Amazing hiking trails near Calgary where you can see larch trees bursting with fall colours
Immerse yourself in gorgeous golden landscapes! 🍂🍁
Golden larches with mountain views. Right: Glowing for Golden Season.
Fall is an absolutely magical time out West because that's when the larch trees burst into vibrant yellow colours. If you want to experience them in all their glory, there are several hiking trails near Calgary where you can see gorgeous golden larches.
Calgary has its fair share of parks where you can see stunning fall leaves, but if you want to see larches, the best views are on trails outside the city. Take a road trip to a national park or seek out hidden trails in the mountains and you can immerse yourself in larch trees with brilliant shades of gold.
Looking for a scenic hiking spot to visit this fall? These are some of the best larch tree hikes near Calgary that will make you feel like you're in an autumn wonderland.
Larch Valley Trail
Price: $11 per adult for a Banff National Park Day Pass
Address: Moraine Lake Rd, Improvement District No. 9, AB
Why You Need To Go: If there's one place you're guaranteed to see golden larches, it's on the Larch Valley Trail. This iconic fall hiking trail starts on the shores of Lake Moraine and winds up a mountain, passing through groves of vivid larch trees.
The beginning of the trail has some slightly steep inclines. However, the trek is worth it because when you reach the top, you'll have stellar views of snow-capped mountains and the larches spread out below.
The easiest way to get to the Larch Valley Trail is to drive to Lake Louise and then make your way southwest to Moraine Lake. The hike takes about three to four hours round-trip.
O'Brien Lake
Price: $11 per adult for a Banff National Park Day Pass
Address: Improvement District No. 9, AB
Why You Need To Go: O'Brien Lake is a peaceful place to soak up some seriously stunning larch scenery. It's a short distance from Taylor Lake, but a bit more peaceful as less people continue on to O'Brien Lake.
To get this gorgeous lake, take the Taylor Lake trail through forests and over bridges. A junction will take you through meadows with Mount Bell in the background. Cross Taylor Creek and you'll reach O'Brien Lake with golden larch trees on the shore and reflected in the water.
Taylor Lake (and the O'Brien Lake trail) are just past Castle Junction between Banff and Lake Louise. The round-trip hike to takes about four to five hours.
Arethusa Cirque
Price: $15 per car for a Kananaskis Conservation Pass
Address: AB-40, Kananaskis, AB
Why You Need To Go: Arethusa Cirque is a great trail for all types of adventurers. You can make it an easy hike to a meadow surrounded by larch trees or hike up a craggy mountainside to see the larch trees from above and views of Mount Arethusa and Little Arethusa.
The trail starts at an unmarked parking lot along Highway 40. Head into the forest and soon you'll be in a lovely meadow. Keep going and you'll reach a loop where you can hike along rocky trails with vistas that will make you feel like you're on the top of the world.
The Arethusa Cirque is located in Kananaskis Country about a 1.5-hour drive southwest of Calgary. The hike takes about two to three hours to the ridge and back.
Arnica Lake
Price: $11 per adult for a Banff National Park Day Pass
Address: Improvement District No. 9, AB
Why You Need To Go: If you love hiking trails that offer views of stunning lakes, the Arnica Lake trail will be right up your alley. This emerald green lake is especially beautiful in the fall when the larch trees around the shore change colour.
The hike to Arnica Lake gives you two lakes in one. The trail starts off easy, making its way down to Vista Lake. Keep going up the steep trail to Arnica Lake and you'll find a body of crystal clear water backed by larch trees and the rocky slopes of Storm Mountain.
The Vista Lake parking lot is off Highway 93 just south of Castle Junction. All up, the round-trip hike should take you about three hours.
Gibbon Pass
Price: $11 per adult for a Banff National Park Day Pass
Address: Improvement District No. 9, AB
Why You Need To Go: If you visit Arnica Lake and are craving more larch trees, you can continue onto Gibbon Pass. The trail was named after John Murray Gibbon, who was an avid hiker and a huge promoter of Canada's natural beauty.
To get to Gibbon Pass, follow the same trail from the Vista Lake parking lot to Arnica Lake and then continue on to the Twin Lakes and up to Gibbon Pass. At the top you'll find cairn marking the pass, plus sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains and yellow larch trees.
The easiest way to reach Gibbon Pass is from the Vista Lake parking lot close to Castle Junction. The hike takes between five to seven hours round-trip.
Pocaterra Ridge
Price: $15 per car for a Kananaskis Conservation Pass
Address: AB-40, Kananaskis, AB
Why You Need To Go: With it's thick blanket of larch trees in a beautiful valley, it's no surprise that Pocaterra Ridge is a popular trail on the annual "larch march." You can take easy trails through the valley or keep going up steep sections to the actual ridge.
If you decide to climb up to the ridge, you'll find yourself on rocky outcroppings that offer 360-degree views of mountain peaks and the yellow sea of larch trees below. You'll likely meet other hikers in the larch forest, but you may have parts of the ridge all to yourself.
The Pocaterra Ridge Trail starts at the Highwood Pass Parking Lot in Kananaskis Country. The trip to the ridge and back can take anywhere from two to four hours.
Lake Agnes
Price: $11 per adult for a Banff National Park Day Pass
Address: Improvement District No. 9, AB
Why You Need To Go: Lake Louise deserves all the attention it gets, but if you want something a bit more low-key and with larch views, make your way to Lake Agnes. This tiny lake offers magnificent scenery in the autumn when the larches pop with golden hues.
The Lake Agnes hike takes you along the shore of Lake Louise and then into a thick forest. About halfway along the trail, you can see Lake Louise below and glaciers in the distance. At the end of the trail is Lake Agnes with its sparkling green water and a cute teahouse on the shore surrounded by larch trees.
The trail starts close to Chateau Lake Louise and branches of the Lakeshore Trail. It takes about two to four hours to hike to the lake and back, depending on how much time you spend at the lake and teahouse.
Saddleback Pass
Price: $11 per adult for a Banff National Park Day Pass
Address: Improvement District No. 9, AB
Why You Need To Go: Saddleback Pass is another popular larch-spotting area close to Lake Louise. The trail to the pass can be slightly steep in some parts, but at least it's all downhill on the way back.
The beginning of the trail takes you through an evergreen forest and up to a junction where you can go right for the Fairview Lookout or left to Saddleback Pass. About halfway up you'll start seeing bright larch trees. When you reach the Pass, things level out and you can take in views of mountains, glaciers, and the larch forest.
The trail to Saddleback Pass starts just steps from the Lake Louise parking lot. The round-trip hike takes about four hours.
Chester Lake
Price: $15 per car for a Kananaskis Conservation Pass
Address: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis, AB
Why You Need To Go: If you're looking for a relatively easy hike that will give you great views of larch trees, Chester Lake is a good bet. It's also lesser known that some of the top larch hiking spots, so it can be much more peaceful.
The trail is located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and it takes you through a thick forest all the way to alpine meadows dotted with larch trees. Keep climbing and you'll reach Lake Chester with its deep blue water that reflects the larches and looming Mount Chester.
The easiest way to get to Chester Lake is to drive to Canmore and then head south to Peter Lougheed National Park. The hike takes about two hours round-trip.