Luxury and backcountry are not two words that usually go together, but when camping at the Big Elbow Backcountry site in Kananaskis this summer, it definitely felt luxurious. Backcountry camping takes “roughing it” to another level, with running water, electricity, and civilization out of sight and out of mind. And while Big Elbow does not have these day-to-day luxuries of the city or a serviced front-country site, it has been well-maintained to a level above other backcountry sites I’ve stayed at.
We hiked to Big Elbow at the beginning of July, just before the heat wave set in over Alberta. Our hike in was around 22⁰C on the way in and crept towards 30 on the second day. We got moving early enough to be back at the parking lot before the heat of the day.
We arrived at Little Elbow Campground at the end of highway 66 (about 1 hour from Calgary or 30 minutes from Bragg Creek) to park our car. This served as our trailhead for the hike. The hike is 8.3 km with 170 metres of elevation. It is a great easy trip for experienced backpackers who want a trip they can do over the weekend, or a good starter trip for those new to backcountry camping.
The trail follows the east side of Elbow Loop, a 42 km trail that connects Big Elbow, Tombstone, and Mount Romulus campgrounds and is popular amongst hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians alike. We did Mount Romulus in 2022 as my partner’s first backcountry trip and decided to head back to the same area for a short weekend out-and-back this year.
The trail winds through the valley, gaining and losing a little elevation, but nothing too dramatic. The trail stays wide the entire way, so there is no worry about getting lost or struggling to pass hikers or bikers heading the opposite direction. There are also periodic orange diamonds marking the trail and the intersections with other trails.
We hiked to Big Elbow campground in about 2.5 hours. We stopped about halfway to have lunch as well, adding to our time. Once at the campsite we set up our tent and moved all our “smellies” (food and scented items like sunscreen or toiletries) to the bear lockers near the cooking area. We chose tent site number 6, with a view of the river. There are 10 hiker/biker campsites and 5 equestrian sites that are nicely spaced out so you don’t feel crowded by other campers.
Big Elbow surprised us – it was the nicest backcountry site I have ever stayed at and I’ve hiked in parks across Alberta and British Columbia. The picnic tables were new and nicely constructed (not too high or too low as has been the case) and beyond the two eating areas there were also benches in a third group gathering space. The outhouse was new as well, and the paths throughout the campsite were recently redone. It was clear that Alberta Parks has put lots of work into maintaining the campground and we really appreciated it!
After a delicious stir fry with instant noodles, we played cards and headed to bed. We were up around 8 the next morning with the goal of beating the heat that was supposed to peak around 2 pm. I always prefer to pack up our tent site before breakfast (I find it more efficient than carrying gear back and forth between the tent site and the cook site), so we packing and cleared our tent pad before eating our oatmeal with some other backpackers.
It took us just over 2 hours to make it back to the parking lot. We ate lunch at the car, opting to push through and get out of the heat instead. Overall it was a very beautiful trip and a great way to get out to the mountains when we only had Saturday and Sunday to prepare, hike, and get ready for another week of work. It can also easily be combined with other sites in the area such as Tombstone for a multi-day trek.