Ptarmigan Cirque Trail

Ptarmigan Cirque Trail is a short loop hike at Highwood Pass in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. The route is mapped as a loop and comes in at about 4.5 km total distance with roughly 210 m of elevation gain (about 700 ft).

The trail starts at the Highwood Meadows Day Use Area (Highwood Pass area) and quickly ramps up. Early on, the climb is the hardest work on the loop, running on steep, loose gravel switchbacks through forest before you gain enough height to reach the alpine.

Higher up, the character shifts to open alpine meadow and a cirque bowl setting. The mapped experience centers on reaching that fragile alpine zone and staying on-trail through the sensitive meadow environment.

Mid-route, the route passes features such as waterfalls and boulder areas, with the cirque terrain setting up the main “destination” section of the hike. Expect the terrain to stay rugged enough that careful footing matters on the steeper parts.

Timing is seasonal and access-dependent: the Highwood Pass road that provides trail access is closed annually from December 1 to June 14, so the trail is effectively inaccessible outside the summer season window.

Alpine conditions can also affect when the trail is temporarily closed. The local park trail reporting flags a closure for the Highwood Pass area (including Ptarmigan Cirque Trail) during wet/snowy periods to reduce environmental degradation, while keeping the Highwood Meadows Day Use parking area itself open.

More information: Ptarmigan Cirque Trail: Family-Friendly Kananaskis Hike, Ptarmigan Cirque Interpretive | Trail | Kananaskis Country, Ptarmigan Cirque Trail - Tourism Canmore Kananaskis