junction and upper Sulphur Mountain. It gains about 824 m (2,700 ft) over that distance. The old fire road is rocky and steep for most of the climb; allow about four hours uphill. It is a hard route with a clear purpose: reaching the upper mountain by its west side.
The lower junction is about 2.6 km along Sundance Trail from Cave and Basin. Starting there makes the walk to the upper mountain about 8 km one way by the component distances; winter route information rounds the full approach to 7.8 km, so use 8 km for planning. The 5.4 km recorded here is the Westside road itself. There is no loop: if you descend to Cave and Basin, arrange your own ride back to the upper trailhead or walk the route back.
This is a rocky old access road, also used by mountain bikers; yield to other trail users and take care on the steep descent. In winter, hikers and snowshoers are advised to use ice cleats. Dogs are permitted on leash.
The route meets the Sulphur Mountain boardwalk area. Its separate ridge section runs about 500 m and includes 368 shallow steps, so leave time for it if you reach the summit from below.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingSundance Pass Trail12 km · 6 hr · 1.7 km awayA forested pass route ends with a rough creek descent.
ModerateSundance Canyon Loop9 km · 3 hr · 2.1 km awayA smooth paved approach ends at a rugged creekside canyon loop.
EasySundance Trail7.4 km · 2 hr · 2.2 km awayA paved river walk ending at a creekside picnic area.
EasyMarsh Loop2.8 km · 1 hr · 2.2 km awayA short loop around a wetland fed by Sulphur Mountain hot springs.
EasyCave and Basin Trail: Lower Boardwalk0.5 km · 20 min · 2.3 km awayA short boardwalk for a close look at wetland life.
ModerateBanff Legacy Trail24.5 km · 6.5 hr · 2.5 km awayA long paved route with an on-road link through Banff
ChallengingCory Pass Loop12.8 km · 6 hr · 2.6 km awayA rugged loop over Cory and Edith passes through Gargoyle Valley
EasyBow River Trail to Bow Falls2.7 km · 1 hr · 3.6 km awayA short riverside walk to Bow Falls crosses a wooden footbridge.Sight · 1.2 km awaySundance CanyonA tight gorge and small waterfall reward the long approach.
Sight · 2.1 km awayFirst World War Internment ExhibitA compact exhibit connects wartime internment with national park roads.
Sight · 2.3 km awayCave and Basin National Historic SiteA cave, warm springs, and the start of Canada's national parks.
Sight · 2.4 km awayVermilion LakesDocks and marsh reflections frame Mount Rundle.
Picnic area · 2.6 km awayFireside Day-use AreaA quick picnic stop with trail access at the Parkway's eastern end.
Sight · 3.5 km awayBuffalo Nations MuseumA compact museum for First Nations histories and art in the Rockies.
Sight · 3.6 km awayCascade of Time GardensA garden pause with terraces, flowers and small waterfalls.
Sight · 3.6 km awayThe Whyte (Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies)Art, photographs and the human story behind Banff's mountain scenery.Parkwolf’s Banff ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
