Picklejar Lakes Trail is a 10.6 km out-and-back trail in Kananaskis Country. It is part of the Sheep and Highwood trail report. The trail includes an elevation gain of 625 metres, which I would consider to be relatively consistent until you reach the pass just above the lake. The trail is not marked or maintained, but is in good condition overall. While there is a consistent climb throughout the hike, there are no extreme technical sections or scrabbling. There are, however, sections of pathway that line a steep drop of cliff, so if you are sensitive to heights, be aware of this.
Picklejar Lakes was my first hike with any significant elevation this summer. It was a nice, warm day that seemed to get hotter the higher we hiked. We brought our pup, and found the trail was quite popular with other dog owners as well. The lakes are also popular with fisherman and we noticed many fish flipping across the top of the lake while we stopped for lunch. Keep in mind that this is a catch and release fishing area – you are not permitted to keep any fish caught here.
The hike took us about 4 hours including a 30 minute lunch break. There are four lakes at the top, so feel free to wander around and find a good spot along the shore to eat and enjoy the views.
The trail begins at Lantern Creek Day Use area. The parking lot was almost full when we arrived at 10:30 am. The drive from Calgary is just under two hours (depending on how far north you are coming from). We took the route following highway 22 to highway 541. This connects to the southern end of highway 40 through Kananaskis. You must cross the highway after parking and connect with the trail a little north of the parking lot. The path is well-established and begins climbing fairly quickly, following the curve of the mountain on the left and the creek on the right.
We climbed through the forest and came out into a meadow-like section of the slope which was full of fireweed, other wildflowers, and grasses. the path continues to curve left around the mountain and then turns towards the right for a final ascent towards the pass. As you climb, you gain a view of a new valley in either direction.
The final 200-300 metres towards the first lake has a section of rock that hikers must climb over, a short section of shale with a defined path, but a steep drop to the left, and a few more rock sections that it may be useful to use your hands for. From here is it a short descent to the first lake. We ate here and let our dog wade in the water. There is a second lake further ahead and lakes 3 and 4 to the right of that lake.
The trail is an out-and-back, meaning the descent is the same as the ascent. We started our hike down at 1:15 pm and arrived at the parking lot around 2:45 pm. I would give yourself between 4-5 hours to complete the trail to give time to enjoy the lakes at the top.