Ready to hike King Creek Ridge hike in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis, Alberta? I hope your legs are!

This is one of those hikes that doesn’t let up the incline until you’re at the summit. There are false peaks that cause your thighs to scream.

But it’s one of the best views in Kananaskis in Canada. I’m sure that’s very debatable, so leave a comment at the end and tell me your favorite views! I’d love to check them out!

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about getting incredible views of mountain peaks and sweeping valleys.

Basics of King Creek Ridge Trail

• Length – 7.1km
• Elevation Gain – 797 meters
• Difficulty – Hard
• Route Type – Out and Back
• Time – 4 Hours

If you only have time for one short hike in Kananaskis (and you’re moderately fit), make it King Creek Ridge.

When I say “moderately fit”, I mean it. This hike is rated hard and it lives up to that title.

To get the trailhead parking lot, head south along Highway 40 for around 38 minutes (51km), and there will be a little side road to the left, just after a bridge and before the Kananaskis Lakes Trail heading towards the two lakes.

This is a heavily trafficked trail in Kananaskis, so expect the small car park to fill up quickly.

Once out of your car, head back towards the bridge and follow the trail running parallel to it – don’t cross the bridge.

You’ll cross a small field and once you get close to the tree line, you’ll be slapped in the face with the elevation gain (not literally).

This is where the incline starts and other than a few small flat sections, you’ll be taking it to slow up a steep trail.

The trail to King Creek Peak begins in the shade of the forest, through some fields before eventually poking through the forest again once you hit the ridgeline.

Once at the ridgeline, the trail becomes much flatter and the views begin. They only get better.

Follow the ridge line up a little and you’ll notice a large landing, this could be the final place of your hike, but it is technically a false peak.

Kings Creek Peak is about 10 more minutes from here and it is nothing compared to what you’ve already been through.

Be careful when climbing this final peak as the right cliffside is a sheer drop. The rock just ends and it’s easy to get vertigo peering over the edge, which I don’t really recommend.

The views here are incredible. It doesn’t matter which way you face, there are 360-degree panoramic sights.

Mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers – if you minus Highway 40 and a few other small buildings that look like ants, you won’t run out of things to look at.

Highly recommend having lunch at your favorite viewpoint and soaking it all in.

Be warned as well, there is a resident chipmunk here that is sneaky. He knows how to get your snacks if you’re not careful.

Plus, it’s a terrible idea to feed wildlife for these adorable creatures. It leads to them becoming too dependant on human food and during the winter months with no food, starvation is a real concern.

Alright, now we’ve covered the reason why we’re all considering this hike, let’s get into some important things to consider.

Extra things to know about hiking Kananaskis King Creek Ridge

• I shouldn’t have to talk about bears (and other wildlife), but I feel like I need to. Know what to do during a bear encounter.
• Be prepared for the elements in the mountains is super important. Sunshine can disappear quickly and a couple of hours hiking in the rain could turn out bad.
• Dogs are allowed on this trail but must be on a leash. There were 3 dogs during my hike and they all did a lot better than many humans attempting the trail.
• King Creek trail weaves back and forth and there is a lot of trail braiding (where the trail splits), so keeping on the main trail is pretty difficult.
• Staying on the trail during mountain hikes is very important – you’re walking through a fragile ecosystem and going off-trail can kill the very things you’re coming to enjoy.
• Take your trash with you. Not just on this hike, all the time. Nature shouldn’t have to deal with your terrible housekeeping skills.
• This trail is steep. That’s not an exaggeration, you are going up just under 800 meters in elevation on an 8km return hike. Be prepared with good hiking shoes and I do recommend hiking poles, for one of the first times ever. They help, a lot!
• This trail would be much harder in wet weather. The descent is honestly hard enough on my average knees to gain traction, let alone everything being wet.

 

King Creek Hike in Kananaskis Conclusion

If you’re able to deal with the leg burn on the incline and the slippery downhill descent, this is my top recommendation for hiking in the Kananaskis region.

It is high reward for a decent effort. You feel like you really earned those views and they are honestly some of my favorite in all of Canada.

Did I miss something out? Something changed? Got other hiking recommendations? Questions? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

If you enjoyed and found this helpful, please share to social media – it really does help this site keep going.

 

Thanks for reading!

Happy and safe travels,

Ben – Horizon Unknown