Grassi Lakes

Canmore, Alberta

Save

View all 3 photos

All 3 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

1.9 miles

Elevation Gain

754.6 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Cassidy Vanderhoek

The hike up to Grassi Lakes is great for beginner hikers.

The trail-head starts on the left hand side of the road on your approach to the Canmore Nordic Centre. The trail is easy to find and quickly splits into two different directions. Heading left at the fork will take a steeper, more direct route up the mountain with views of a beautiful waterfall in the distance. The trail to the right is a bit wider and less direct however provides a more gradual climb. We took the trail on the right, hoping to save some of our young pup’s energy. At the top you will find a beautiful assortment of small turquoise pools. Make sure to walk around the pools and look for rock climbers scaling the cliffs. Keep in mind, it’s a popular destination, so you’re likely to also see crowds at the top. We took the steeper route down and found it to be the more scenic trail (although it was much steeper). Overall, this is a quick hike that is great for families. If possible, try getting an early start on this one to avoid some of the crowds.

Happy Trails!

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Hiking

Dog Friendly

Family Friendly

Forest

Scenic

Waterfall

Grassi Lakes Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Climbing at Grassi Lakes

From the parking lot walk about 350 meters back towards Canmore. At this point you will go down the hill towards Grassi Lakes. From here you have your pick of climbs, be warned though the area is a popular, short hike for locals and tourists. Get there early to enjoy some peace and quiet.You will need to be able to lead climb! I'd suggest picking up a copy of Bow Valley Sport by Derek Galloway,...

East End of Rundle Scramble

This well marked, fun hike that has a bit of everything, from easy forest walking, to steep slabs, minor hands on scrambling, and a scree slope to the summit.From the parking lot, head north up the hill, where the trail begins around the power poles. There a few different paths to start, so it's somewhat of a gamble as to what you'll get. Most should be of relatively moderate grade and they all...

Ha Ling Sunrise Hike

Start at the Goat Creek parking lot and cross the road towards Ha Ling. There is an access road with a gate on the other side. Walk up the road and across the bridge. From there the trail is obvious and will lead you to the summit. Overall it's a fairly easy hike with switchbacksOnce above tree line the trail changes to scree and there are a few options to get the rest of the way up. While not...

Hike to Grassi Lake

To get to the Grassi Lake trailhead, continue past the Nordic Center about 2km and take a small left when you reach a junction between a gravel road and a paved road. You want to be on the paved road, as this will lead you down to the Grassi Lake parking lot. The trail starts right behind the restrooms and goes for a bit before splitting between the easy (fire access road trail on the right) an...

Indoor Rock Climbing in Canmore at Elevation Place

For those that aren’t skiers – or maybe for skiers who just want to stretch some different muscles – Elevation Place is a fantastic climbing gym in Canmore. It’s brand new and has tons of top roping, bouldering, and even seven auto-belays with climbs rating from 5.8 to 5.11d at the time we were there. There are some added charges for taking a belay test and things like that, but it was well wo...

Mount Lady Macdonald Scramble in Winter

The Mount Lady Macdonald trail begins at Cougar Creek, starting out as a leg burner through the forest, then meandering through boulders, halfway up. The boulders, sparse forest, and views of the Bow River Valley make for a classic mountain landscape that isn't always offered by forested walks to lakes, or hikes up scree slopes. But don't forget that Cougar Creek is aptly named – make sure to b...