Prairie Mountain and Elbow Falls
Elevation gain: 700m. Distance: 6km round-trip. Duration: 3-6 hours (half day). Great views of the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Can be combined with a stop at beautiful Elbow Falls. An all-seasons hike (although difficulty can vary depending on snow conditions).
22 km west of Bragg Creek, turn off Highway 66 at the Elbow Falls Parking Lot. Park on the North side of the road on the shoulder at the winter closure gates. The trail is well-defined and heads straight up (North) from the highway.
The trail begins with some steep switchbacks, but then levels out about 500 metres in. It is still a decent amount of elevation in a short distance, so don't expect many sections without a decent incline.
This hike can be very busy in the Spring and Summer months, so I suggest going in the Fall or early Winter. My favourite time is November, where the snow-pack isn't too high and you can get the trail to yourself!
If you have a pair of slip-on micro-spikes they can be useful to have in the bag depending on how worn the trail is in the winter months.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
Reviews
Overall rating:
Loved It!
While this hike has a lot of elevation gain in a short amount of time it's still very easy. I'm not in the best shape so I just took as many breaks as I needed. Awesome views at the top!
Don't Go Off The Path
Look I know it's common sense but apparently I lack that and while you can straight up go up the side of the mountain off the path and it's beautiful you will have to slide down hours of shale and if you're anything like me you will leave with holes in your pants. Stunning hike though!
Great Early Spring Hike
Just did this hike on March 25th 2016. Near the top of the mountain there was quite a bit of snow and ice so spikes were definitely needed on your shoes. Other than that it was an awesome hike with great views at the top! It took just over 3 hours to complete.
