Smutwood Peak
Kananaskis, Canada
One of the best summits in Canada by far. There is something about Kananaskis that's hauntingly beautiful. Jagged stark peaks dominate the landscape. It feels other worldly! You're in grizzly territory so pack your bear mace and store food properly! This is an all day adventure so for us it needed just as much planning as any backpacking trip we've done! You cannot backpack/camp here anymore due to dangerous grizzly encounters so prepare for an all day hike with views of a lifetime!
Route
Alberta
Smutwood Peak
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Hard
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11.1 miles out & back with 3,047 ft of elevation gain
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dogs allowed on leash (but not recommended due to scramble terrain and grizzly population)
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Kananaskis Conservation Pass required to park
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Parking Lot is unnamed and off the Mount Shark Road
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When to go : July - September
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Camping/Backpacking NOT allowed
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Grizzly country (pack bear spray)
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Travel in groups of 4 of more
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Scramble terrain near summit (poles recommended)
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Rain and weather effects the terrain significantly, so be prepared/safe from loose rock
NOTE
The road to the trailhead is dirt and washboardy. You cannot camp here so start hiking early for this all day adventure. This trail closes often due to bear activity, so please be carful especially if hiking with dogs. Always call Albertaparks.ca for parking permits, fees and trail conditions before your journey.
AllTrails & Parking Lot Links
Smutwood Peak
The trail starts at an unnamed parking lot off of the Mount Shark dirt road. The trail follows along a dirt road for some time before running into a cute little waterfall before you start climbing. You'll pass a beautiful green meadow with a river running through it, then it starts getting STEEP. It is straight up the entire time until you reach to Birdwood Lakes. There was some snow and steep switchbacks with loose rocks on the way up to the lakes. But once you get up into the basin, the views are INSANE. Definitely take a long lunch break here and enjoy the view, cause the next climb up to the peak is a bit sketchy.
View of Mount Birdwood
I wish we could say we summited but we had to turn around due to the smoke and visibility. The air was potent and grey, and you could barely see Mount Birdwood in the distance. The fires were pretty bad here over the summer, especially in Banff. We were about a mile from the summit, but so proud of our dog for muscling up the steep sections. She's the goat. I really had to edit the photos below to see Mount Birdwood in the background. We want to come back next time and finish the summit because it's a once in a lifetime view! I would recommend poles for this section. The rocks were pretty loose and we had to climb over some bigger rocks with steep drops.
