Hiking in the Canadian Rockies/Day Hikes/Kananaskis/Canmore/Cougar Creek

Information

Day Hike PD

Distance - As long as you want it to be. Pretty much unlimited distance in terms of backpacking, with lots of loop options.

Hight Gain - up to 2453m

Access

From Canmore follow Benchlands Trail up the hill, the parking lot is on the left just after crossing the bridge. Almost everyone in Canmore will know where this is.

The Hike

This is a very flexible hike. I have gone as far up as my family was willing to go before turning back (I believe it was the Canadian Forks). I was quite young, but I do rememeber crossing through the river at many times. The creek is not particularly high in the summer, but you must be prepared to get wet legs.

As a backpacker you can continue into the valley, and your options widen. When you come to a fork way later on in your hike, right leads to a dead end eventually (although I'm sure it'a a very beautiful one). Left takes you further north, and eventually hooks up with either the South Ghost River, or the Carrot Creek Road.