The old Wenkchemna Pass sign shows the elevation at 2,611 metres, but the official elevation given by Parks Canada is 2,600 metres.

By mid-summer, all of the snow has disappeared from the highest hiking trails in the Canadian Rockies parks and most hikers are in a bit better shape than they were in the spring. If you’d like to hike to the highest trail-accessible points in the parks, this is the time to do it. (But make sure you watch the weather.)

There’s always a bit of debate about the highest “official” trail in the Canadian Rockies. We’ve always considered the summit of Fairview Mountain overlooking Lake Louise as the “winner”. It may seem a bit sketchy as you climb from Saddleback, but it was constructed by the Swiss guides many decades ago. And though sections of this steep, rocky slope have sloughed away, good sections of trail still remain.

Here’s our list of the five highest hiking trails in the Canadian Rockies:

1. Fairview Mtn, Banff National Park                                       2745 m (9005 ft)

2. Windy Pass, Mt Assiniboine Prov Park                             2650 m (8694 ft)

3. Sentinel Pass, Banff National Park                                     2611 m (8566 ft)

4. Wenkchemna Pass, Banff National Park                            2600 m (8530 ft)

5. Lineham Ridge, Waterton Lakes National Park                2560 m (8399 ft)

Most Albertans list Kananaskis Country’s Mount Allan/Centennial Trail as the highest official trail in the Canadian Rockies. The trail was scratched over 2840 m (9318 ft) Mount Allan in 1966, and it is a worthy, heart-stopping contender for the title. For a description, check out in Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Trail Guide.