Sawback Backpacking Trail

Route Description for Sawback Backpacking Trail

The Sawback Trail backpacking route doesn’t quite hold the same status as Mount Assiniboine, Egypt Lake, or The Rockwall, yet it is just as popular. As bloggers and Instagrammers flock to other trails in the area, the Sawback Trail tends to be neglected. Its bookings tell a different story because this trail is almost impossible to reserve without the appropriate planning. The Sawback Trail is generally fully booked for the season as soon as the Parks Canada reservations system opens in January.

The trail’s solid bookings are a tell-tale sign that it is worth the planning. This trail has endless route variants and boasts a unique rocky mountain experience. You will travel through remote wilderness between Banff and Lake Louise, paralleling the Trans-Canada Highway. The roughly 71.0 km trail—depending on your route—takes hikers from the bottom of valleys to the top of high passes and everything between. You will travel along creeks, through wildflower meadows, between wildlife corridors, and next to alpine lakes on this memorable journey.

The trail is most commonly hiked from south to north beginning in Banff. Starting at Mount Norquay takes hikers through the forest in the Mystic Valley along Forty-Mile Creek to Mystic Junction and Mystic Valley Camps. Hike through the woods, taking a slight detour to the incredible Mystic Lake before summiting Mystic Pass. Be sure to turn back for jaw-dropping views as you crest Mystic Pass.

Descend Mystic Pass and continue through boulder fields below the Sawback Range and into Johnston Creek valley. Make your way to Luellen Lake, which is one of the very few campgrounds that is set right at the shores of the lake. Moving on from Luellen Lake, make your way past Badger Pass Junction campground and over Pulsatilla Pass. You will hike past the beautiful and pristine Pulsatilla Lake at the top of the pass. Head down to Wildflower Creek for a quiet night in the woods. From here, continue north into the Skoki area, where many trails collide. Stay on the main trail that winds past one of the area’s prized landmarks, Baker Lake. Hike beyond Baker Lake to the quaint Hidden Lake. Make your way to Fish Creek parking lot on the final day.

Sample Itinerary:

• Day 1
  Mount Norquay Trailhead to Mystic Valley
  Distance: 17.8 km
  Elevation gain: 468 m
  Campground: Mystic Valley Mi22
• Day 2
  Mystic Valley to Luellen Lake
  Distance: 17.7 km
  Elevation gain: 672 m
  Campground: Luellen Lake Jo19
• Day 3
  Luellen Lake to Wildflower Creek
  Distance: 15.3 km
  Elevation gain: 509 m
  Campground: Wildflower Creek Ba15
• Day 4
  Wildflower Creek to Hidden Lake
  Distance: 13.4 km
  Elevation gain: 473 m
  Campground: Hidden Lake Sk5
• Day 5
  Hidden Lake to Fish Creek Trailhead
  Distance: 7.2 km
  Elevation gain: 0 m
  Campground: None

Insider Hints for Sawback Backpacking Trail

• In the summer months Mount Norquay offers a shuttle from town to the parking lot. Roam Transit offers a bus service between Banff and Lake Louise Village, and the Lake Louise Ski Resort hosts a free shuttle from the village to the resort. We suggest leaving a vehicle at the Lake Louise end of the trail to avoid some gruelling extra mileage down the gravel road.