Just Another Mountain

Trail Stats

Distance: 8 KM (to Rawson Lake) or 11.6 KM (incl Sarrail Ridge)

Elevation: 300m (to Rawson Lake) + 370m (to Sarrail Ridge)

Time: 5 hours

With just two days in Kananaskis, I wanted to ensure we choose the best hikes to do – and this one was definitely the right choice! If you’re looking for incredible scenes and a challenging but fun uphill climb, this is a must.

The trail begins at the Upper Kananaskis Lake day-use parking lot. There are several short trails you can choose to do from here, but the hike to Rawson Lake is definitely the most popular, and it doesn’t require too much effort so it’s a perfect hike for most. We met a lot of families on our way back, many asking if it’s much further or if it’s worth it, and it definitely is! It’s different to Kananaskis Lake as it’s much smaller and the mountain behind the lake is reflected in the water. The whole area just had a real sense of calm about it.

It is 8 KM return to Rawson Lake with 300m of elevation gain. The trail begins along the perimeter of Upper Kananaskis Lake and passes by a waterfall before entering further into the forest where it begins to get a little steeper. It is very sheltered and the trail is well marked. It took us about an hour to reach the lake and since it was early (ish – 10:30 AM), it was really quiet. There were a few people fishing and we could see a group of hikers attempting the climb to Sarrail Ridge to the right of the lake. 

To get to Sarrail Ridge, you walk along the perimeter or the lake on the lefthand side. There is a sign marking the end of the trail, but it is fairly obvious where you need to go. The loose rocks covering the lakeside were home to lots of pikas we could see and hear scurrying around.

Trekking up to Sarrail Ridge was a really tough climb but it was so enjoyable as I love scrambley hikes where I get to unleash my inner mountain goat 😌 It’s 3.6 KM return with 370m elevation and you will be pulling yourself up an avalanche chute so expect lots of loose rocks, dust, mud and some sparse trees/grass you can use to aid the climb. There are 2 short rope sections too that were helpful on the way down.

I am so glad there was no one else on the trail because it would be very frustrating having to wait for people ahead of you to climb up. On the way down, there were a lot of people coming up but we were able to stick to the righthand side and work our way down without getting in anybody’s way. It took us 30 minutes to get up and 35 minutes to get down, which is a pretty impressive time as our breaks are the usual mere seconds long to just catch our breath. (why do we do this to ourselves 😅)

By the time I got to the top, I was exhausted and my quads felt like they were finished for the day 🥲 Thankfully, the views were so unbelievable we spent quite some time at the top so I was able to recover before attempting to go back down.

The view was incredible! I was only expecting to be looking back down at Rawson Lake, but to the other side you’ve got Kananaskis Lake and all the gorgeous surrounding mountains. It was breathtaking. There is no better feeling than eating a sandwich on top of a mountain you’ve just climbed, FACT.

We were asked on the way down if the trail was a loop which we didn’t think it was, but another hiker showed us his trail map and it seemed like you could actually go down a different route. We had walked over to where the trail kind of just turned into sheer rockface so we didn’t bother going further as we didn’t think there was another way down.

FYI – This hike is in prime grizzly territory, although we (sadly but also, phew) didn’t see any. You will also need to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass (approx. $15/day or $90 for a year) which can be done at any visitor center or online. There is very little phone service in Kananaskis so be prepared!