Parking
Start at Canyon Day Use on the north shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for day-use parking; vault toilets and tap water are at the lot.
Overview
About Lower Lake Snowshoe Trail
Why go
- A long lakeshore view with several distinct mountain backdrops.
- Mostly gentle snowshoe terrain with only a modest rise near the connector.
Heads up
- Point-to-point route needs a pickup or a same-route return.
- The old regional map trace is longer than the current written mileage.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peter Lougheed map
Full mapElevation1,669–1,685 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 Lower Lake Snowshoe 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
Canyon Day Use: The Lake and the Lost Trail0:00 / 0:28
“You're nearing Canyon Day Use Area, a picnic and boat-launch stop on the north shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peter Lougheed Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Peninsula Day Use: The Short Viewpoint Walk
- South Lawson Peak: The Ridge Above the Lakes
- Discovery Centre: Exhibits and Meadow Bears
- Pocaterra Warming Hut: A Ski-Day Shelter
- 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 Lower Lake Snowshoe Trail
The routeLower Lake Snowshoe is a winter point-to-point from Canyon Day Use along Lower Kananaskis Lake,…
Lower Lake Snowshoe is a winter point-to-point from Canyon Day Use along Lower Kananaskis Lake, then uphill to the William Watson Lodge Connector. The official trail description gives 3.9 km one way; allow about 1¾ hours. It does not loop back to Canyon. Arrange a pickup at the connector or turn back when ready; walking to Canyon on foot makes about 7.8 km by the official figure. The 2018 winter map is a regional sketch, not a GPS track; its registered line measures about 4.2 km, so treat mileage and junction positions as approximate.
Shoreline viewsThe route starts among trees by the north end of the lake and follows a mostly gentle shore,…
The route starts among trees by the north end of the lake and follows a mostly gentle shore, with a rise into the connector near the end. From Canyon, look north toward Mt. Wintour and King Creek Ridge; after the route bends south, Mt. Indefatigable, Mt. Sarrail, Mt. Foch and Mt. Fox come into view. Later stretches run closer to the water, with fewer trees between you and the mountain skyline. The lake-and-peaks view is the photo stop worth slowing down for.
Start and accessBegin at Canyon Day Use on the north shore.
Begin at Canyon Day Use on the north shore. The lot has vault toilets and tap water, plus picnic space, firepits and a boat launch. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for day-use parking. Pets are allowed on leash. Plan your return before starting: the mapped route ends at the connector, not back at Canyon.
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.
