Researched route, Kananaskis
Smith-Dorrien Trail, Kananaskis
From a highway pull-off, flat old roads and one steep forest climb to Commonwealth Lake, the common way in to the trees and glades above it and the loop over the col beyond.
Commonwealth Lake sits in a small valley under Commonwealth Peak and Pig's Back in Kananaskis Country, near Canmore. You start from a highway pull-off on the Smith-Dorrien Trail, and it's 2.7 km to the lake, about 5.3 km and 217 m of climbing there and back. The first 1.6 km is nearly level, across Engadine Flats and along an old road. It's the common way in to the skiing around the lake: the trees and glades on the lower slopes of Commonwealth Ridge above its east side, and the steeper ground beyond, up to the col where trip reports turn the day into a loop. The trail gets you to the lake. Where you go and what you ski from there is up to you. We built this route from research and haven't skied it ourselves.
We built this route from our own extensive research. All resources are cited on the dashboard. We haven't skied it ourselves, the routes illustrated may not be the best line choice, use your own judgement when planning. Remember you are still responsible for your own tour.
Last checked October 20, 2026.
| Distance | about 5.3 km round trip, 2.7 km to the lake |
| Elevation gain | about 217 m, counting the dips; the lake is 170 m higher than the road |
| Slope angles | the road and trail under 25 degrees; above and beside the lake, 25 to 35 degrees on the west-facing slopes of Commonwealth Ridge and 27 to 41 on the north-facing ground under Pig's Back; terrain data reads low |
| Trailhead | 1,849 m on terrain data, at the roadside |
| The lake | 2,019 m at the north end where the mapped trail ends, on terrain data |
| Nearest town | Canmore |
| Pass required | Kananaskis Conservation Pass |
| Skied by us | Not yet |
Take the Smith-Dorrien Trail (Highway 742), a gravel road of about 37 km. The start is a pull-off on its shoulder, about 2.2 km south of the Mount Shark Road and Mount Engadine Lodge turn-off, which is about 38 km south of Canmore. A 2010 trail guide says most people start here, parking beside the guardrail, and a 2022 snowshoe report did the same. The trail leaves on the west side: you climb over the guardrail and drop down a short, steep bank. You can also start from the first lot on Mount Shark Road, just past the bridge. That adds about 1.2 km each way along an old road.
You need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to park. Mount Engadine Lodge says the Smith-Dorrien gets plowed and sanded regularly in winter. When we read Alberta Parks' pages for Spray Valley in October 2026 they listed closures at Ribbon Creek and on part of the High Rockies Trail, and none on Mount Shark Road or this trail. We haven't found a published no-stopping zone for this stretch of road, so watch for signs at the roadside. Check 511 Alberta and Alberta Parks' advisories before you go.
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