Whether you choose to walk, hike, or bike, the 23-km Crowsnest Pass Community Trail is a great way to experience the scenic area and the five small communities that make up the municipality. We ended up renting e-bikes as it was something we had never tried before. These bikes turn even the most grueling long-distance […]
Lundbreck Falls is a super easy to reach waterfall close to Highway 3, near Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. It is a great stop to stretch your legs!
5 of the top Crowsnest Pass hikes in SW Alberta are described. All offer superb mountain hiking, without the crowds, except for Frank Slide.
Crowsnest Pass, or “The Pass” as the locals call it, is a singular collective of five historic mining towns, all surrounded by the majestic rocky mountains. Each community is unique and has been formed through a history of economic booms, tragedies, and a local passion for the area. Today, small historic mining towns, incredible mountain […]
The Best Hikes of Crowsnest Pass
In August my husband and I, along with a group of family members, travelled to the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta for a trip through the Gargantua Caves. It was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done but it was definitely worth it and I wanted to tell you a little bit about […]
Tincup Pass...
Photo by Josephine Wang ©2023
Looking for fun things to do in the Crowsnest Pass area, home to 5 towns & more than its fair share of disasters? Visit for hikes & history.
Lille - Ghost Town - Crowsnest Pass - Hiking Alberta | Hiking with Barry
If you're looking for fun Crowsnest Pass things to do, you're in luck! Here's the best activities, eateries and places to stay in the Pass.
The Crowsnest Pass region of Alberta’s Rockies doesn’t come up enough when it comes to discussions of Alberta’s best hiking and outdoor recreation destinations. If after looking at my photos of my hike up McGillivray Ridge there is still any question of the Crowsnest Pass being able to deliver some absolutely superb views on some outrageously fun hikes, then I really don’t know what to think. My hike up McGillivray Ridge was a highlight of my 2022 hiking season, and I’m excited to shed some light on one of the best Crowsnest Pass hikes - an underappreciated hike in an underappreciated area.
In spring of every year, thousands of eagles flying north to their northern breeding ranges in Yukon and Alaska converge above Piitaistakis Ridge, the southern tip of the Livingstone Range. From here they trace their way along the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains to their destination. In autumn the route is reversed, and they once again glide over Piitaistakis Ridge on their way home. The name of the ridge reflects the long-held knowledge of the significance of this place among the Pikanii Blackfoot. (Piitaistakis means “place of the eagles”.) The ridge is today more often referred to by the far less romantic name “Raptor Migration Viewpoint.”
Wedge Mountain is a Crowsnest Pass peak that likely doesn’t see too many summits. The only two routes published online are an off-trail hike / scramble up the south side, or a snowshoeing route that leads up a road most of the way. Fortunately there is a third hiking route that I used to get up Wedge Mountain. Wedge Mountain is a part of the Crowsnest Volcanics, a unique group of ridges running up through the Crowsnest pass that predate the rest of the Rocky Mountains. One of my favourite views in the Crowsnest Pass is from just past the summit of Wedge Mountain looking south down over the Crowsnest Pass. From here the way other peaks in the Crowsnest Volcanics fit together is obvious - Wedge Mountain flows into Iron Ridge flows into Saddle Mountain flows into Willoughby Peak. It’s an unique view.
A couple weeks ago I was standing at the Coleman viewpoint just off of the Crowsnest highway enjoying the sunset.
This Saskatoon Mountain does one better. Hikers are rewarded with views over the entire Crowsnest Pass, all the way from the Livingstone Range in the East to the Flatheads in the West. Of course, one can’t forget the stellar views of iconic Crowsnest Mountain behind the Crowsnest volcanics, outcroppings of rock formed 100 million years ago, much older than the Rocky Mountains themselves. And to the south, distant peaks of the Castle region trace their way up and down along the horizon.
I can’t count the number of times I must have driven past Bald Hill in the Crowsnest Pass before even noticing it was there.
You may have noticed that I never provide difficulty ratings for my hikes on here, and that’s of course because of the subjectivity of a hike’s difficulty. Something that’s easy to me might be much more challenging to someone else, just as much as the inverse might be equally true. Instead I try to provide lots of photos and detailed descriptions of my hikes - hopefully allowing you to assess for yourself and decide if a hike is right for you.
I love road trips through the mountains! Among my favorite drives is to head south from Calgary, through the Rocky Mountains to British Columbia, then on to Idaho's panhandle. The scenery is simply breathtaking mile-after-mile,...
Located just a short walk down this lovely historical trail is Rainbow Falls, and along the way there are multiple signs of the former use...
