Moderate hiking trail to the lake, going around Upper Kananaskis lake and continue to Rawson lake, it's well marked hike. Packed down snow up until the lake, snow cleats were helpful we certainly saw people doing it without but would recommend them. Also completed in less than 3 hrs. It's quite doable for people of… Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Once you hike up to Rawson Lake, you can either continue on to Sarrail Ridge for a more strenuous hike or stop and soak up the views of the lake before heading back to the trailhead. Use snowshoes to go half around lake with knee high snow. Great winter hike. Recommend crampons. Rawson Lake is truly beautiful and worth seeing but there is a steep climb to get there. LOVE IT. To get to the Rawson Lake trailhead, follow the Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail south until you pass the waterfall. It's a 3.5-4 hours round trip, depend on how much time you spend to admire the landscapes. You'll be squeezing by other hikers or stepping into knee-deep snow to get around people. It's a very gradual switchback that allows you to take in the sights and sounds of the insulated world of winter hiking. When to go: June to … I don’t care that I had to trailblaze 200m of untouched waist-deep snow with my snowshoes around the southwest corner side of Rawson Lake and collapse after an exhausting effort in trying to get to the base of Sarrail Ridge. If you choose not to hike in the snow, you will have less fun in your life but still the same amount of snow.....especially in Canada. Trail was well packed. We’ll be back to do this and sarrail for sure. A bunch of fine folk on the trail today. Saw trail will closed by early November. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from May until October. Snowshoes needed past the lake south shore. Best winter snowshoe hike in Western Canada, This trail is stunning summer, winter, fall or spring, but for us, it's a must-do stop in the winter. Rawson Lake and Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail is a 8.9 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Please exercise caution and visit the park page before planning your trip. Great but narrow trail packed with snow. Well we had great intentions of going past Rawson Lake to Sarrail Ridge, however the recent snowfall and having no snowshoes, prevented us from pushing on about a third of the way down the lake. Time: 04:30 hrs No word of a lie. Once you've reached the lake, continue on the trail around the left side. The lake is reached by hiking up a trail with 1000 feet of vertical climb from the trailhead on Upper Kananaskis Lake. Hiking trail: Rawson Lake almost to Sarrail Ridge (but not really) - Winter Edition Beautiful, overcast and gently snowing. Snowy but nicely packed. You’ll follow the Upper Kananaskis Lake trail until shortly after Sarrail Creek, where you’ll make a left up to Rawson Lake. Distance: 11km Best winter snowshoe hike in Western Canada This trail is stunning summer, winter, fall or spring, but for us, it's a must-do stop in the winter. Very cool half frozen waterfall too and nice views at the beginning. I would recommend crampons though. It all depends if you are a seasoned hiker or just starting out. Everybody agrees that hiking up the switchbacks to Rawson Lake is worth it though, so don’t give up! We experienced a considerable temperature drop at the top. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is best used from June until October. Some steep inclines but the trail is in good shape and easily navigated apart from the incline. It’s a gorgeous hike and one of the most rewarding views in the region for the amount of work required. Lovely winter hike. HIKING DIRECTIONS. Poles were very helpful and some of us had microspikes but it wasn’t too slippery. The narrow trail is hard packed snow. The trail to Rawson Lake is appropriate for anyone that can walk up a slight incline and it’s a great hike for families. Where we stopped was decent enough for our group. The first hike is an easy, leisurely walk up to Rawson Lake, a great place for everyone to visit. Most of the trail is packed down and would be fine to be done in hiking boots. 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Ptarmigan Cirque. Perfect for beginners or friends out of shape due to winter. ⁣ ⁣ The trail began along the Upper Kananaskis Trail and traveled along the lake and through forest with beautiful views. and hit the trail. Park at the Upper Kananaskis Day Use Area in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. We trekked through it to a point but then decided to turn back, as that last 20% is really geared for snowshoeing/gaiters. Once we hit the waist deep snow, we turned around and headed back to a popular spot on the lakeshore for some lunch while taking in the views. km to Point ampground. We couldn’t imagine doing this hike without poles. If so, the hike to Sarrail Ridge via Rawson Lake is for you! She’s snowy up there!! The hike to Rawson lake is fairly steep but nothing an average hiker won’t be able to handle. Get here early, as the hike to Rawson Lake is very popular, and the parking lot fills up early This is prime bear country, so hike in groups and take bear-spray. The hike to Rawson Lake is a great hike for pretty much all ages. We set out to do this hike on a nice day. Or that it was a comical workout every time I attempted to get back up on my snowshoes again. Rawson Lake and Sarrail Ridge are often combined as the hike up to Sarrail Ridge go around and up above Rawson Lake. Wonderful day out. The segment of Upper Kananaskis Lake we completed was well-trekked and easy to navigate winding along the lakeside. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. Discover the amazing, underground world of caves on this half-day, small-group guided cave explorer tour with all equipment included. This hike is not for the impatient. A word of caution: Some spots along the shoreline are quite wet so don’t assume the lake is totally frozen and safe to walk on. One of the most iconic trail in the Canadian Rockies. Summary: Rawson Lake is a scenic trail walk starting from the Upper Kananaskis Lake Day Use Area. Moderate hiking trail to the lake, going around Upper Kananaskis lake and continue to Rawson lake, it's well marked hike. Busier than expected with some 10 cars in the lot when we started and closer to 30 when we finished around 1pm on a Sunday. However, if you want to see more bring snowshoes! Time: 1-2 hours. Worth the trek to Rawson's Lake for a … This trail is like the hiking version of Charles Dickens’ famous book “A Tale Of Two Cities”, in that it’s a tale of two hikes. Rawson Lake and Upper Kananaskis Lake, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Further along Highway 40, you’ll come to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, where there are dozens of snowshoe trails. I would suggest if one had mountain snowshoes the ascent to the ridge would have been possible. This trail connects with Lookout and Pocaterra Trails. It crossed a bridge with a waterfall beside it. RAWSON LAKE. Lake is frozen but still beautiful. I actually love it. Sarrail Ridge via Rawson Lake Trail is a 7 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Still pretty busy considering the season. There will soon be a sign indicating the start of the Rawson Lake trail, heading up the mountainside. Soon the sound of water can be heard, and the trail drops down to Sarrail Creek. We did and are so happy we did!!! Beautiful day! Good for beginners! Lake is snow covered, and conditions on the trail were great. But really, why the duck are there spiders dropping down everywhere?!?! The trail to Rawson Lake starts at the end of the "Day Use Area" at Upper Kananaskis Lake. The path to Rawson Lake goes steadily uphill through a subalpine forest. Dog friendly, relatively flat around Upper Kananaskis, and moderately/gently pitched up to Rawson. Trail is pretty packed, no need for snowshoes until the lake. At about 1km (past Sarrail Falls), turn left up the slope. Note: Parts or all of this trail can be closed due to Grizzly bear activity during the summer months. Well worth the effort. Lots of packed snow. Rawson Lake is predominately in the trees, but the view of the lake is definitely worthwhile! Didn't need snowshoes but no fresh snow and didn't explore past the lake. Sarrail Ridge is the more difficult objective and I’d say from ten years old and up, maybe even younger. Or that I tripped over my snowshoes three times, going ass over teakettle each time (a couple way behind me had the pleasure of witnessing one fall). Good for shorter hike. The hike is quick and easy, only 8 kms (5 miles) long with 300 meters (985 feet) elevation gain. Sarrail in Kananaskis Country. TRAIL. After lake you could go around lake and proceed to more challenging hike to Sarrail Ridge, and as usual, the more difficult hike greater reward at the end. Was very windy at the parking lot but once in the trees it was quite nice. Nice winter hike. The trail follows Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail clockwise until it branches off to the south and begins gaining elevation to Rawson Lake. Distance: 3.5 km. This is quite easy for all ages/levels. There is a pretty waterfall about 1km in and so many views all around the lake. The lake is frozen and the view is not as beautiful as its is during summer. The trail to the lake is not overly long, just under 4 km's (just over 2 miles) to the lake one-way, and 300 m's of elevation gain (900 feet). Most people can do this, just at different paces. It's located in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, and the trail starts at the Upper Kananaskis Lake Day Use Area. No wind, mostly covered trail with manageable inclines. Nevertheless it was great to be out and the trail conditions were excellent with compact snow and virtually no traffic for a quiet Monday. It is a pretty lake that i am sure is even nicer when the sun comes out. I wore my crampons and had no problems at all. ollow the Three sle Lake Trail for . the trail was packed down with no fresh snow, so most of us just wore our winter boots, and a few folks had their grippers on; the views from Upper Kananaskis Lake portion of the trail are spectacular of all the mountain ranges in the area; Rawson Lake is in a cirque which provides for … km then join pper Lake Trail for . It’s well marked and easy to find. You will see a sign marking the end of the 'Rawson Lake Hike'. The trail starts at the upper Kananaskis Lake parking area and leads off west along the lakeshore. This makes it one of the most popular hikes around Kananaskis and Peter Lougheed Provincial Parks. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This is the hardest part of the hike. The hike is not difficult, you can take your kids anytime. 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