Trail sign info:







DISTANCE =

One way, from trailhead to destination

Degree of Difficulty =

*Based on the average person's ability.
EASY: Just about anyone.
INTERMEDIATE: Need to be in relatively good shape (no smokers).
DIFFICULT: Be prepared for lots of uphill climbing. Should have some experience and be in good shape. The Mountain Biking can get pretty technical.

TIME =

- The Lake Trips are measured as a 1/2 day or full day.
- Bike trails measured in approximate hours.
- Both are based on a round trip.

Introduction

If you're new to this, a good introduction would be to hike the trail from Hwy 40 to Elbow Lake. It takes approximately 30 minutes to cover the 1.5 kilometers up to a scenic alpine lake with primitive backcountry campground.

A good starting point for Mountain Biking would be Goat Creek trail from Canmore to Banff (1.5 to 2 hrs of mostly downhill riding), followed by the Powderface-Prairie Creek half loop (a connector links these two trails at the half-way mark) also 1.5 to 2 hours but more challenging with uphill climbing and technical singletrack.

      

Rawson Lake

I based my criteria for showcasing these particular Lake trails on their accessibility, versatility and scenic quality ... in other words, the trails I think give you the "best bang for your buck". Notably absent from the list are Galatea, Chester and Rummel, due largely to the fact that I didn't have acceptable photographs to supplement their profiles. In the case of the former two I also felt they didn't warrant further recognition, already popular enough to be considered tourist attractions. The Ribbon Creek trail is another high traffic area, but I feel it simply has too many rewarding components to be omitted.
Rummel Lake was the hard one to leave out (5 visits and I have no good pictures to show for it) so I'm giving it honorable mention here. Still a relatively unknown gem situated on the west side of Mount Galatea, it can be a great fishing destination although in recent years camping has been prohibited. The 5 km hike starts from the Smith-Dorrien Spray road opposite the Mt. Engadine lodge entrance, climbs an old logging road into a large clearcut area where a trail zig zags up into the forest and follows the creek to the Lake. *As an added bonus, there's an undesignated route from Rummel Lake that skirts south around Mt. Galatea, across the mouth of Three Lakes Valley and joins up with the Chester Lake trail.
The Trail Sign information I provide (demonstrated to the left) is intended only as a general guide, with symbols signifying what is permitted and/or recommended. The "Tent" applies only to designated primitive backcountry canpgrounds.



Goat Creek

Compiled here is my Top Ten list of Mountain Bike trails, and with the exception of Goat Creek, Baldy Pass and Barrier Lookout (also known as Prairie View) all these trails are accessed by way of Hwy. 66 west of Bragg Creek. For the Calgary Mountain Biking fraternity the nearby region provides quick access to premium mountain trails, making weeknight sojourns after work extremely popular during the summer months. Also, the close proximity of several trails to each other means you can customize them into various combinations for longer, more challenging rides on weekends.
Ensure that you're always prepared with the essentials such as protein bars or some form of energy supplement, a camel back with at least 2 Liters of water, and a pump with spare tire tubes.
These trails range from Easy (Goat Creek) to pretty demanding (Powderface Ridge) depending on your ability, so there's a little of everything here, but be prepared if you're unfamiliar with the area because what is considered easy for some may be unexpectedly hard for others, and vice versa.
After having frequented these Bike Trails between 1997 and 2002, my personal favorite is the sensational Powderface Ridge, hence the name chosen for the website. As for my biggest regret, it would have to be that for one reason or another I never rode the ridge known as Cox Hill, a 21 km loop that branches off from the northern end of Jumpingpound Ridge and is considered to be one of the premier Mtn Bike trails in Kananaskis.