Parking
Park at the Sunshine Village base area. The hiking route begins at the upper village by the main gondola building, reached by the seasonal gondola or shuttle access when operating. The village has flush toilets and benches.
Overview
About Sunshine Village Simpson Pass Trail
Why go
- Open alpine meadows and broad mountain views
- A clear Alberta–British Columbia border destination
Heads up
- The pass is a quieter, subtler payoff than Healy Pass
- Wet, rooty and rocky footing can slow the walk
This is a moderate 6.5-mile out-and-back from Sunshine Village to Simpson Pass. Allow about five hours, including time in the open meadows. The walk is more about the high-country setting than a dramatic summit: you get wide views, summer wildflowers, and a provincial-boundary destination.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation2,111–2,348 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 Sunshine Village Simpson Pass 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Sunshine Village: Gondola to the AlpineListen
“Coming up is the access road for Sunshine Village. While it's a major ski resort, the main draw in summer is the gondola ride high into the mountains.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sunshine Mountain Lodge: Banff's Only On-Mountain Stay
- 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 Sunshine Village Simpson Pass Trail
Follow the meadowsTake the gondola or seasonal shuttle access to the upper village, then follow the signed route…
Take the gondola or seasonal shuttle access to the upper village, then follow the signed route through Sunshine Meadows and onward to Simpson Pass. The pass is a grassy saddle at the Alberta–British Columbia boundary. Stay on designated trails; this alpine ground is easily damaged. If you’re hoping for a bigger mountain finish, Healy Pass is a separate, longer continuation, not part of this hike.
Plan for the mountain weatherThe route has uneven footing and can be wet or muddy after rain.
The route has uneven footing and can be wet or muddy after rain. Weather changes quickly above treeline, so bring layers and rain protection. The elevation profile rises and falls through the meadows before dropping toward the pass, even though the destination sounds like a simple saddle.
Start with the right accessPark at the Sunshine Village base area and check the seasonal gondola or shuttle arrangements…
Park at the Sunshine Village base area and check the seasonal gondola or shuttle arrangements before you go. The trail begins by the main gondola building, so the mapped hiking line starts at the upper village rather than the parking lot. There are flush toilets and benches at the village. At Simpson Pass, frame the open saddle and boundary with the mountains behind you; it gives a phone photo some scale.
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.
