Pipers Pass, Rae Glacier And Elbow Lake
Pipers Pass has to be one of my favourite hikes in Kananaskis and one of the best in the Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park. It’s remained relatively under the radar due to it’s length and the need for several river crossings.
My favourite thing to do is to combine this with a night or two at Elbow Lake campground and even another day hike to Rae Glacier. This combination makes for an unforgettable weekend away in the Canadian Rockies.
The Best Time of Year To Hike Pipers Pass, Rae Glacier and Elbow Lake
Elbow lake campground opens on the 15th of June and stays open late towards the end of November. However I wouldn’t recommend taking on Pipers Pass or Rae glacier in the winter months when snow coverage is deep. These areas can pose extreme avalanche danger so shouldn’t be attempted without prior training and knowledge. It’s best to wait for the snow to clear!
Getting to the Trailhead of Pipers Pass, Rae Glacier and Elbow Lake
The trailhead for all 3 of these trails is located on Highway 40 just under 2 hours from Calgary or around a 50 minute drive south once you turn off Highway One at the Kananaskis junction.
Here you’ll find a large car park, with toilet facilities that has been newly renovated in recent years.
Note: For any trail or camping in Kananaskis you’ll need to get hold of a conservation pass before you go.
Elbow Lake Campground
Both the trail of Pipers Pass and Rae Glacier start on highway 40 and skirt around the shore line of Elbow Lake. This is what makes this campground a perfect place to set up base camp.
Elbow Lake Campground also received a good old spruce up in recent years and has to be one of the best and well equipped backcountry sites in Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park.
Getting ready for a mornings hike at Elbow Lake Campground
Campsite Facilities include:
Communal Cooking Area - Metal Fire Pits - Firewood Available on site with an Axe provided - Grey Water Disposal - Picnic Tables - Pit/Vault Toilet - Secure Food Lockers - 15 Tent Pads
Campsite bookings open March 17th and can be made 3 months in advance.
From the car park Elbow Lake campground is a short 1.3 km hike in with around 125 m of elevation gain. It’s short distance and easy trail make it a great option for families or beginners getting in to backcountry camping. The walk is short enough it can be done multiple times if needs be to bring in extra gear.
The campsite sits right on the lake meaning a sunrise on the lake front is just a short walk away from the majority of tent pads. It’s a fantastic location for photographers wanting to sleep close to the action and the lake offers perfect reflections first thing in the morning.
The morning view almost from our tent pad!
Exploring the lake front as the sun comes up.
The Stats for Pipers Pass
Time: 6 - 8 hours
Distance: 20 - 25 Km Out and Back (It’s an unofficial route so your mileage may vary)
Elevation Gain: 850 meters
Difficulty: Moderate - Keep in mind there is a river crossing or two!
The Hike - Pipers Pass
Pipers Pass, like almost any hike in Kananaskis, is an unofficial route as apposed to an official trail. This means there is no signage and the trail isn’t officially maintained. In fact there are only about 5 trails in Kananaskis that are ‘official’ trails!
Because of this it means the trail includes some river crossings and in certain areas may not be the most obvious!
Partly due to this the trail is deserted when compared to other more popular hikes in the region. I’ve hiked this trail a couple of times and completed a full 25 km whilst only seeing one other person until back at the Elbow Lake Campsite. So if you’re heading out on this trail be aware you’ll most likely be out there on your own so being safe and bear aware is even more important than usual!
I’d highly recommend taking some offline mapping options with you on this hike! I always recommend AllTrails, which can work offline and offer real time navigation.
Passing Elbow lake first thing in the morning.
The trail starts either at the Trailhead on Highway 40 or if you’re staying overnight at the campground you can start from Elbow Lake, about 1.3 km from the road. This is a stunning lake with crystal clear water, towering mountains and reflections. The campsite alone is more than worth a visit if you don't fancy a full trek.
The first section of trail passes the lake on the north side and follows the wide distinctive trail through the Elbow River Valley, along this trail there are multiple turn offs, the first more distinctive one will lead you to a Edworthy Falls.
This is the wrong one for the pass! Around 200 - 300 m past that trail you should see a path into the woods on your left marked by a rock cairn on the right hand side of the trail entrance and some small pieces of orange and blue tape on the small tree on the left.
After taking this route there is a steep decent towards the Elbow River. Depending on the time of year and height of the river you may be able to use stepping stones, if not it might be a wade so be prepared to get your feet wet!
The trail from here is narrow but distinctive, crossing multiple other streams until the trees disappear. Here the scenery really opens up, in the spring endless wildflowers adorn the meadow and throughout the summer the grass is green and grazed by big horn sheep in large numbers.
Coming in to the start of the Alpine meadow.
Descending Pipers Pass, below you can see the large boulder
There is a large boulder towards the back of the meadow just before the elevation gain starts up to the pass, this is what you need to aim for before starting the final ascent. Through this section the trail is difficult to follow so be careful not to harm any flora or fauna as you make your way to the end of the meadow.
Just behind the large boulder lays your final challenge; a scree slope with a healthy amount of elevation gain. The final push is worth it as you are rewarded with fantastic views over both sides of the pass. It's a fantastic spot to take in the view and have a well deserved lunch break before heading back down the trail the way you came and back to the trail head.
Slogging up the final scree ascent, in the background you can see the large bolder - your visual marker as you make your way in to the meadow.
Pipers Pass is a fantastic day hike with plenty of challenges as well as stunning views and minimal crowds.
Walking along the top of Pipers Pass
The Stats for Rae Glacier Trail
Time: 3 - 3.5 hours
Distance: 8.5 km out and back to the parking lot, 6 km return from Elbow Lake.
Elevation Gain: 450 meters
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate - a little route finding.
The Hike - Rae Glacier
Now I’ll preface this by saying that there isn’t really a lot of glacier left on the Rae Glacier trail! Unfortunately as most glaciers have this one has retreated quite substantially over the last few years. So don’t head out expecting any grand glacier views and hidden ice caves but do expect to be treated to some fantastic valley views and a fantastic walk!
Setting off from Elbow Lake first thing in the morning.
The trail starts following the lake edge on the south side. Around 600 m past the campground you’ll come close to the end of the lake where you’ll be met with a fork in the trail, take the right hand turn.
The trail then meanders it’s way up a drainage ditch between Mount Rae West and Mount Rae North.
At this point the trail becomes a little muddled with braided paths criss crossing all over. In general though you’re just heading straight towards what looks like the remnants of a glacier. The trail won’t take you to the actual glacier itself but instead stops with some stunning views back down the valley.
Again it’s always worth getting an offline mapping app so you can navigate those trickier sections more easily and stay on the right path.
Views from the end of the Rae Glacier trail showing the drainage basin you hike up.
Looking for More Hikes in Kananaskis?
Tent Ridge offers stunning views, ridge line hiking and incredible fall colour.
East End of Rundle has to be one of my favourite for sunset photography
Sarrail Ridge has to be one of the best views in Kananaskis Country!
Yates Mountain offers a great early season warm up to the hiking season!
Carnarvon Lake offers a more adventurous experience!
Things to Know Before You Go
Parks and Conservation Passes: Whether you’re hiking in a national park in Canada or certain provincial parks you’ll most likely need some kind of conservation pass. A Discovery Passwill cover you for the year for all national parks in Canada whilst the Kananaskis Conservation Passcovers the provincial and wildland parks in the Kananaskis region.
Leave No Trace: When hiking anywhere in the world it’s important that you practice a leave no trace philosophy. This means whatever you hike in to a trail or campground you have to be able to hike out too. There won’t be trash cans or waste disposal in the backcountry and you should never throw trash in any out houses or pit toilets. In recent years, as trails and parks become busier, litter is becoming more of a problem. Don’t add to that problem!
Bears and Wildlife! Wild life is everywhere in the Canadian Rockies, even on trails that are close to town. People and animals have been attacked by bears and other wild life on popular trails in the past so don’t take it for granted.
Most wildlife is looking to avoid human contact so no matter what type of wildlife you see be sure to keep your distance. 30 metres is the minimum recommendation for most species but under any circumstance don’t approach wildlife. Even the cuddliest of critters can be dangerous!
So as always be bear aware, make noise, hike in groups, carry bear spray and, if they’re allowed on trail, keep your dog on a leash!
Offline maps knowing where you’re going is super important as to not get lost. I recommend All Trails Plusfor finding routes and offline mapping allowing you to safely find your way home.
Interested in other multi-day hikesin the Canadian Rockies or maybe day hikes?
