Raspberry Ridge is a beautiful hike in Southern Kananaskis that is often missed due to its location. I’ll admit that even I have seldom driven out this way to hike, with the exception of Mist Mountain which is about 45 minutes north of Raspberry Ridge. The trail ascends to a fire lookout that boasts 360° views of the surrounding mountains.
The trail is about 40 minutes west of Longview and around an hour and a half from South Calgary. Despite feeling further away, the drive to Raspberry Ridge is not any longer than many of my favourite hikes along the Smith-Dorrien Trail.
I hiked Raspberry Ridge on Canada Day this year, which was an amazing way to celebrate the holiday. It was hot and there are a number of exposed sections of the trail, so remember to wear sun protection.
Raspberry Ridge Hike Summary
- Difficulty:Â Difficult-Moderate
- Distance: 12.2 km round trip
- Elevation: 662 metres
- Trail type: Out-and-back
- Time: 4-6 hours
- Trailhead: Raspberry Ridge Trailhead
After turning off Highway 541, you will drive on a gravel road for 12 km to reach the trailhead. Google Maps gives good directions. Parking is limited at the trailhead, so aim to arrive early.
Choosing a Route
Raspberry Ridge Trail can be hiked as a loop or an out-and-back. We decided to take a clockwise approach, hiking up the gentler slop of the left trail, rather than the shorter but steeper climb to the right. While we had initially planned to complete the loop, after speaking to other hikers going counter-clockwise, we decided to avoid the steep section and hike the route out-and-back.
Detailed Trail Description
The trail begins at a gated road, which quickly branches off to the right. This trail has a gentle slope through the forest which brings you around the hill that stands between Raspberry Ridge and the road. As you continue west, the trail opens up also a grassy hillside–the south side of Raspberry Ridge.
We passed the fork in the trail that splits between the steeper path to the right or the longer, gentler slope to the left. We kept left and continued along the south side of the ridge.
This section was very exposed, so we were thankful for the clouds that shielded us from the sun. We continued to climb along the path until we came across the Unique Tree on the trail. This dead tree stands right along the path in stark contrast to the grasses and shrubs that cover the slope. Shortly after passing the tree we made it to the top of the first climb, before the trail veers right.
Here, we found a nice flat spot to refuel and cool down in the shade before continuing the climb to the summit. We had an incredible view of the valley below and could see much of the trail we had just completed.
Once we were ready to continue, we followed the trail along the west side of the ridge. Being on the other side gave us a whole new view, with Baril Peak and the Alberta/British Columbia border to our left. We continued up the trail through a mostly forested path for about 45 minutes before we arrived at the Fire Lookout.
Raspberry Ridge Summit
The hut and surrounding infrastructure was closed up, but there are signs against trespassing. While many hikers chose to eat on the helipad at the top of the ridge, we went up for a few photos and then ate a little ways away from the hut back down the trail.
The top of Raspberry Ridge offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, with largest peaks surrounding you. Raspberry Ridge stands at 2362 metres, while the nearby Mount Burke is a little higher at 2541 metres.
Hiking Back Down
We chose to return the same way we went up because many other hikers mentioned that the other trail was quite steep. While the hike up took us around 3 hours, the hike down took only 2. The descent wasn’t too bad on the knees, but there were a couple of short steep sections where we took it slow. Once we passed the Unique Tree again, the descent was easy.
