Snowshoe Trails in Kananaskis Country

(Updated January 2012 — A new, revised, and free brochure with 3 additional trails is now
available at Barrier Lake and Peter Lougheed Visitor Information Centres)

Kananaskis Country offers wonderful opportunities for snowshoeing. Fifteen designated snowshoe trails are available for your enjoyment and have been marked with orange signs. These trails are designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced snowshoers, and are located in scenic areas away from avalanche danger zones. Although there are many areas to snowshoe within Kananaskis Country, travel off the designated snowshoe trails may take you into avalanche terrain. You should have experience in avalanche terrain assessment and be equipped for winter backcountry travel prior to venturing into these sites See here how you can practice good winter trail etiquette.

NAME	DESCRIPTION	DOWNLOAD (PDF® set as 8.5 x 11 inches, letter-size ready-for-print)
Elk Pass	This route takes you to the Alberta/BC border via a 5.6 km long trail which gains 225 m of elevation. You will see a view of Lower Kananaskis Lake and the surrounding mountains. Some portions of this trail cross or share ski trails so please stay to the edge of the trails and yield to oncoming skiers.	PDF® Map (380 KB)
Village Loops	2 loops totalling 3 kms with some hills and viewpoints, starting from Woody’s parking lot trailhead.	PDF® Map (455 KB)
Sawmill	5.1 km loop from Sawmill Trailhead. 155 m elevation gain.	PDF® Map (810 KB) Sawmill only PDF® Map (600 KB)
Wintour	5 kms of linear trail from winter gate.	PDF® Map (325 KB)
Hogarth Lakes Loop	A 3.9 km loop of flat terrain from Burstall Pass Trailhead. Forest and some great views of surrounding mountains from the shoreline of a series of frozen lakes.	PDF® Map (810 KB) Hogarth Lakes only PDF® Map (425 KB)
Penstock Loop	A forested 4.5 km loop from Canyon Day Use which takes in some interesting historical features such as the Pocaterra Dam Penstock and the Kent Creek sluiceway, and provides nice views of the Opal Range.	PDF® Map (390 KB)
Canyon	2.1 kms one-way from Canyon Day Use.	PDF® Map (520 KB)
Lower Lake	2.8 kms of linear lakeshore trail from either Canyon Day Use or William Watson Lodge.	PDF® Map (520 KB)
Marsh Loop	1.3 km loop from William Watson Lodge. Gradual uphill and downhill.	PDF® Map (520 KB)
Elkwood Loop	3.4 km loop. Add an extra 0.7 km from William Watson Lodge.	PDF® Map (1.6 MB)
Chester Lake	3.4 kms one way from Chester Lake Trailhead. Shared with skiers for first 0.2 kilometre then follow the trail signs. 287 metres of elevation gain.	PDF® Map (810 KB) Chester Lake only PDF® Map (800 KB)

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Important note:
We recommend that visitors who are not experienced in winter travel in the backcountry stay on these marked trails. If you venture off marked trails, you should be experienced in route finding, winter travel, and dealing with a variety of natural hazards such as avalanches, cold temperatures, and short days. Let other know your route and return time. There are no "trail sweeps" done by patrollers or conservation officers at the end of the day.

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