Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the car park take the trail south-west and, at the signed fork after about 100 m, go left on the Grassi Lakes Interpretive Trail. It climbs through forest, then steeply up steps beside a waterfall, with views over Canmore, to the lower lake. Walk along its south shore to the upper lake, cross the footbridges between the two and return along their north side. The old road, the easier Upper Grassi Lakes Trail, leads back down to the car park.
It is 3.4 km round with 148 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: one short, steep section of steps, otherwise forest paths and an old road.
The waterfall steps are slippery when wet, and Alberta Parks closes that route when it ices up in winter; then use the old road both ways. Climbers can knock stones off the cliffs, so do not linger below them. This is a wildlife corridor: keep to marked trails. Bears were active around Canmore on 30 September 2026, and fireguard work nearby may close trails at short notice.
Parking needs a Kananaskis Conservation Pass, $15 a day or $90 a year, bought online before you park. The car park is on Spray Lakes Road (Highway 742) below the Canmore Nordic Centre. In autumn and winter no bus comes up here.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The lakes and the original trail are named after Lawrence Grassi, an Italian-born Canmore miner who built mountain paths in his spare time
- Two small spring-fed lakes of clear turquoise water lie below limestone cliffs that are a well-known climbing crag
- The harder way up climbs beside a waterfall with views over Canmore; the easier one follows an old road through the forest
- The lakes lie in a wildlife corridor where travel is allowed only on the marked trails
Getting there
Start: Grassi Lakes car park, Spray Lakes Road. 51.08114, -115.39463
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Grassi Lakes car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.