The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Alberta

The Chester Lake Ski tour is a lovely double track trail that winds through the forest before opening up to an expansive valley with towering peaks on either side of a beautiful lake....

This is an awesome beginner ski tour with well spaced trees and a gentle slope. There is very little overhead hazard unless you ascend higher onto the ridge or continue further down the valley between Mount Engadine and The Tower....

Burstall Pass is a classic Nordic Ski Area on the Smith Dorrien road. Parking is easy to find with a well established trail sign to Burstall Parking. You will get on a non track set Nordic Trail which is heavily used for snow shoeing, walking and nordic skiing in the winter....

This is a classic snow shoe and beginner ski tour in Kananaskis. A gentle grade and undulating forest trail make this a scenic and mellow ski tour. Great for kids and beginners or on higher hazard days the tour takes you to a pleasant frozen lake which is a great lunch spot....

The route to Helena Ridge starts up the well trafficked Rockbound lake hiking and snowshoe trail. The trail is a wide double track that is well signed and makes for a fun, fast and flowy descent....

Healy Pass begins at the Sunshine ski hill parking lot. It is best to drive past the gondola station and day lodge to the back lot which is used for backcountry access....

Sunshine village is one of the largest ski areas in the Bow Valley and it is also one of the only resorts which allows uphill skinning. The best way up the ski hill is via the ski out and it's ideal to skin up it before the downhill traffic gets heavy, which is usually about 2pm....

This moderate ski tour has beautiful views and takes you through the valley between two gorgeous classic Kananaskis mountains - Mount Birdwood and Mount Smuts. The trail starts by winding through forest and opens up into an amphitheatre-like valley....

This is one of the most beautiful ski tours on the Smith Dorrien. This loop ski tour is a go to for many seasoned backcountry enthusiasts. Park on the road about 1km after the Sawmills parking lot....

The Commonwealth loop is a fun day tour which takes you into some stunning and dramatic terrain. You will want good stability for this one as you enter and exit through large avalanche runout zones....

The name of this route is a perfect description in itself for this run- it is a fun, long "super slope," of a descent. You park for this ski tour in the same spot you park to go to Tryst Chutes, it is approximately 3km past the turn off to Mount Engadine Lodge....

Black Prince has long been a favourite touring spot for backcountry enthusiasts. Many Avalanche safety training courses are held here and it's a great, user-friendly spot to get good turns. Most of the ski terrain is at treeline or below but you do pop into the alpine before descending, affording you some great views....

This is one of the crown jewels of the Kananaskis region a must-do for ski mountaineers who like long days, technical travel and stunning views. This route takes you onto two Glaciers - the Haig and the Robertson and you should travel with full glacier gear and a minimum of three people on this route....

Observation Subpeak (2950 m) is a fine ski peak with a good of variety of skiing. Several routes exist, the one described here combines a nice ridge ascent with powder turns down the north glacier - probably the best turns on the peak....

This spectacular peak is amongst the most popular on the Wapta. It can be done in a long day from Bow Lake, or be combined with a stay at the Bow Hut (2330 m)....

This is a very popular ski tour and for good reason - it is straightforward, low hazard and affords a lovely view. You park at the Taylor lake parking lot and tour up a well beaten path....

To begin this loop ski tour you park in the back parking lot to the Sunshine Village ski area and start up the trail for Healy Pass. This trail begins close to the gondola station and you will cross a pedestrian bridge to get on the trail....

A series of fun chutes will have you lapping all day long if you want. Each chute is approximately 200 meters and there are plenty of options to get as sendy as you want in this area....

This is a nice loop ski tour with a steeper descent. The trailhead is the same as you would park for Hero's Knob and you initially head in the same direction, but instead of continuing up the drainage and turning right toward Mount Murray you head left toward Black Prince Ridge....

This spectacular peak is amongst the most popular on the Wapta. It can be done in a long day from Bow Lake, or be combined with a stay at the Bow Hut (2330 m)....