Parking
Start at the Elk Pass Day Use Area parking lot off Kananaskis Lakes Trail.
Overview
About Elk Pass Trail
Why go
- A steady climb reaches a meadow and the Alberta–BC boundary.
Heads up
- The old-road approach makes up most of the walk.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peter Lougheed map
Full mapElevation1,728–1,886 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Peter Lougheed alerts
- ClosureTrail closures and Three Isle detourThree trail sections remain closed; stay out of closed areas and follow the signed Three Isle detour to reach the open backcountry campgrounds.Official details
- CautionBear activity near Elpoca and ValleyviewFrequent bear activity has been noted along Valleyview Road from Elpoca Day Use Area south to Highway 40, near Little Highwood Pass and Valleyview Day Use Areas; use bear precautions.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Peter Lougheed Tour Guide
Your drive to Elk Pass Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Peter Lougheed Provincial 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 Peter Lougheed audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Elk Pass: A Meadow on the Provincial Boundary0:00 / 0:25
“Up ahead is Elk Pass Day Use Area, the start of a summer hike to a meadow on the Alberta–British Columbia boundary.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peter Lougheed Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Upper Lake: Shoreline and Sarrail Falls
- Lower Lake Day Use: A Winter Lakeshore Stop
- Boulton Creek: Trading Post and Creekside Break
- North Interlakes and Panorama: Two Lake Views
- 41 audio storiesacross Peter Lougheed’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Canada Lynx, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 66 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Elk Pass Trail
The walkElk Pass Trail is an out-and-back from Elk Pass Day Use to West Elk Pass at the Alberta–British…
Elk Pass Trail is an out-and-back from Elk Pass Day Use to West Elk Pass at the Alberta–British Columbia boundary. Published one-way distances vary from about 5 to 5.6 km, so plan for roughly 10–11.2 km round trip. The gradual climb and long old-road approach make this a moderate half-day; allow around 3–4 hours with stops.
Up to the meadowFrom the lot, follow Powerline Road to the first bridge over Fox Creek.
From the lot, follow Powerline Road to the first bridge over Fox Creek. Cross it and continue on the right fork. About 100 m beyond Blueberry Hill Trail, take the hiker-marked path to the right. The old fire road runs for roughly 4.9 km before the route opens into meadow, with the pass just beyond. Expect a broad, steadily climbing track rather than a technical scramble.
At West Elk PassThe Alberta route reaches the pass at the provincial boundary; turn around here for this hike.
The Alberta route reaches the pass at the provincial boundary; turn around here for this hike. The Elk Lakes cabin is another 4.3 km beyond the border, so continuing makes for a substantially longer outing. The meadow and boundary pass are the open landmarks at the end of the wooded approach.
Summer route and dogsFollow the summer hiker markers; the winter ski alignment is different around the approach to…
Follow the summer hiker markers; the winter ski alignment is different around the approach to the pass. Dogs are allowed on leash, but they are not permitted on groomed ski trails in winter.
Access and group sizeStart at Elk Pass Day Use Area on Kananaskis Lakes Trail.
Start at Elk Pass Day Use Area on Kananaskis Lakes Trail. Hiking groups are limited to 15 people.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Peter Lougheed
132 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
17 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
30 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
176 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Peter Lougheed. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
