Best trails near Canmore

Scrambles in Canada

Country in North America

Canada is perhaps the ultimate adventure holiday destination, with huge national parks, towering mountain ranges, crystal-clear alpine lakes, and lush forests. If you’re looking for a real experience in the Great Outdoors, Canada certainly won’t disappoint. The world’s second-largest country, Canada has enough awe-inspiring sights to satisfy even the most enthusiastic nature lovers!

Spreading across the top of North America, and extending all the way into the Arctic, Canada is home to an abundance of rare and wonderful wildlife. Travelers here must share the land with a whole host of creatures, including moose, bears, mountain lions, and wild Canadian geese, and if you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of some of these remarkable creatures in their natural habitat. Indeed, it’s Canada’s wildness that attracts many visitors – it’s one of the only places in the world where you can really escape from it all and immerse yourself in nature.

Canada’s most popular regions for adventure travel are Alberta and British Columbia, home to the Canadian Rockies and some of the country’s most spectacular scenery. Come here for hiking, backpacking, climbing, scrambling, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and much more! Whether you want to dip your toes in a crisp alpine lake or trek along some of the most exhilarating ridge walks in the Rockies, there’s something for everyone here.

Canada is so huge, and the possibilities for adventure travel so vast, it can be difficult to know where to start! To help you plan your journey, we’ve put together guides to all the best regions for adventure travel in Alberta and British Columbia. You’ll find activity guides, tour recommendations, and top tips for planning a trip – all you need to do is decide where to go first!

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Scrambling regions in Canada

    Best Scrambles in Canada

    Open details for Victoria Peak

    Victoria Peak

    Hard
    17.6 km
    1,021 m
    6-8h

    Victoria Peak is the highest peak in the Castle area, scrambling up Victoria Peak provides spectacular views of where the colorful mountains of the Castle meet the prairies.

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    9.8
    Technical Difficulty
    Easy (Circle)
    Suitable for beginners, families, young children, and those looking for a casual adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Open details for Pyramid Mountain Scramble

    Pyramid Mountain Scramble

    Very Hard
    28.2 km
    1,555 m
    10-12h

    The famous Pyramid Mountain is one of Jasper’s premier landmarks. It casts unforgettable reflections on nearby Pyramid and Patricia lakes as it stands tall above. This scramble route requires a full day’s effort and will leave your legs screaming by the time you finish up the lengthy distance and elevation gains required to reach the summit.

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    9.0
    Technical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Advanced (Diamond)
    Suitable for advanced experience level looking for a solid adventure.
    Open details for Loaf Mountain and Spionkop Ridge

    Loaf Mountain and Spionkop Ridge

    Hard
    20.8 km
    1,314 m
    7-12h

    Loaf Mountain is the second highest peak in the Castle area and is bordered by spectacularly colorful valleys. An extension to the summit of Spionkop Ridge provides a spectacular view into Waterton Lakes National Park.

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    9.8
    Technical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Advanced (Diamond)
    Suitable for advanced experience level looking for a solid adventure.
    Open details for Windy Point Ridge, The Buckle, and Talus Peak

    Windy Point Ridge, The Buckle, and Talus Peak

    Hard
    10.1 km
    1,330 m
    6 - 9h

    This beautiful scramble to Windy Ridge with an extension to Talus Peak and the Buckle can be called a gem found off the beaten track. It’s not very popular and we don’t really know why. The views are breathtaking (Abraham Lake especially), making the Windy Point Ridge, the Buckle and Talus Peak Scramble our favourite along the David Thompson Highway!

    User Ratings
    No Reviews
    Open details for Drywood Mountain Traverse

    Drywood Mountain Traverse

    Hard
    24.2 km
    1,359 m
    7-12h

    The Drywood Mountain Traverse is a long and easy traverse of a high ridge in the colorful Castle Wildland. The traverse is followed by a descent to a brilliantly-blue lake for a swim and possible camping, making this a spectacular summer outing!

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    9.9
    Technical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Advanced (Diamond)
    Suitable for advanced experience level looking for a solid adventure.
    Open details for Southfork Mountain and Barnaby Ridge

    Southfork Mountain and Barnaby Ridge

    Hard
    18.0 km
    1,395 m
    7-12h

    This scramble to Southfork Mountain and Barnaby Ridge has it all, a backcountry campsite on beautiful Southfork Lakes, a long ridge top traverse, and spectacular scenery throughout!

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    10.0
    Technical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Advanced (Diamond)
    Suitable for advanced experience level looking for a solid adventure.
    Open details for Mount Ernest Ross

    Mount Ernest Ross

    Hard
    8.2 km
    1,069 m
    5 - 8h

    The trail to the top of Ernest Ross Mount is a little challenging, but a fun scramble. You will find yourself on a quiet path with constantly changing surroundings: from bushes, trees, scree to almost vertical rock boulders. Although most of the trail is not too hard, one section will make you sweat a little: the scrambly part is a little steep and you will have to use some of your rock-climbing skills. But it’s worth all the effort, as the views from the top will take your breath away. From the surrounding peaks, to Kootenay Plains, and Abraham Lake – the panorama here is stunning!

    User Ratings
    No Reviews
    Open details for Table Mountain

    Table Mountain

    Moderate
    9.4 km
    764 m
    4-7h

    Table Mountain is a colorful ascent alongside a creek, with spectacular photo opportunities above the sheer north face, and great summit views of where the mountains meet the prairies. In other words, a perfect day out in the Castle!

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    10.0
    Technical Difficulty
    Easy (Circle)
    Suitable for beginners, families, young children, and those looking for a casual adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Open details for Turtle Mountain

    Turtle Mountain

    Very Hard
    7.5 km
    922 m
    4.5-7h

    The rockslide off Turtle Mountain over a century ago fractured the mountain on a scale that is difficult to imagine, yet this scramble takes you across the fractured summit ridge where the sheer scale of the forces at play are apparent. A stop at the Frank Slide Interpretive Center afterwards to complete the history lesson makes this a fascinating and different kind of scramble.

    User Ratings
    Overall Rating
    10.0
    Technical Difficulty
    Easy (Circle)
    Suitable for beginners, families, young children, and those looking for a casual adventure.
    Physical Difficulty
    Intermediate (Square)
    Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
    Open details for Two O-Clock Ridge

    Two O-Clock Ridge

    Hard
    11.3 km
    1,176 m
    5-8h

    The Two O-Clock Ridge Trail is a wonderful scramble near David Thompson Highway. After a short, but steep scramble you will find yourself surrounded by the Tuff Puff Ridge, Mt Ernest Ross and Two O-Clock Peak.

    User Ratings
    No Reviews

    Change happens, fees shouldn't

    Suggested Tours

    Open details for Summit Mount Olympus Trekking Tour

    Summit Mount Olympus Trekking Tour

    4 days
    From $195
    Months Tour Operates
    J
    F
    M
    A
    M
    J
    J
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    This tour is your chance to trek one of the most mystical mountains on earth: Mount Olympus. This self-guided journey starts in Litochoro, an enchanting town at the foot of Greece’s highest peak. Then you’ll spend two days on the mountain, sleeping in a mountain hut on the second night. You should be comfortable hiking up some serious elevation on this tour to reach the summit, a worthy reward for your effort.

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    Open details for Avalanche Skills Training 1 in the Canadian Rockies

    Avalanche Skills Training 1 in the Canadian Rockies

    2 days
    From $250
    Months Tour Operates
    J
    F
    M
    A
    M
    J
    J
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    Avalanche safety is a must-have tenet of backcountry adventure and a critical step in keeping yourself and your adventure partners safe in the wintertime and shoulder season. The Avalanche Skills Training 1 in the Canadian Rockies tour is a practical chance to learn the basics of avalanche safety in one of the most beautiful mountain environments in the world.

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    Open details for Self-Guided Mount Triglav Trek

    Self-Guided Mount Triglav Trek

    3 days
    From $250
    Months Tour Operates
    J
    F
    M
    A
    M
    J
    J
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    Take on a quintessential Slovenian trekking adventure to the summit of its highest mountain! The Self-Guided Mount Triglav Trek allows you to hike at your own pace and enjoy the incredible scenery of Triglav National Park.

    View More
    Open details for 2-Day Mt Olympus Hike

    2-Day Mt Olympus Hike

    2 days
    From $250
    Months Tour Operates
    J
    F
    M
    A
    M
    J
    J
    A
    S
    O
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    Join an exhilarating 2-day hiking tour through the legendary Mount Olympus, revered as the abode of ancient Greek Gods!

    View More

    Other Activities in Canada

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