Kananaskis · Moderate · There and back

Ha Ling Peak trail to the saddle

A steep climb on Alberta Parks' rebuilt trail from Goat Creek to the saddle beside Ha Ling Peak, high above Canmore.

Distance
6.7 km (4.2 mi)
Ascent
664 m
Time
About 4 h 30 min
High point
2,328 m
Grade
Moderate

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

0 km2 km4 km6 km2,328 m1,660 m
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Ha Ling Peak trail to the saddle
Jack Borno · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the Goat Creek day-use area cross Highway 742 (the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail) and the footbridge over the canal, then follow the rebuilt Ha Ling Trail up long switchbacks through the forest. Above the trees it climbs the open slope to the saddle between Ha Ling Peak and Miner's Peak, looking down on Canmore and the Three Sisters. Alberta Parks' maintained trail ends at the saddle, and so does this walk: return the same way. The last stretch to the summit is unmaintained loose rock and is not part of this walk.

It is 6.7 km there and back with 664 m of ascent; allow about 4½ hours. The grade is Moderate: a sustained climb on a well-made trail of long switchbacks, rockier above the trees.

From October to June the upper slopes and the saddle are usually snowy or icy: take traction aids and turn back in poor visibility. Summer brings afternoon storms. Alberta Parks reported bears active around Canmore on 30 September 2026, so travel in a group, make noise and keep dogs on a leash.

Parking needs a Kananaskis Conservation Pass, $15 a day or $90 a year, bought online before you park. Highway 742 is gravel above the Nordic Centre and often snow-packed in winter; check 511 Alberta. There is no public transport.

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 peak is named after Ha Ling, a cook who climbed it in a day in 1896 to win a bet; the name was made official in 1997
  • Alberta Parks rebuilt the trail with long switchbacks in place of the old eroded line
  • From the saddle you look down on Canmore, the Bow Valley and the Three Sisters, with the sheer face of Ha Ling beside you
  • The trailhead is the Goat Creek day-use area on Highway 742, a short drive up from Canmore past the Nordic Centre

Getting there

Start: Goat Creek day-use area, Highway 742. 51.06152, -115.41857

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Goat Creek day-use area: 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.