Best scrambles in Castle Provincial Park, Canada

Scrambles in Castle Provincial Park

Region in Alberta, Canada

Castle Provincial Park Scrambles

Castle Provincial Park scrambles are an exhilarating experience that will take you through some beautifully scenic, albeit rugged, terrain. Castle Provincial Park and Castle Wildland Provincial Park are two new provincial parks in the SW corner of Alberta. The Castle area, as it’s referred to locally, is one of the most biologically diverse areas of Alberta. Located just north of Waterton Lakes National Park and south of Crowsnest Pass, these new provincial parks are just getting going, however the Castle area is already known for its stunning beauty.

The Castle Provincial Park scrambles are much more isolated than in nearby Provincial and National Parks, and many of the approaches are along gravel access roads or ATV Tracks, where a bike would help cut down the travel time. Below you'll find the best scrambles in Alberta’s Castle Area.

THE TOP 10 SCRAMBLES IN CASTLE AREA, INCLUDING CASTLE PROVINCIAL PARK AND CASTLE WILDLAND PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA

  1. Victoria Peak (17.6 km, 1,021 m, 5-8 h): Victoria Peak is the highest peak in the Castle area. Scrambling up Victoria Peak provides spectacular views where the colorful mountains of the Castle meet the prairies.
  2. Loaf Mountain and Spionkop Ridge (20.8 km, 1,314 m, 7-12h): Loaf Mountain is the second highest peak in Castle and is bordered by spectacularly colorful valleys. An extension to the summit of Spionkop Ridge provides a spectacular view into Waterton Lakes National Park.
  3. Drywood Mountain Traverse (24.0 km, 1,259 m, 7-12h): Drywood Mountain is a long and easy traverse of a high ridge in the colorful Castle Wildland, followed by a descent to a brilliantly-blue lake for a swim and possible camping makes this a spectacular summer outing!
  4. Southfork Mountain and Barnaby Ridge (18.0 km, 1,395 m, 7-12h): The 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!
  5. Table Mountain (9.4 km, 764 m, 6-9h): The scramble up 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 Castle!
  6. Turtle Mountain (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!
  7. Pincher Ridge (11.7 km, 849 m, 5-8h): Pincher Ridge is located near the heart of this spectacularly colorful region of the Rockies - Castle Wildland Provincial Park. The scramble up Pincher Ridge provides a stunning aerial view of the surrounding ridges of red argillite, lush green valleys, and the intersection of the mountains with the prairies.
  8. Mount Gladstone (16.9 km, 984 m, 7-10h): A scramble up Mount Gladstone is a wonderful day out in the mountains! A nice trail alongside a lively creek, a colorful ascent, and unparalleled views of Castle Peak and Windsor Mountain make it, arguably, one of the most scenic mountains in the entire park!
  9. Mount Haig (11.6 km, 1,205 m, 6-9h): Mount Haig is the highest peak in Castle PP and you can’t go wrong scrambling to the top of the highest peak in any park let alone Castle Provincial Park! Add on a scenic and swimmable lake at its base, abundant huckleberries and salmon-berries along the approach, and you’ve got an excellent outing on Mount Haig.
  10. Mount Coulthard (19.1 km, 1,112 m, 6-9h): The scramble up Mt Coulthard takes you through a spectacular and lush alpine basin, a historical plane crash site, and provides wonderful up-close views of the spectacular peaks of the Flathead Range.
  11. Syncline Mountain (5.8 km, 995 m, 5-8h): Syncline Mountain is a steep ascent through a larch forest (or a hellish bushwhack thru alders if you take the wrong approach), best viewed in late September for their remarkable color change, although at any time of year, the summit views that stretch down multiple mountain valleys make Syncline Mountain an excellent outing!

Tours in the Canadian Rockies

Want to experience all that the Canadian Rockies have to offer, but aren't keen on planning your own trip? Try booking one of these amazing Canadian Rockies tours so that you can leave the details to the professionals and focus on the journey ahead:

-Hiking Tours in the Canadian Rockies
-Wildlife Tours in the Canadian Rockies
-Bike Tours in the Canadian Rockies
-Family Tours in the Canadian Rockies

Get the 10Adventures Trail App

If you want to explore the natural beauty of Castle Provincial Park on your own, you should make sure to get the 10Adventures trail app. Featuring the ability to safely and easily navigate the trails offline, while also tracking the stats of your hike, it is the best resource to have in your pocket while out exploring.

Download the 10Adventures App

View Scrambles in Castle Provincial Park on Map

View Map

Best Scrambles in Castle Provincial Park

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 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 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 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 Pincher Ridge

Pincher Ridge

Moderate
11.7 km
849 m
5-8h

Pincher Ridge is located near the heart of Castle Wildland Provincial Park, a spectacular part of the Canadian Rockies. The scramble up Pincher Ridge provides a stunning aerial view of the surrounding ridges of red argillite, lush green valleys, and the intersection of the mountains with the prairies.

User Ratings
Overall Rating
9.9
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 Mount Gladstone

Mount Gladstone

Hard
16.9 km
984 m
7-10h

A scramble up Mount Gladstone is a wonderful day out in the Castle! A nice trail alongside a lively creek, a colorful ascent, and unparalleled views of Castle Peak and Windsor Mountain make it one of the most scenic mountains in the entire park!

User Ratings
Overall Rating
9.9
Technical Difficulty
Intermediate (Square)
Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
Physical Difficulty
Intermediate (Square)
Suitable for intermediates who are ready for a little bit more adventure.
Open details for Mount Haig

Mount Haig

Hard
11.6 km
1,205 m
6-9h

Mount Haig is the highest peak in Castle Provincial Park, and you can’t go wrong scrambling to the top of the highest peak in any park let alone Castle Provincial Park! Add on a scenic and swimmable lake at its base, abundant huckleberries and salmonberries along the approach, and you’ve got an excellent outing on Mount Haig.

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 Mount Coulthard

Mount Coulthard

Moderate
19.1 km
1,112 m
6-9h

Located in Castle Wildland Provincial Park, the scramble up Mt Coulthard takes you through a spectacular and lush alpine basin, an historical plane crash site, and provides wonderful up-close views of the spectacular peaks of the Flathead Range.

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.

Change happens, fees shouldn't

Other Activities in Castle Provincial Park

Essential Tools for Any Adventure

Find a hotel in some of the most beautiful locations on earth.

Book your own car to have complete freedom on your next adventure.

Gear-up for your next adventure.

This page may include affiliate links. We may get a small commission for the purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
We only recommend tools we personally think are great.

Related regions

Change happens, fees shouldn't

Recent Stories

Open details for Planning A Trip To Kananaskis Country

Planning A Trip To Kananaskis Country

By Lukas Saville
March 27th, 2022
Open details for Planning a Trip to Alberta’s Castle Provincial Park

Planning a Trip to Alberta’s Castle Provincial Park

By Richard Campbell
May 4th, 2022
Open details for Banff in Winter: Plan your Perfect Weekend

Banff in Winter: Plan your Perfect Weekend

By Lynn W
February 19th, 2023
Open details for Winter Weekend in Lake Louise

Winter Weekend in Lake Louise

By Lynn W
February 17th, 2023
Detailed Route Guides
Real GPS Coordinates
Reliable Trail Reports
Experienced-Based Travel Tips
GPS App
Extensive Travel Guides

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get a weekly dose of discounts and inspiration for adventure lovers

Tours

Routes

Blogs