Highwood Pass Day Use

The Highwood Pass Day Use is a roadside alpine stop at the Highwood Meadows summit on Highway 40 in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. At a little over 2,200 metres, it sits on Canada's highest paved road, with open mountain views from the parking area. The Highwood Meadows boardwalk is 0.6 km one way (1.2 km out and back) and barrier-free. Do this one if you want a taste of the alpine without a long hike; the pass view itself starts right at the lot.

The boardwalk crosses a fragile alpine meadow, with interpretive panels along the way. Keep to the boards to leave the small plants undisturbed, and take time with the signs: they make this short walk more interesting than a quick photo stop.

Walk a little way along the boardwalk, then use its line through the meadow to lead your eye toward the jagged peaks. That gives the picture a foreground and a sense of scale the straight-on view from the lot can miss. Storm Mountain rises beyond the meadow on the classic Highwood Pass view.

Late September is larch season here, when golden trees draw extra visitors. Parking is beside the view and trail, but it can get tight on busy summer weekends and around the larches. If you want a quieter stop or an easier parking chance, try a weekday or arrive earlier.

The ridges around the pass show layers of sedimentary rock folded and broken as the Rockies rose. Glaciers later carved the broad U-shaped valleys, retreating about 12,000 years ago. Look across the valley for the wide, scooped shape that ice left behind.

Bighorn sheep are sometimes spotted along this stretch of Highway 40. Keep an eye on the open slopes as you pull in, but treat a sighting as a bonus rather than a sure thing.