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Scenic Loop drive · Alberta
Kananaskis Country Loop
Alberta's quieter Rockies — Highway 40 through the highest paved pass in Canada.
Overview
Kananaskis Country is the 4,000 km² provincial parks complex tucked between Banff and the Alberta foothills. Highway 40 runs its full length from Canmore south to Longview, crossing Highwood Pass — at 2,206 m the highest paved road in Canada — through larch, wildflower meadow, and reliable grizzly country.
The northern gate is at Canmore, where the Bow Valley Parkway hands off to Highway 40. Kananaskis Village sits 25 km in, base for the Kananaskis Nordic Spa, Mt Kidd Trail cycling, and the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park interior. From here the road climbs to Highwood Pass — a summer-only alpine plateau where larches turn gold in late September and grizzlies feed on buffaloberry.
South of the pass, Highway 40 descends into the working ranch country of the Highwood River, ending at Longview on the Cowboy Trail. The full loop takes a long weekend, but this is a proper mountain-and-meadow drive that rewards two nights at Mount Engadine Lodge or Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
Distance
230 km
Canmore → Longview
Highest paved point
2,206 m
Highwood Pass
Season
Jun 15 – Nov 30
Highwood Pass motor season
Park pass
Kananaskis Conservation Pass
$15/day or $90/year
The route
From start to finish
An approximate path through 5 key waypoints along the drive.
Driving times
Leg by leg
230 km across 4 legs. Times exclude stops, ferries, and weather contingencies.
| # | From → To | Distance | Driving time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Canmore → Kananaskis Village | 40 km | 0h 40m | Highway 40 south |
| 02 | Kananaskis Village → Peter Lougheed | 45 km | 0h 45m | Kananaskis Lakes Trail spur |
| 03 | Peter Lougheed → Highwood Pass | 35 km | 0h 40m | Alpine larch grove |
| 04 | Highwood Pass → Longview | 110 km | 1h 40m | Highwood River valley |
| Total | 230 km | 3h+ | Drive time only |
Day by day
The itinerary
A suggested route designed to balance driving time with the stops that matter.
Canmore to Kananaskis Village
Take Highway 40 south, stop at Barrier Lake, and settle at Kananaskis Mountain Lodge with a Nordic Spa evening.
Peter Lougheed & Highwood Pass
Drive the Kananaskis Lakes Trail spur, hike Ptarmigan Cirque at Highwood Pass, and return for dinner at the lodge.
Highwood to Longview
Continue south down the Highwood River valley, exit at Longview for a Cowboy Trail steak, and return to Calgary.
When to drive
Month by month
Best window: June – mid-October (Highwood Pass closed Dec 1–Jun 14). Plan around shoulder months for fewer crowds at the cost of variable weather.
Budget
Three ways to drive it
Smart
$210–$320/ day
- Drive days
- 2–3
- Lodging
- Peter Lougheed campgrounds
- Food
- Bow Valley cafés
- Experiences
- Self-hike + free viewpoints
Mid
$400–$650/ day
- Drive days
- 3
- Lodging
- Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Mount Engadine
- Food
- Blacktail Bistro, Woody's Pub
- Experiences
- Nordic Spa + guided hike
Premium
$1,000+/ day
- Drive days
- 3
- Lodging
- Signature suite Kananaskis Mountain Lodge
- Food
- Cedar & Pine tasting
- Experiences
- Heli-hike + private mountain guide
Editorial picks
Where to stop, sleep, and eat
Stop
Ptarmigan Cirque
Highwood Pass
4 km alpine loop through larch and wildflower meadow — the essential Highwood hike.
Lodging
Mount Engadine Lodge
Spray Valley
Wilderness lodge with all-inclusive dining and reliable moose in the meadow.
Operator
Kananaskis Nordic Spa
Kananaskis Village
Scandinavian bath circuit tucked into a mountain forest — book an evening slot.
Eat
Longview Jerky Shop
Longview
Cowboy Trail-classic Alberta smokehouse at the southern exit.
Signature stops
Don't miss
Highwood Pass
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Ptarmigan Cirque
Kananaskis Nordic Spa
Before you go
The prep checklist.
Practical things to lock in before you leave the driveway.
- Buy the Kananaskis Conservation Pass online before entering the park.
- Highwood Pass closes Dec 1 – Jun 14 for wildlife; the road becomes a ski/cycle route.
- Book Kananaskis Mountain Lodge and Mount Engadine 3+ months ahead in summer.
- Carry bear spray — this is very active grizzly habitat.
- Cell coverage drops south of Kananaskis Village.
Where this road leads
Related destinations
Good to know
Frequently
asked.
Practical answers from travellers who have driven this route.
- When is Highwood Pass open?
- June 15 to November 30 for vehicles. From December 1 to June 14 the pass road is closed to motor traffic and becomes a cycling and cross-country ski route.
- Do I need a park pass?
- Yes — a Kananaskis Conservation Pass ($15/day or $90/year) is required for all vehicles stopping anywhere in Kananaskis Country. Buy online at albertaparks.ca before entering.
- How does it compare to Banff?
- Kananaskis has a fraction of Banff's crowds, no gate lines, and equally spectacular alpine terrain. It lacks the icon-lake photo ops but delivers a quieter mountain experience.
Planning the bigger trip?
Read our full guide to Canadian road-trip itineraries.
Along this route
Parks, camps, and cities on the drive
Every place below is within a comfortable side-trip of the route waypoints — surfaced automatically from our national-park, provincial-park, campground, and city datasets.
Nearby national parks
Nearby provincial parks
Nearby campgrounds
Travel styles
Related experiences
Adventure
Glacier hikes, sea kayaking, and heli-skiing across two oceans and three mountain ranges.
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Fairmont castles, wilderness lodges, and tasting menus framed by mountains and sea.
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Scenic highways from coast to coast — Icefields Parkway to the Cabot Trail.
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Iconic Rocky Mountaineer glass domes and VIA Rail's transcontinental Canadian.
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Related travel guides
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Getting Around Canada
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National & Provincial Parks Pass Guide
How to use the Discovery Pass, when to book ahead, and the lesser-known parks that rival Banff without the crowds.
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Winter Driving in Canada
Snow tires, mountain passes, what to keep in your trunk, and when to stay off the highway entirely.
Read guide →What to Pack · 6 min
Packing by Season
A season-by-season packing list for a country that swings from -40°C in February to +35°C in July.
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Other road trips
Alberta
Icefields Parkway
Lake Louise to Jasper through a corridor of glaciers, turquoise lakes, and roadside grizzlies.
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Calgary to Revelstoke on Highway 1 through Banff, Yoho, Glacier, and Mount Revelstoke — the mainline Rockies drive.
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Cowboy Trail (Highway 22)
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Nearby events & festivals
Events along the Kananaskis Country Loop route — worth timing your trip around.
Vancouver – Banff, bc
Rocky Mountaineer Signature Season
Calgary, ab
Calgary Stampede
Rotates (host CFL city), ca
Grey Cup Festival
Lake Louise, ab
SnowDays / Ice Magic Festival (Banff & Lake Louise)
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