Banded Peak via Alder Trail is an out-and-back trail in Bragg Creek Provincial Park. This trail is about 3.7 kilometres with 115 metres of elevation gain. The route follows a trail through the forest to a view point in the southeast corner of the park. The total walk took us an hour, but could be extended to 2 hours if you complete the entire Bragg Creek Loop, or shortened to 30 minutes if you just complete the Alder Trail loop. This a kid-friendly and dog friendly trail.
Banded Peak via Alder Trail Summary
- Difficulty:Â Easy
- Distance:Â 3.7 km round trip
- Elevation:Â 115 metres
- Trail type:Â Out-and-back
- Time:Â 45 minutes to an hour
- Trailhead: Alder Trail Parking Lot
The parking lot will be on your left side of Highway 758 if you’re coming from Bragg Creek. It’s just past the Bragg Creek Provincial Park main lot, which will be on your right-hand side.
Detailed Trail Summary
The hike along the Banded Peak connector trail is easy and pleasant. We hiked this trail in late October, with mild weather and some remaining fall leaves about. The total trail took us an hour, including Alder Loop.
From the parking lot, we took the path that begins next to the Alder Trail sign. The trail leads you through the forest with a couple forks along the way. At the first junction, we stayed left and followed the loop clockwise to the junction with the Banded Peak connector. This junction is well signed, with a small amount of elevation leading to the fork in the trail.
From there, we continued east for nearly a kilometre through a mostly flat, forested region. Then, the trail began to climb and we ascended most of the elevation on the trail. The trail is comfortably wide with a gradual incline.
We reached the final fork of our journey, taking the right trail this time towards the summit of the hill. The left trail would lead you around on the Bragg Creek Loop. There is a bench at the top of the hill, and if you continue walking a little further, the trees open up and you can get a view of the nearby mountains.
We returned back down the way we came. When we reached the junction with Alder Loop, we took the high route, on the left, rather than retracing our steps. We completed the loop and returned to the parking lot, completing our walk in exactly one hour.
On the way home, we stopped at the Bragg Creek Bakery in town before driving back to Calgary.
