If you travel west from Calgary, Alberta on the TransCanada Highway, you’ll see the Canadian Rockies growing ever larger during your entire journey. It’s an amazing sight! In less than an hour you’re right in the heart of these great mountains!.
If you exit the TransCanada Hwy at #118, you’ll find yourself on highway #40. This road leads through the jagged peaks of Kananaskis country and reaches the summit of Highwood Pass. At an elevation of 2206 meters, Highwood Pass is the highest paved mountain highway in Canada. It lies within the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The Highwood Pass summit offers great views of mountain peaks and interesting geology. It is also a great spot for hiking and seeing wildlife. The road takes you to within 100 meters of the treeless alpine, making this one of the easiest places in the Rockies to explore this high altitude ecosystem. The wildflowers in early summer are spectacular up here, and in the fall the colorful larch trees decorate the hills in golden orange.
People who live in Alberta consider Kananaskis Country as “ours”. The tourists can have Banff and Lake Louise. This is where we like to hike and backpack!
