The Rawson Lake Trail is one of our favorite hikes in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. It’s not an overly difficult trail, nor is it very long, and it rewards hikers with sublime views of not just one but two stunning lakes. Though Rawson Lake is the perfect reward at the end of the outgoing leg of the hike, the trail starts and ends by the beautiful Upper Kananaskis Lake, which is vast and surrounded by towering peaks. The trail can also be extended further beyond Rawson Lake along the Sarrail Ridge, a popular but quite challenging trail extension. To help you discover this beautiful K-country trail south of Canmore, we’ve put together this Rawson Lake Trail hiking guide, which includes details on the trail’s difficulty, the estimated hiking time, and the highlights you can expect along the way. Rawson Lake, in our opinion, is a must-visit destination during your time in the Canadian Rockies.
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Rawson Lake Trail Location and Map
The Rawson Lake Trail is located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, which is a part of Kananaskis Country, a park system situated to the west of Calgary, Alberta, in the foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies (link to Google Maps).
How to Get to Rawson Lake Trail
As with many trails in the area, the easiest way to reach the Rawson Lake trailhead is by car.
From Kananaskis Village: 45 km (40 min drive)
From Canmore: 90 km (1h10 min drive)
From Banff: 120 km (1h25 drive)
From Calgary: 140 km (1h35 drive)
If you need to book a rental vehicle for your hiking excursion, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Alberta.
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Nearest Gas Station
The nearest gas station is the Fortress Junction Service Centre (link to Google Maps), 22 km north of the Rawsom Lake trailhead along Highway 40.
Roadside wildlife
Also, please don’t speed along Highway 40 and keep your eyes open for Rocky Mountain Sheep, either along the roadside or crossing the road. We seemed to come across a flock crossing the road every time we drove through Kananaskis.
In particular, there are often puddles of water by the intersection of Highway 40 and the turnoff towards the Rawson Lake trailhead, and many sheep gather here for a drink.
Rawson Lake Trail Access, Fees, and Parking
Trailhead & car park location: Rawson car park and trailhead. If coming from the north (e.g. Canmore, Banff, Calgary), the turn-off for the trailhead will be on your right, towards the Kananaskis Lakes.
Trail access and fees
Because this trail is located within Kananaskis Country, you’ll need a Kananaskis Conservation pass before you start hiking. The pass is required to park your vehicle in Kananaskis and the Bow Valley, and fines are hefty ($150 in 2025) if you don’t have one.
Because the pass is tied to parking and not trail access, you only need one pass per vehicle, regardless of how many are in your group.
You can purchase your pass online here, where you will need to register your car licence plate. The pass costs $15 per day or $90 per year (2025) – each purchase includes a $5 non-refundable transaction fee. You will be required to buy the annual pass if you plan on being in the area for 6 consecutive days or more. One advantage of the annual pass is that you can register up to three different vehicles.
If you need to cancel your pass, you can receive a refund, minus the $5 transaction fee, if the cancellation is made before 11:59 p.m. the day before the originally scheduled start date of the pass.
A Kananaskis Conservation pass is required for a large region around and south of Canmore (excluding the town area), covering several provincial parks, including Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Bow Valley Provincial Park, Sheep River Provincial Park, and Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park. For more detailed information on the Kananaskis Conservation Pass boundary, you can consult this online map.
Free Access Days: You can park for free in Kananaskis on Wilderness Wednesdays, the first Wednesday of every month.
Additional free days include: New Year’s Day: January 1 – Family Day: 3rd Monday of February – Earth Day: April 22 – Indigenous People’s Day: June 21 – Parks Day: 3rd Saturday of July – Kananaskis Country’s Birthday: September 22 – Remembrance Day: November 11 – First day of winter: December 21 – Christmas Day: December 25
Trail opening Hours: 24 hours – all year. It’s also a great winter hiking and snowshoeing destination for those visiting during the snowy season.
Parking lot: The parking lot is quite large with space for loads of vehicles. However, it can fill up on busy summer weekends. It’s generally best to arrive early or late in the day to secure a spot.
If full, there are additional parking lots a few hundred meters up the road, heading in the direction of Lower Kananaskis Lake (north).
Facilities: Pit/Vault Toilets are available next to the car park.
Rawson Lake Trail Details and Map
Distance: 6.8 km
Route Type: Out & back
Elevation gain: 350 m (cumulative elevation gain: 526 m)
Start point: Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.7, 4682 ratings (2025))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 2h45-3h15
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but it can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
We find that AllTrails is a great tool to have when hiking, particularly for assisting with navigation when the trail is hard to locate and to help monitor your progress along the trail, which helps estimate how much time you’ll need to complete the trail.
Additional Rawson Lake Trail Details
– Canine companions: Dogs are permitted on leashes.
– Summit: There’s no proper summit along the trail, but the highest point along it is located at an altitude of 2075 m.
– Trail environment: The vast majority of the trail is within a mossy green forest under tree cover. However, the first portion of the trail follows the southern coastline of Upper Kananaskis Lake
– Route Signage: Yes.
– Trail Surface / Technical trail: The trail surface is fairly easy to navigate. It’s mostly on flat terrain, but with your typical rocks and tree roots scattered throughout. There are also some wooden beams in some areas to help cross areas that are more susceptible to being muddy. Expect muddy sections well into summer as the higher-elevation snow melts.
– Average trail slope grade: 14.8%, which is moderately steep. Most of the ascent will take place during the second half of the trail, where you’ll gain 350 m over 1.5 km (a 23% slope average)
– Trail difficulty level assessment: Moderate.
(based on our personal assessment, taking into account the trail length, slope grade and trail surface – 5-point difficulty scale: Very easy, Easy, Moderate, Moderately Challenging, Challenging)
The trail isn’t technical or difficult to walk on, nor is it very long. The main challenge is the short but steep ascent section that spans approximately 1.5 km.
Rawson Lake Trail Description and Summary
From the car park, the trail runs along the southern coastline of the Upper Kananaskis Lake for about one kilometre. This section of the trail is fairly flat and has several viewpoints from which you can enjoy fantastic views of the lake and the spectacular mountain scenery surrounding it on either side.
Just before turning away from the lake to make your way up into the forest, you’ll come across the small but scenic Turret Falls.
Shortly after the falls, you will come across an intersection: head right to continue along the shoreline trail (you can find more information on the Upper Kananaskis Lake trail further below), or head left to continue towards Rawson Lake.
From this point on, the trail to Rawson Lake will continue upwards through the forest for about 1.5 km. The climb ascends at a decent slope, but it should be easily manageable by most. The trail surface is quite easy to navigate as well, as it’s mostly level with the occasional tree roots and small rocks to step over.
As mentioned earlier, some spots may be muddy, particularly early in the summer when if is there is still high-altitude snow melt nearby or after recent rain. Areas where mud regularly gathers are equipped with wooden beams to help hikers cross them.
After that 1.5 km uphill trail section, you’ll get a break from the constant ascent and will go through a short series of up and downs over the final half kilometre, and finally reach the stunning reward that is Lake Rawson.
Upon arrival, the views of the lake will certainly not disappoint, as the stunning scenery fills every corner that your eyes can see.
The lake is backdropped by the imposing Mount Sarrail, with the Sarrail Ridge, a popular hiking add-on to the Rawson Lake trail, lying to its right (more information on this trail add-on can be found further below).
You might not realize it while staring at the mountains, but the border with British Columbia is just on the other side, a mere 3 km from the southern tip of the lake.
If you still have the energy or want to explore further, the trail continues along the lakeside, offering multiple other vantage points of the scenery surrounding the lake.
Rawson Lake Hiking Tips
Hiking Experience
While there is some good elevation gain, this trail isn’t particularly difficult. Novice and inexperienced hikers shouldn’t have problems with the trail, assuming they are in good enough shape to walk several kilometres.
We consider this to be a great family-friendly hike, and older children should have no issues making it to the lake.
Cell Service
Cell service in Kananaskis is generally unreliable and spotty, with limited coverage outside of developed areas like Kananaskis Village.
Leave No Trace
Stick to the designated path to protect the surrounding environment.
Bugs
Mosquitoes and black flies can be a nuisance in Kananaskis at certain times during the year. Their numbers vary a lot from year to year, but black flies are generally most present from mid-May to mid-July, whereas mosquitoes can be abundant throughout the summer if there have been prolonged periods of rain and damp weather. Regardless of when you come, it’s always a good idea to carry some bug spray with you, just in case.
Equipment
While useful, Trekking Poles aren’t necessary to complete this trail (unless you experience knee pain regularly when hiking). A good pair of hiking shoes will suffice.
Best Time to Hike the Trail
The best months to hike in Kananaskis are generally June through October.
June*: Long daylight hours, wildflowers, but more chance of bugs
July & August: Best weather, some wildflowers in July, but more crowded trails
September: Good balance of pleasant weather and fewer crowds
October*: Potential for fall colors early in the month, cooler hiking temperatures
*Lingering snow and ice may be present at higher elevations in June, and snowfall is also possible in October.
Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing are also popular along the Rawson Lake trail during the snowy months.
Wildlife
Always maintain a safe distance from wildlife, whether deer, big-horned sheep, elk or wolves. Never attempt to feed wildlife, either.
Bears: Kananaskis is bear territory, so you should carry bear spray at all times (keep it easily accessible in a bear spray holster) and know how to use it.
When possible, hike in groups, and try to make frequent noise while you hike to avoid surprise encounters.
Follow Alberta Parks’ advisories webpage for more information on current bear sightings and trail closures.
We didn’t encounter any large wildlife during our time on the Rawson Lake trail, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Hiking Packing List
All Trails subscription – This comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
External Battery – If you are using your phone to track your progress along the trail or to help with navigation, you certainly don’t want your phone to die on you. That’s especially true in the unlikely event that you might get hurt or need assistance.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in steep trails or muddy/boggy trail conditions.
Water Filter Bottle – The Life Straw bottle is an advanced water bottle with a filter that not only improves water taste but more importantly filters out bacteria and parasites, chemicals and microplastics.
Headlamp – very practical and a smart choice if you plan to start your hike before sunrise or finish it after sunset.
Lake Rawson Trail Add-Ons and Trail Extensions
Although the official Lake Rawon trail ends at the lake, you can continue onwards all the way to the western end of the lake. This trail section is relatively flat and lasts for about an extra 1 km, so you can expect the back and forth along the lakeside to add about 25-30 minutes to the total duration of your hike.
You can extend the hike even further by going around the western end of the lake to ascend the Sarrail Ridge (the green slope on the right side of the photo above). You can either ascend the ridge as an out-and-back or follow a loop track on the ridge that will take you back to the eastern end of the lake. Doing the trail as an out-and-back will bring the total length of the hike to 11.4 km (you’ll save about 1 km by doing the loop).
It’s important to note that it is a very steep ascent up to Sarrail Ridge (400 m elevation gain over just a one-kilometre climb). The use of trekking poles is recommended for your descent from the ridge.
Some of Our Other Nearby Favorite Trails in Kananaskis
King Creek Ridge Trail
The King Creek Ridge Trail was easily one of our favorite hikes in the Canadian Rockies, let alone in Kananaskis. Although the trail is relatively short, it is quite challenging, with one of the steepest slope grades we’ve ever climbed, particularly during the first 2 km or so of the ascent. Once on the ridgeline, however, you will be rewarded with sublime 360-degree panoramic views of the surrounding spectacular mountain scenery, including the Opal Range and the Kananaskis Lakes.
For more information on this trail, be sure to check out our King Creek Ridge Trail hiking guide.
Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail
Part of the Rawson Lake trail is shared with the Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail (they also share the same trailhead). If you are looking for a long, scenic walk without much elevation gain, then this might be the trail for you.
The first 4 km of the trail (clockwise direction) are the flattest with little overall elevation gain, so one option is to make the 4 km mark a turning point and return towards the trailhead, resulting in an easy, scenic hike of 8 km.
The same is true of the first 3 km when following the counter-clockwise direction, where the trail is mostly flat with little elevation gain.
If you are feeling more adventurous, you can do the full loop of the Upper Kananaskis Lake. The full length of the trail is 15.4 km, and most will complete it in about 4h30.
While there is some elevation, it only totals 478 m, which isn’t a lot over 15 km. Moreover, most of that elevation gain results from the cumulative ups and downs you’ll go through as you loop around the lake — you’ll never be more than 100 m above the lake level.
Things To See and Stops to Make on Your Way To Rawson Lake
Assuming that, like most people, you’ll be coming from one of Calgary, Canmore or Banff, you might be interested in making stops at some of the following beautiful locations along Highway 40 as you head south towards Kananaskis Country and the Rawson Lake trail.
The Widowmaker
Despite its ominous name, the Widowmaker Day Use area (link to Google Maps) is a popular destination for kayakers and canoeists, who may be seen on the river’s edge getting ready to plunge into the rapids below or navigating the river itself. For those who wish to stay on dry land, there’s a peaceful picnic area and a short riverside trail.
The Widowmaker Day Use area is located about a 25-minute drive from Canmore.
Barrier Lake
Less than 1 km from the Widowmaker lies Barrie Lake (link to Google Maps), a man-made reservoir at the north end of Kananaskis Country. It’s another scenic area that is popular with canoers and paddleboarders, and has a hiking path running alongside the lake.
Fun fact: Barrier Lake was featured in the 2003 film X2: X-Men United as the stand-in for Alkali Lake.
Mount Lorette Ponds
Mount Lorette Ponds is a day-use area in Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis, featuring two ponds that were once part of the Kananaskis River (link to Google Maps). It’s a popular spot for nature viewing, fishing (the ponds are stocked with trout), and enjoying the scenery.
The ponds are a 10-minute drive south of Barrier Lake.
Wedge Pond
Wedge Pond Day Use area is centred around a scenic, small mountain lake located in Spray Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country (link to Google Maps). It’s a popular spot for hiking, picnicking, and paddling. The Wedge Pond Loop trail is a 1 km easy loop around the pond, perfect for families or a short, pleasant stroll.
Wedge Pond is located roughly halfway between Canmore (a 40-minute drive) and Rawson Lake (a 30-minute drive).
Where to stay near the Rawson Lake trail?
We typically like to stay in Canmore, the closest town to Kananaskis with all the amenities you would need when visiting the area, including restaurants and various hotel accommodations. The following are some of the best mid-range options in town.
Want to Discover More Hiking Trails In The Canadian Rockies?
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Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
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Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Kananaskis Hiking Guide for the Rawson Lake Trail and that it will prove useful for planning your hiking trip.
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