It’s no shock that Banff is home to some of Alberta’s most beautiful hikes. If the weekend forecast has you itching to hit the trails, there’s no better place to go! This Banff hike ends in one of the province’s most beautiful lookouts, so long as you don’t mind a bit of a trek.
A study conducted by Remitly looked at traveller reviews to put together a list of the most beautiful viewpoints in each province, along with Canada’s top 10 lookouts.
If you were curious, these were the top five views in Alberta:
- Bear’s Hump, Waterton Lakes National Park
- Ha Ling Peak, Canmore
- Tunnel Mountain Trail, Banff
- Sulphur Mountain, Banff National Park
- Fairview Lookout, Lake Louise
As you can see, Sulphur Mountain sits prettily at number four. So if you’re looking for a longer hike to take advantage of good weather, you can’t go wrong.
What to expect
Sulphur Mountain is a longer trail that’s rated moderately difficult. Make sure you come prepared with weather-appropriate clothing, snacks, and lots of water.
The climb to the top is a steady hike with switchbacks and an elevation gain of 655 metres. But we promise it’s well worth the grid, because you’ll be treated to a spectacular mountain view at the end. Enjoy a maintained 0.5 km boardwalk at the top where you can take in the vistas along the ridge. Here you’ll also find the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site and the 1903 weather observatory.
Once you’re done soaking in the views, you’ll go back along the boardwalk and return on the same trail you took to the top. If you want to switch things up, there is also an old fire road known as the Sulphur Mountain Westside Trail (5.4 km) that connects to Sundance Trail and ends at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site (2.6 km). Of course, if you parked your car at the Sulphur Mountain trailhead, this might be a little inconvenient.
For those who follow the regular out-and-back path, you can expect this hike to take around four hours for a round trip, 5.5 km each way. While it’s certainly not the trail to take if you’re new to hiking, seasoned weekend warriors won’t have a problem. So long as you come prepared.
Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy the weekend!
Where: Directions here
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Alicia Lyons
Branded Content Writer
Alicia is a storyteller who chased the sun all the way to Calgary and decided to stay. When she’s not crafting killer content, she can be found stumbling along nature trails, curling under a fuzzy blanket with a good book, or finding any excuse to eat.
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