If you’re looking for a short day hike, or maybe, a weekend overnighter, look no further than Kananaskis Country - the mountaineous provincial park closest to Calgary, Alberta!
Kananaskis Country is a section of mountain ranges and provincial parks approximately one hour southwest of Calgary, making it an easy spot for spontaneous day hikes or weekends in nature. Just south of Canmore and Banff National Park, K-Country provides many hiking trails, opportunities for camping, and room for other outdoor adventures.
Check out this beautiful sunset at Gooseberry Campground we experienced before starting out on our 2023 bikepacking trip through the Rockies.
Backcountry Camping in Kananaskis
Travel through Kananaskis by foot, by horse, or even by mountain bike. Take in views like this one, captured right before arriving at Tombstone Backcountry Campsite.
Escaping the stressors of the modern world comes easy when you’re hiking between mountains, finding quiet lunch spots around local lakes, or spending the night under the stars at a backcountry campsite. In fact, capping off a day of hiking with backcountry camping in Kananaskis can make for some of the most rewarding and awe-inspiring adventures in the Rockies.
Based on my own experience, here are some tips for planning a backcountry camping trip in the Rockies.
Finding Kananaskis Hiking Trails
Finding the right hiking trail for your backcountry trip can be easy with a few valuable resources. Start with the Alberta Parks or Friends of Kananaskis Country websites. Both sites offer a variety of trails for both longer and shorter trips.
Tombstone Campground via Elbow Pass Trail is a great starter for backpacking trips with a night of backcountry camping–I can attest! Although it starts with a fairly steep climb, you’ll quickly find yourself traversing tree-lined trails and emerging at bright blue lakes and between towering mountains.
Starting your trip by parking at Elbow Lake/Peter Lougheed Provincial Park trailhead, you will hike 7.6 km each way–a leisurely hike out one day and back the next, perfect for an overnighter at Tombstone Backcountry Campsite. This route is part of the Big Elbow Loop and connects to many biking trails and is often used for horseback riding also. It is the only trail in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park that permits equestrian use.
Hike-a-biking is sometimes necessary through the challenging landscape of the Rocky Mountains.
Along the way, you can take breaks at Elbow Lake, stop to feel the cool mountain water in the Elbow River (sourced from the Rae Glacier of Mount Rae–part of the front ranges of the Rockies), or take a detour to extend your route a bit down the Piper Pass trail or the more challenging Rae Lake trail.
Why not spend a week hiking and camping in Kananaskis Country? If you’re looking for a longer trip, you could take the Piper Pass, a lesser-travelled route, 20.3 km out-and-back from Elbow pass day-use, with scenic views of the jagged Elpoca Mountain and Tombstone Lake, or the Rae Lake trail out-and-back 34.4 km from Elbow Pass day-use. Or spend multiple nights at Tombstone, taking day hikes out along the Piper Pass or the Rae Lake trail.
Kananaskis Backcountry Camping
There’s overnight parking at the Elbow Pass day-use parking lot, just off highway 40, north of Highwood Pass, and directly northwest of Mount Rae. The parking lot is just a short distance from Elbow Lake Backcountry Campground, a spot with great views of Elbow Lake.
I highly recommend a stay at Tombstone Backcountry Campsite though. Spend the day following the Elbow Pass trail along the Elbow River. Pass by Elbow Lake, then the Piper Pass trailhead, taking a left on Big Elbow Trail and then across the Elbow River Wooden Bridge, and you’re practically there.
Spend the evening taking in the stars and cooking a meal at the group fire pits, before cosying up in your tent among the trees on one of the groomed gravel tent pads.
Kananaskis Country offers both vehicle-access camping, as well as backcountry. Many hiker/biker sites are also available throughout the parks, including Buller Mountain Day Use in Spray Valley Provincial Park which can be easily accessed for day-use from Calgary via the Trans-Canada Highway then the Smith Dorian Trail (AB-742), a short distance from Canmore.
While predominantly used for daytime activities and gatherings, they have several hiker/biker campsites with tent pads, pit/vault toilets, and food lockers available. All payment is conducted on the honour system, with self-registration kiosks and a locked payment box.
Waking up with the place to ourselves at a hiker/biker campsite at Buller Mountain day-use area.
Stay here for a night, and due to the size of these parks, in the middle of the summer, you might even find the place to yourselves as we did!
Random camping is not permitted in any of the Alberta provincial parks. However, many backcountry sites can be found on the Alberta Parks website and hiker/biker sites are listed here with additional info on AlbertaTrailNet.com.
Tip: Check back often! While many sites will fill up as soon as registration opens for the season, lots of spots also open up as the season approaches. People’s plans change! And because the cancellation fee is only $10, people are apt to allow plans to change at the last minute, cancelling one reservation to make room for an adventure elsewhere.
Top Rated Backcountry Camping Gear
In my experience, here are the top two items of gear you should have for backcountry camping in Kananaskis Country.
1. A compact, lightweight tent like those made by Big Agnes. While certainly an investment, it’s well worth it when you’ll be carrying everything on your back (or your bike). Keep an eye on Amazon's prime days for tent sales!
2. A compact, down jacket for overnight and early in the morning. The temperatures in the Rockies can drop down to almost freezing overnight, even in the summer. It’s important to dress properly so that you can get a good night’s sleep!
The Mountain Hardwear Women’s Ghost Whisperer™ Ultralight Hoody is perfect! It is lightweight, easily packable, and the 1000-fill goose down will keep you cosy. Another investment piece for sure, but keep your eye on sites like The Last Hunt. That’s where I got mine, and I paid about 50% of the original price!
Kananaskis Backcountry Camping Costs
A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park at any trailhead in the Kananaskis Country. They’re easy enough to purchase though from the Alberta Parks website ahead of time. Or in-person from any Kananaskis Visitor Information Centre or the Canmore Nordic Centre Day Lodge. A day-pass for one personal use car is $15, or you can spend $90 to have unlimited access for a year.
Reminder: Service while in the parks can be limited! It is always important to plan ahead and purchase the appropriate permits before entering the parks.
To stay at any of the backcountry sites, including Tombstone, you have to make Kananaskis camping reservations at a cost of $12 per person a night. A maximum of 6 people can stay on one tent pad “site” with some exceptions, including 2 tents being permitted per site at Big Elbow and Tombstone backcountry sites.
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