Tent Ridge Horseshoe Trail is a beautiful 4-6 hour hike located in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. The views are absolutely stunning as once you reach the horseshoe you’re welcomed by breathtaking 360-degree views of Spray Valley Provincial Park and Banff National Park, with a superb panoramic view of the Spray Lakes Reservoir. It is regarded as one of the best hikes in Kananaskis Country.
The Hike is located down the Smith Dorrien, just under a one-hour drive from Canmore, so even though you feel like you’re well and truly in the wilderness, you’re actually not too far from civilisation. You’ll witness beautiful woodland, some rocky scree slopes, alpine ponds, incredible mountain views, and the walk along the ridge is unforgettable.
It is a popular one with very “Instagrammable” photo opportunities so it’s worth starting early, or later in the day to get the sunset from the top. My buddy and I opted to start the hike at around 5 am, which meant that we had the whole trail and all the views to ourselves for at least a couple of hours, and I couldn’t recommend that enough as long as you don’t mind a little darkness at first.
If you’re looking for a moderately challenging hike that you can do over a morning or day, I definitely recommend Tent Ridge Horseshoe.
Here is a helpful video of a group completing Tent Ridge Trail clockwise to help you out:
How to Hike Tent Ridge Horseshoe in Kananaskis
Moderate
3 – 6 hours
10.2km
838m
Best Time to Hike Tent Ridge Kananaskis
The best months to hike Tent Ridge Horseshoe are between June and October. I would recommend doing this hike either mid-June, or mid-September, this way you can avoid the busy periods, and also it shouldn’t be too hot or too cold. You can do it in the winter months if you’re prepared to handle the snow, but just like any winter hike, you must have the necessary equipment – crampons, gaiters and poles, or snowshoes. I haven’t done this hike in winter, but I’ve seen photos and it’s a different kind of beautiful.
How to get to Tent Ridge Horseshoe Trailhead from Banff
You can get to the Tent Ridge Horseshoe trailhead from Banff by driving East on the Trans-Canada highway to Canmore, heading South-West along Three Sisters Drive onto the AB-742 to Kananaskis. This is a beautiful road with great views, but be mindful of wildlife – there are often goats and deer here. You’ll follow this road past the Ha-Ling trailhead car park, past Goat Lake, along the length of Spray Lakes Reservoir and then take a right at Rummel Pass trailhead. It’s then 2.8km to the trailhead. If you go early and there are no other vehicles it could be easy to miss the sign, so take it slow. There is only a small, unofficial parking lot, so I’d recommend using Google Maps if you can.
Hike Route Description and Sunrise Experience
From the parking lot, there are two options depending on which way you want to do the loop. For clockwise you should head south along the dirt road until you find the entrance into the woods. For counter-clockwise you should head North to the more obvious entry. Both ways have their pros and cons, however I recently did the hike counter-clockwise so that is the route I’ll be describing. You begin by going along an old logging road through the trees, it is a little steep and over many gnarled tree roots and rocks but should be doable for almost everybody.
As you get to the end of the treeline you will open out into a little meadow from which the ridge will be in full view, just follow the track along some switchbacks on the North-East side of the ridge. It can be steep and a little loose on this ascent but isn’t overly exposed. You will be sweating and puffing but when you reach the top of the ridge you’ll be greeted by a wonderful view of the ridge and the Spray Reservoir behind you.
We made it to the top just as the sun was rising under the clouds and behind the mountains to the East, giving the dark clouds a bright yellow glow from underneath. Unfortunately, we chose a cloudy morning, so the rising sun was obscured, but it didn’t really take away from the breathtaking views.
Follow the ridge along, minding your step, as the views can be distracting! Moving South along the ridge, the hike is straightforward moving gently up and down in several sections until you reach the saddle. There’s lots of scree but also plenty of solid rocks to scramble up to reach the peak here. We chose to have our breakfast here and load up on water and electrolytes.
From the peak you travel East along the ridge, travelling down, and hiking up again towards the weather station – this is also a good opportunity for food/water as well as photos. You then move North along the final part of the ridge where you come upon the scramble down. This is the controversial part, and why the majority of people take the clockwise route. The scramble down here was tricky, and not made any easier with poles in hand as I found myself needing my hands to support myself.
The scramble provides a reasonable amount of exposure and definitely takes a little skill whether ascending or descending, but with some care, it’s doable for the majority.
At this point, we met many people on their ascent, to exclamations of “You’ve finished already?”. We continued down the established track, heading North-East back into the forest. There is a wonderful meadow here, with awesome views of the ridge – your accomplishment – at your rear. Into the forest, there are many logs to climb over, made easier for us by the fact we were heading down. There are a couple of small switchbacks, leading you all the way back through the trees, and onto the dirt track with the parking lot just up the road to the left.
Which Way Should I Hike Tent Ridge Horseshoe?
I recommend doing Tent Ridge Horseshoe clockwise for the majority of people. This is because the steepest part, the scramble, is easier for most to have as an ascent instead of a descent. To go this way you should walk South from the parking lot and into a wide area cut into the dense forest and begin hiking West.
There are some pros and cons to hiking Tent Ridge either way, however.
Do tent ridge clockwise if you:
- Would prefer not to scramble down
- Prefer to have the view of Spray Reservoir at your forefront as you hike the ridge.
- Are doing the hike with children or dogs
Do tent ridge counter-clockwise if you:
- Are doing the hike for Sunrise or Sunset and are arriving late
- Are capable of making the short scramble down
- Are only hiking to the Spray Reservoir intending to hike back down afterwards
Should I Hike Tent Ridge for Sunrise?
Yes, you should absolutely hike Tent Ridge for sunrise! Tent Ridge is definitely one of ghe best sunrise hikes in Kananaskis! There will be few, if any, other people on the trail, and the glow of the morning sun on the mountains is incredible. We did the hike in mid-August on a Saturday and didn’t bump into anybody else until around 7 am after the sun had already risen.
With that in mind, it will be dark when you start so you have to be prepared. As well as the usual hiking preparations – food, water, proper footwear, and hiking poles – we both had headlamps and backup torches, and both had the route downloaded on AllTrails. We both had bear spray as well, which is totally non-negotiable.
When Is The Best Time to Hike Tent Ridge?
The best month to hike Tent Ridge is in June after most of the snow has already melted and before the Summer season kicks in.
The best time to hike Tent Ridge is either early morning or late afternoon. Getting a sunrise or sunset from the top of the ridgeline is awe-inspiring, and definitely worth doing part of the hike in darkness.
How long is Tent Ridge Hike?
The Tent Ridge Horseshoe is around 10.2km and takes around 4-6 hours to complete. We began at 5:30 am and were back at the car by 10:00 am, but did stop for a long breakfast and to take plenty of photos.
How Busy Does The Tent Ridge Hike Get?
Tent Ridge Horseshoe is a fairly renowned hike in Kananaskis, and many people make the journey to complete it. We did the hike on a dry Saturday in August for sunrise, and the entire route was empty of people until we started descending. However we saw many people on the way down, and there must have been about 20 cars parked in the lot and on the road.
On weekends and during holidays the hike will be very busy, and for this reason, I would recommend doing a sunrise or sunset on a weekday outside of the main Summer months.
It definitely isn’t the busiest hike in Banff National Park, but it’s also not the quietest. It’s probably kept a little less busy than others because of the fact it’s fairly far down the bumpy and occasionally outright jarring Smith Dorien trail, not far from Mount Engadine Lodge.
Is Tent Ridge Hike Suitable For Dogs and Children?
For the most part, Tent Ridge is entirely doable for dogs and children. However, if your child or pet is not comfortable or experienced with exposure or scrambling, or you’re not capable of carrying them while scrambling, you should leave them at home.
The exposure on the ridge also means that you are at the mercy of the elements, so be sure to check the weather forecast in the area before doing the hike.
Should I use a map for Tent Ridge Horseshoe?
Most of the trail is well trodden and it is obvious which way to go. However, you can never be too safe and having the map downloaded on AllTrails or another provider can help with peace of mind and safety on any hike.
Is Tent Ridge Hike dangerous?
To start I will say that any hike, especially in the Alberta Rockies, is not without danger. You are often at the mercy of the weather and of wildlife when out in nature. There have been many accidents during hikes in the Rockies, including at Mount Smuts, close to Tent Ridge. That being said, Tent Ridge is not a particularly dangerous hike. There are some steep parts and some scrambling which some might consider dangerous but if you’ve done any moderately challenging hike before, you will be fine.
Just be sure to take the proper precautions – check the weather, bring poles, proper shoes, and bear spray – and make sure to have a good time.
Great review, I have also completed this hike recently and it was a great hike for all abilities