Rummel Lake is a stunning backcountry lake on the west side of Mount Galatea. It is accessible via a 5.5 km (one way) trail with moderate elevation, making it an excellent choice for beginners and experienced hikers alike.
Rummel Lake Trail is best known for the larch around the lake, which make it a popular destination in late September and early October. However, it is actually open year-round, with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing routes in the winter. Rummel Lake is also home to the only designated winter-only backcountry campground in Kananaskis.
I hiked the trail on the third weekend of September, hoping to see larch, but was pleasantly surprised by all the other fall foliage along the trail.
Rummel Lake Hike Summary
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 10.9 km round trip
- Elevation: 442 metres
- Trail type: Out-and-back
- Time: 3-4 hours
- Trailhead: Rummel Lake Trailhead
There is no parking lot for Rummel Lake. Instead, you can look for the signs off the Smith-Dorrien (Highway 742) for Mt. Shark and Mt. Engadine Lodge. It is right at the intersection with this road that the Rummel Lake Trail begins. Park on the east side of the highway (opposite Mt. Shark Road).
Detailed Trail Description
Although a relatively short trail to the lake (about 5.5 km one way), Rummel Lake Trail is split into four distinct segments with varying terrain. Rummel Lake can be a very busy trail, especially during larch season, so I recommend coming early. We did this hike on the third weekend of September, arriving at the trailhead around 9:45 am. It wasn’t too busy yet, but the larch were not yet at their peak, so come earlier if you plan to hike at the end of September or early October.
The First Section: Reaching the First Viewpoint
The first 1.9 km departs directly from the Smith-Dorrien highway. The trail heads southeast for about 700 metres before sharply turning northeast. This turn resembles a wide switchback; however, the elevation doesn’t really begin until you turn that first corner.
The trail here is wide, and slowly begins to climb through the forest. After about 30 minutes of hiking, we reached the first viewpoint. There is a bench here with beautiful views over the Spray Lakes Reservoir. We could see hints of gold throughout the mountains around us, the begins of larch season in Kananaskis.
The High Rockies Trail
After the bench, the trail joins the High Rockies trail for about 400 metres. You may cross paths with mountain bikers here, as the High Rockies is a popular biking route. However, the trail was closed on either end of the Rummel Lake stretch, so we did not have to worry about sharing the path. This path was short with a little elevation gain, but nothing difficult. The shrubs were in full fall glory, in yellows, oranges, and reds.
The Middle Section
After splitting from the High Rockies trail, you’ll follow Rummel Lake trail through thick forest with lots of tree roots along the path for the next 2 km. This section has a few bigger climbs and descents crisscrossed with tree roots, so watch your step. The forest smelled of evergreens here, which was lovely. This middle section of the hike took us about 30 minutes.
Crossing Rummel Creek: The Final Kilometre
Finally, we reached the low wooden bridge over Rummel Creek. At this point, we had one easy kilometre to go.
This section of the trail is wider than the previous bit. Although gradual, the trail does gain about 80 metres of elevation in this last kilometre. We reached the lake at about 11:30 am, and the sun was just starting to peek over Mount Galatea. The lake was perfectly still, giving a beautiful glassy reflection of the mountain behind it.
The Larch at Rummel Lake
Although we had hoped for more yellow larch, we could see that the trees around the lake were abundant, but just starting to turn yellow.
Most were a pale green, noticeable among the dark green conifers, but not yet the dramatic contrast that larch are known for. I expect that by next weekend (the last weekend of September), the larch will be in their full glory.
Rummel Lake is a beloved larch hike because of the mix of larch and evergreen trees that surround the lake, contrasting beautifully and making the larch stand out.
In my opinion, it is this contrast that makes Kananaskis larch hikes particularly beautiful, especially when compared to popular trails in the nearby Banff area, such as Larch Valley. While Larch Valley and similar trails are undeniably gorgeous in the fall, I just love this two-toned look common to hikes like Rummel, Chester Lake, Burstall Pass, and Arethusa Cirque.
The Return Hike
The hike back follows the exact same route in reverse. There is a pit toilet at Rummel Lake, for those who need it. Be warned that there is no hand sanitizer or toilet paper, so bring your own. There is also no bathroom at the trailhead.
The return hike took us approximately and hour and a half, making our total hiking time 3 hours and 30 minutes, including nearly 30 minutes spent at the lake itself.
Rummel Lake could be a great larch or fall hiking destination. It is just past the parking lot for Chester Lake, so it can also make for a decent backup option if Chester Lake is full. Remember to leave no trace and enjoy your hike!
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