Researched route, Kananaskis
Kananaskis
A long, gentle trail through the forest to a lake under Mount Galatea's north face, with little avalanche terrain until you get there.
Rummel Lake sits in a small cirque under the north face of Mount Galatea, in Spray Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis, near Canmore. It's a long, gentle day: 5.2 km and about 395 m of climbing to the west shore, up through old cutblocks, a few hundred metres on the High Rockies Trail, then old forest and a bridge over Rummel Creek. Short of the lake the trail stays away from steep ground, except for a stretch by the bridge below north-facing slopes. Most people come for the lake itself, and the sources describe only a little skiing near it. The trail is the common, well documented way in. Where you go and what you ski from there is your call. 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 10.3 km round trip, 5.2 km to the lake |
| Elevation gain | about 395 m, counting the small dips on the way up |
| Slope angles | mostly under 15 degrees on the line, up to about 20 in the cutblocks; near the lake, 27 to 36 degrees on Rummel Ridge's south side, 30 to 48 on the north facing slopes above the bridge and 35 to 50 and more on the walls around the lake; terrain data reads low |
| Trailhead | 1,835 m |
| High point | 2,210 m at the lake's west shore on our terrain data; one hiking guide gives the lake 2,220 m |
| Nearest town | Canmore |
| Pass required | Kananaskis Conservation Pass |
| Skied by us | Not yet |
The trail leaves from the east side of Highway 742, the Smith-Dorrien Trail, across from the road to Mount Engadine Lodge and Mount Shark. Coming from Canmore it's about 35 km south on 742, past the Nordic Centre. Coming from the south it's about 32.5 km north on 742 from Kananaskis Lakes Trail. The road is gravel and can be rough, dusty or icy. Its north end above Canmore has been closed for avalanche control and, in 2026, after a rockslide. When that end is shut you can still reach the trailhead from the south. Check 511 Alberta and Alberta Parks' advisories before you go, and don't expect cell service on the road or the trail.
There's no lot for Rummel Lake. Hiking and snowshoe guides describe parking on the highway shoulder near the junction, or just along the Mount Shark road. Mount Engadine Lodge is private. It sits across the highway from the trail. You need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to park anywhere in Kananaskis. It's tied to your licence plate, and you buy it before you arrive. We found no Alberta Parks rule about the shoulder here, so read the signs when you get there.
When we last checked Alberta Parks (October 2026), the Rummel Lake winter trail was listed as open, and the advisories showed no closure on it. A 2026 closure covers part of the High Rockies Trail between Driftwood and Sparrowhawk, well north of here, and doesn't touch this route. The lake has the only winter backcountry campground in Kananaskis. Alberta Parks opens it from December 19 to April 1, by reservation, with no fires.
We'd read the Kananaskis Country avalanche forecast on Avalanche Canada before going, and leave a plan with someone who isn't coming.
From the road you start on an old logging road, heading south for about 700 m more or less beside the highway. Then the trail turns back north and climbs two old cutblocks. That's the steepest part of the route, up to about 20 degrees, and it gains about 140 m in 1.3 km. 10Adventures describes several tracks across the cutblocks in winter, and reports describe wide views back over the valley to Tent Ridge.
At about 2 km and 2,010 m the trail meets the High Rockies Trail at a bench looking out over Spray Lakes. Go left and follow it north for about 300 m to a second junction. Right at the bench would take you south on the High Rockies Trail toward Chester Lake. Trip reports describe both junctions as signed, though one found no sign naming Rummel Lake, only a hand-made one pointing the way. At the second junction, about 2.3 km from the car, the Rummel Lake trail leaves the High Rockies Trail and heads southeast into the trees.
It climbs gently for about 1.5 km to a sharp left turn at about 3.75 km and 2,130 m. Routes toward Little Galatea and Chester Lake carry straight on from here. 10Adventures warns that missing the turn sends you toward Chester Lake, and a trip report describes an arrow marking it. Past the turn the trail heads east through old forest on the south side of Rummel Creek. There are a few short dips, which trip reports call more of a nuisance on the way out. Yellow markers set high in the trees show the winter way.
At about 4.3 km and 2,140 m the trail crosses Rummel Creek on a bridge. Reports describe a second trail forking right just before it and keeping to the creek's south side. 10Adventures calls that one the summer way, along the foot of avalanche slopes. The winter trail crosses the bridge and climbs about 70 m through the trees north of the creek to the lake's west shore, 5.2 km from the car at about 2,210 m. The campground's outhouse is near the shore.
Most sources treat Rummel Lake as a trip to the lake and say little about skiing there. A 2020 ski trip report stopped at the lake on a high hazard day. Here's what the sources do describe. What you ski is up to you. The slope angles and aspects are our own read of the terrain data, not the sources', and slopes are steeper than they appear.
The cutblocks. Trip reports from 2009 and 2020 describe short, fun turns in the open cutblocks above the road on the way out. Our read: about 10 to 20 degrees, facing west and southwest.
North-facing glades above the bridge. In April 2026 an Avalanche Canada report found dry snow in tight north-facing glades from about 2,100 to 2,300 m, on the slopes rising south of Rummel Creek. Our read: these slopes run from the creek at the bridge up to about 2,350 m, mostly 30 to 45 degrees and steeper in places, facing north and northwest. It's avalanche terrain, and the trail at the bridge sits at its foot.
Rummel Ridge's south side. This is the treed hill north of the trail. A 2020 ski trip report mentions turns on Rummel Ridge in a low hazard spell. A 2016 snowshoe report quotes a local suggesting a loop down the slopes south of the summit to the Rummel Lake trail. Our read: from about 2,420 m at the top down to the trail at about 2,140 m, mostly 25 to 35 degrees in the upper half, facing south and southwest and easing toward the trail. They're sunny slopes, and avalanche terrain up high.
Past the lake. A summer trail carries on around the lake and up a draw to meadows, two tarns and Rummel Pass at about 2,405 m, between The Tower and Mount Galatea. Hiking guides describe the gap below the pass as avalanche terrain, with big chutes above the valley. Avalanche Canada reports from May 2024 and May 2025 describe spring trips up toward the pass. On the 2025 trip they skied back down below the lake.
The way out. From the glades above the bridge, ski down to the creek and pick up the trail at the bridge. From Rummel Ridge's south side, ski down to the trail between the sharp turn and the bridge. From past the lake, come back down to the shore. Then follow the trail out: west along the creek, right at the sharp turn (not straight on toward Chester Lake), and down through the forest to the High Rockies Trail. Go left (south) on it for about 300 m to the bench, then leave it to the right and head down the cutblocks and along the old road to the car. Trip reports describe side-stepping out of the dips with skins off, and shortcuts to slide down in the cutblocks.
Little avalanche terrain short of the lake. For the first 4 km no slope of 30 degrees or more rises above the trail within about 400 m. From about 4.1 km, north-facing slopes of 30 to 50 degrees rise south of the creek, about 200 m from the trail and starting about 60 m above it. Our runout model stops short of the trail there. It's a simple model, though, and big slides can run farther than it shows.
The lake sits under steep walls. They rise on its south and east sides, part of Mount Galatea's north face. In December 2016 a report saw sluffs off the cliff band at the southeast corner set off a size 2 that ran down the scree to the water's edge (Avalanche Canada MIN report, 2016-12-05). The west shore, where the trail comes in, and the campground on the north shore sit back from the walls.
The summer trail by the creek. The right fork just before the bridge keeps to the creek's south side, along the foot of the slopes that rise to the walls around the lake. The winter trail crosses the bridge and stays on the north side.
Past the lake. The valley to Rummel Pass runs between The Tower and Mount Galatea, with steep slopes and chutes on both sides. From the lake, a 2020 trip report saw natural slides come down The Tower's flank.
Weak snow and crusts. Reports near the trail are more about the snowpack than about slides. In January 2024 shooting cracks ran out from under a snowshoer heading down off the trail near the High Rockies Trail, through a thick rain crust (Avalanche Canada MIN report, 2024-01-20). In December 2022 a party touring to the lake noted whumpfs or shooting cracks, and a pit near treeline north of the lake broke suddenly (2022-12-30). An April 2026 pit at about 2,300 m found a thick layer of depth hoar at the base, under a crust and facet layer (2026-04-04). In November 2023 a report found surface hoar on the trail between about 1,950 and 2,150 m (2023-11-25).
What the reports show. The Avalanche Canada reports close to this line describe shooting cracks and whumpfs, set off by people on gentle ground on the trail and just off it, below and near treeline. They don't describe slides on this line in the last four winters. Reports follow where people go, and most come for the lake, so a quiet record doesn't mean quiet slopes.
Cold, and a long way. A 2020 trip report found the forest much colder than the open ground. Outmap's tour page warns not to underestimate the distance, with no cell service. The trail is busy with snowshoers and winter hikers, who pack down a wide track.
On the way in, whumpfs or cracking count, even on the gentle trail. So does heavy new snow, or a forecast of deep or persistent slabs. Those matter most at the bridge below the north slopes.
At the lake and on the slopes, look for fresh debris above the bridge or the lake, cornices or fresh wind slabs on Rummel Ridge and toward the pass, strong sun on Rummel Ridge's south side, or a quick warm-up.
The signs count the whole way: on the trail, at the lake and in your runs. It's out and back on one trail, so turning around anywhere only costs you the lake. Whether to go is your call on the day. Read the forecast and decide from what you find.
A long, gentle trail to a lake under steep walls. About 10.3 km and 395 m of climbing, most of it in the forest. A 2020 ski trip report took about 3 hr 45 min for the round trip with breaks, and one of its skiers would rather have had light touring skis for the dips. The trail itself needs basic ski skills. The slopes above the bridge, Rummel Ridge's upper slopes and the valley to the pass are avalanche terrain. For those we'd want avalanche training, a transceiver, probe and shovel, and partners who know how to use them.
What we can't tell you yet. How it skis on the day, how much of it is tracked, and how long it really takes you. The dashboard's estimate uses your own pace.