C-Level Cirque Hike Guide – Banff
The C-Level Cirque hike in Banff is a great, relatively quick trail that offers epic views of Lake Minnewanka and the Bow Valley. The C Level Cirque trailhead is close to the town of Banff which makes this an easy hike to add to your Banff bucket list.
C Level Cirque is a great trail for everyone, no matter your previous hiking experience or skills. In this guide I’ll cover trail information, how to get to the C Level Cirque hike, and provide some quick tips and useful information to ensure your hike is a success.
Skip Ahead:
- How to get to the C-Level Cirque trailhead
- Canadian Rockies hiking & camping tips
- Where to stay in Banff
- About C-Level Cirque hike
- Hiking C-Level Cirque
- Recommend hiking gear
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Quick Banff Guide
First time visiting Canada? This page outlines all my first-time Canada travel tips.
Parks Pass: You will need a National Park Pass for each day you’re in Banff. Passes can be purchased at the East Parks Gates, the Visitor Centre, any of the campgrounds, or online. If you’ll be in any of Canada’s National Parks for more than 7 days in a 365 day period, an annual Discovery Pass offers a better rate than purchasing individual day passes.
How to get to Banff: fly into Calgary International Airport. From here, rent a car, RV, or take one of the following shuttles to Banff:
- Budget: On-It runs during the summer months and Pop-a-Ride is a ride-share program. You can use my Poparide link to save $5 on your first trip.
- Top private shuttles: Banff Airporter and Brewster.
- Car rental: having access to a car is the best way to travel to/from/within Banff. Here are the best budget car rental options for Canada.
Best Tours in Banff: here are all my recommendations for the best tours, activities, and unique experiences in Banff & beyond.
Roam Transit: once you arrive in Banff, use the local transit service as much as possible. There are bus lines within town, plus lines to popular spots like Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon. The bus to Lake Louise should be reserved in advance.
Parking: the best spot to park is the free lot next to the train station. More information about parking in town can be found here and parking fees can be paid here. Bylaw is strict, so ensure you’re following parking rules exactly.
Lodging & Camping: Here’s my guide for hotels in Banff (Organized by Category). If you’re visiting during peak summer (mid June to early September), make your lodging reservations FAR in advance. Front country and backcountry camping reservations must be made on the Parks Canada reservation system. The system typically opens in February and it’s recommended you make reservations then.
Reservations: for activities and restaurants should be made well in advance during summer. Get Your Guide and Viator are popular tour booking platforms whereas OpenTable is used for restaurants.
When to visit: Hiking – July to mid September. Backcountry camping, wildflowers, & water activities – July to August. Fall colours – mid September to early October. Wild ice skating – usually early December. Skiing (best snow), coldest temps & frozen waterfalls – January & February. Northern lights – December to February. Best spring skiing – March to April. Quietest months to visit – April, May, October, and November.
Visiting Moraine Lake or Lake Louise? Read my guide for how to get there with the new road closures. If you want to see Moraine Lake at sunrise, you can book a shuttle here.
Wildlife Safety: 11 ways to stay safe from wildlife, bear safety, & bear basics.
Helpful Banff Blog Posts
- 25+ Epic Lake Louise Hikes
- Step-by-step guide for planning a trip to Banff
- Best Hotels in Banff – Organized by Category
- How to get to Moraine Lake & Lake Louise
- 50+ Things to do in Banff in summer
- 30+ Epic things to do in Banff in winter
- Complete guide to the Icefields Parkway
- How to travel Banff without a car & 50+ Banff hikes accessible via bus
C Level Cirque hike, Banff
Canadian Rockies Hiking Tips
Hiking in the Canadian Rockies is much more advanced than hiking in other regions of Canada and around the world. Here you need to factor in high elevations, extreme weather, potentially dangerous wildlife, and vast wilderness.
Guides for hikes in: Banff | Jasper | Kananaskis | Kootenay | Waterton | Yoho
Approach: if you’re new to hiking in the Rockies, take a conservative approach and know it will likely take you longer than you think to complete a trail. Start out with smaller hikes and gradually work your way up when it comes to elevation, exposure, and remoteness. Additionally, ensure you have more than enough daylight to return to the trailhead. Keep in mind you may experience some form of altitude sickness if you’re new to the mountains.
Best Time of Year: you can hike year round in the Rockies however summer (July-early September) is best for any kind of summit hike, Larch season (when the trees turn yellow) generally happens the last week of September to the first week of October, and spring (May-June) is best for lower elevation hikes that do not cross avalanche terrain.
- Hiking in winter? Check the avalanche bulletin, take an avalanche safety course, stick to conservative terrain, hike in groups, and don’t take risks. If you’re unsure, don’t go as the Canadian Rockies can be volatile in the snow. I go off local knowledge and use a combination of the slope angle tool on Caltopo and Google Maps satellite view to survey terrain before hiking.
- My favourite weather tool for the Rockies is SpotWx.
Pets: Generally dogs are allowed on all trails in the Rockies unless otherwise stated. Dogs must remain leashed at all times.
Safety: Always tell someone (or better yet, multiple people) where you’re going and your estimated return time (check-in). Additionally, ensure you tell your safety contacts when you return (check out).
- Carry a satellite communication device as there’s typically no cell service on-trail in the Rockies. The Garmin InReach Mini is a fan favourite, however newer iPhones (14+) have a satellite feature.
What to Bring: always carry more water and snacks than you need. I always have a thin pair of gloves, sunglasses, and sun protection with me too. Blister care, tissues, and a hat are always good to have on hand. Remember, whatever you pack in, you must pack out.
What to Wear: The key is to dress in layers so you can add or take away clothing on a need basis. A combination of wool/synthetic fibres is the best material and you’ll always want to bring an extra layer for warmth (even in summer). You’ll want sturdy footwear (I prefer boots over shoes), and a water/windproof jacket as weather here is unpredictable.
Wildlife: you’ll come across many animals in the Canadian Rockies (elk, moose, deer, etc). The best thing to do is hike in groups of 4+, make noise, give all animals space, and carry bear spray (learn how to use it, too). Here are bear safety tips from Parks Canada.
Maps: I use the Alltrails+ membership which allows users to download their maps and track their location via satellite even when they’re out of service. Alltrails is also currently the best resource to find hikes in the Canadian Rockies.
Canadian Rockies Camping Tips
Camping in the Rockies takes place in two forms – front country and backcountry. Front country camping is in an established campground with amenities like bathrooms, parking, and staff. Backcountry camping is when you hike into your campsite.
Unless you’re on some form of public land – random camping and free car camping is not permitted in the Canadian Rockies. If you do plan to “free” camp in the designated areas, you must purchase the Public Lands Camping Pass.
Camping Reservations: must be made far in advance, especially for popular sites in the National Parks. Reservation day (when booking goes live) typically occurs in February. Try to book your front country and backcountry reservations then as sites will book out instantly for the entire summer.
- Front + backcountry National Park camping reservations can be made here and Kananaskis reservations can be made here: backcountry | front country.
- Can’t get a reservation? Sign up for cancellation notifications via Schnerp. I use this resource frequently and have found cancellations at even the most popular spots in the Rockies like Lake O’Hara.
When to Camp: Camping can be done year round in some locations, however many campgrounds close for the winter. If you’re hoping to backcountry camp, July-August is the best time of year for warmer and more stable weather. Keep in mind, temperatures are typically very cold at night even during peak summer.
Backcountry Campgrounds: generally have a drop toilet (bring your own TP), picnic tables, tent pads, and bear facilities (lockers or a hanging device). Two items I don’t go backcountry without are dry bags for food storage and Stasher Bags for cooking, garbage, etc.
Hut Camping: the Alpine Club of Canada has established alpine huts scattered around the Rockies and beyond. These huts must be booked in advance and cater to backcountry skiers, hikers, and climbers.
Packing advice and my personal gear recommendations can be found in my Backcountry Gear Guide.
C Level Cirque hike, Banff
How to Get to the C-Level Cirque Trailhead
The C Level Cirque trailhead is located at the Upper Bankhead parking lot along the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Dr. This spot is just a 12 minute (8.5km) drive from the town of Banff or a 1hr 20mins (125kms) drive from Calgary.
The west side of the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Dr experiences an annual vehicle closure from November to May which means if you want to hike C Level Cirque during these dates you’ll need to park at Lake Minnewanka and walk/bike from there. It’s around 2.4kms (one-way) with some elevation changes – 30 minutes via walking or 10 minutes via biking.
More information about the Lake Minnewanka road closure can be found here.
If you’re travelling to Banff sans-vehicle, you can opt to take line 6 with Roam Transit from downtown to Lake Minnewanka. You can reference the above walking/hiking stats from the lake to the Upper Bankhead parking lot for distance/time info. Bus fees are $2 per person, per trip and can be paid in exact change at the time of boarding or via the ‘Token Transit’ app.
Alternatively, you can rent a car to get to the C Level Cirque trailhead. I always recommend using this website to find the best rates, however I’ve also listed Canadian car rental options here.
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Where to Stay in Banff
From hostels to camping to luxury hotels – Banff has accommodations for everyone. Here are my top recommendations for where to lodge in Banff based on budget.
I recommend giving this post a read as I’ve listed every Banff hotel worth staying at and organized them by category.
- Hostels – Samesun Banff (best location + bar/restaurant on-site), Banff International Hostel (second best), and HI Banff.
- Budget hotels – Bow View Lodge and High Country Inn.
- Mid-range stays – Banff Park Lodge, Mount Royal, Elk & Avenue, and the Banff Caribou & spa.
- Luxury stays – Fairmont Banff Springs and the Rimrock Resort.
- Cabin retreats: Johnston Canyon Bungalows, Baker Creek, and Castle Mountain Chalets.
- Camp – reservation information can be found here. Ensure you book campsites far in advance as they’re full during summer.
- For those on ski trips: lodge on-mountain at Sunshine Village, stay near Norquay, and see my Lake Louise suggestions below.
Lodging Options Near Banff
Enjoy that nature and activities of Banff National Park, but lodge away from the busy tourist town centre at any of the following:
- Lake Louise – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (luxury), Paradise Lodge & Bungalows (500m from the lake), Lake Louise Inn (value stay), HI Lake Louise (hostel).
- Canmore – Malcolm Hotel (luxury), Stoneridge Mountain Resort (condo suites with fully equipped kitchens), Mountain View Inn (budget), Canmore Downtown Hostel & the Canmore Hostel (party hostel).
- Johnston Canyon – Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows, Castle Mountain Chalets, and HI Castle Mountain Hostel.
- Yoho National Park – Emerald Lake Lodge and Cathedral Mountain Lodge.
- Kootenay National Park – Storm Mountain Lodge & Cabins.
- Kananaskis Country – Mount Engadine Lodge and Kananaskis Mountain Lodge (luxury), Crosswaters Resort (mid-range), and HI Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel (budget).
Banff Google Map: 600+ Pins
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About the C-Level Cirque Trail
ps – C Level Cirque + every other hike in Banff is marked on my Banff & Lake Louise map.
- Distance: 9.8km
- Elevation gain: 781m
- Rated: moderate
- Type of trail: out & back
- Estimated time: 4 hours
The C Level Cirque hike is a beginner and family-friendly trail suitable for hikers of all abilities and ages. The trail is well trafficked, so if you’re looking to “beat the crowds” start this hike early or go up for sunset.
ps – sunset is the best time of day to hike C Level Cirque. The evening alpenglow lights up the west side of Mount Inglismaldie giving the area a golden glow.
The C Level Cirque trail begins by following a forested route with moderate, but steady incline for the first 4kms. There are plenty of exposed roots on the trail, so sturdy shoes are recommended. Along the way you’ll find remnants of fenced off mining shafts and stone buildings from Banff’s mining era.
Toward the end of the forested section, the trail comes to a fork. Hiking left will take hikers to a small green pond. Hiking right will take hikers to the lookout.
After turning right and exiting the trees, hikers will find a large rock field to the left called a cirque – aka an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. The trail continues at the bottom (hiker’s right) of the cirque. Eventually you’ll re-enter the trees where the packed terrain becomes gradually steeper closer to the lookout – poles are helpful here.
The C Level Cirque lookout is only a small area so it can get crowded if you opt to hike during midday when it’s busiest. You can scramble up a bit higher than the main lookout area for better views.
The best time of year to hike C Level Cirque is from May to October. There’s often snow here until late in the season which poses some avalanche risk. If you hike early in the season, it may be a good idea to bring spikes. I have my favourite spikes linked below.
The C Level Cirque trail experiences heavy bear activity. Make sure you pack bear spray. Hiking in groups is also recommended.
Top Tours & Excursions in Banff
Banff Gondola – epic views from the top of Sulphur Mountain.
Banff Hop on Hop off – explore the park at your own pace.
Lake Minnewanka Cruise – take a scenic boat ride down the largest lake in Banff.
Moraine Lake sunrise – chartered bus to see alpenglow on Canada’s most beautiful lake.
Norquay via ferrata – epic beginner friendly climbing route across iron bars on Mt Norquay.
Sunshine Meadows Gondola – find wild alpine flowers and hike around pristine alpine lakes.
Click here for a complete list of the Banff tours I recommend:
Hiking C-Level Cirque
For the first 4kms of C Level Cirque, hikers can expect continuous and moderate elevation through a forested section with plenty of roots exposed. The terrain is not technical and you’ll fly through this section – but watch your step!
About halfway up the forested route there are remnants of historic mining buildings and mining homes which have been converted in graffiti. There’s a bench here which makes for a great spot to take a breather or grab some water.
Nearby there are also fenced off areas which mark the actual entrances of the mine shafts that used to operate within Cascade Mountain. Pretty cool!
Toward the end of the forested section of the C Level Cirque hike, the trail splits. You can take a quick detour to the left to find the green pond pictured below. Alternatively continue hiking right to get to the lookout.
After exiting the trees you’ll find a large boulder field which is the “cirque.” The trail continues along the bottom right of the cirque – you can clearly see the trail outlined in the picture below.
Do NOT scramble up the cirque. I’ve done this hike twice and for some reason – don’t ask why – the first time I hiked I thought the viewpoint was up on the forested ledge over the cirque. Don’t be that person (me) who needlessly scrambles up the cirque. Stick to the trail!
Once the trail crosses the bottom of the cirque and reenters the forest, the last section becomes quite steep and feels like a bit of a slog. It’s short-lived though and soon you’ll find yourself at the C Level Cirque Lookout.
As you can see the C Level Cirque lookout is quite small, but you’ll find epic views of Lake Minnewanka up here.
I hiked on a (very) smoky day so views weren’t necessarily great. However typically you can see south down the Bow Valley past Canmore as well as north up the Cascade Valley.
Banff Google Map: 600+ Pins
Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Banff?
Get my 600+ Banff recommendations saved to your Google Maps app
Outdoors: hiking trails, campgrounds, ski resorts, waterfalls & lakes
Planning: lodging, restaurants, public washrooms & transit hubs
Things to do: tours, viewpoints & unique activities
I lived in Banff for years and know all the best spots!
Recommended Hiking Gear for the Rockies
Below are my personal recommendations and favourite products for Rockies specific hiking gear.
If you’re after a more extensive gear breakdown, check out this post.
Backpack: I prefer a smaller 24L pack for shorter day hikes and a 36L bag for longer day hikes + light overnighters. I’ve been using the backpacks below for years and love all the features and durability they offer.
- For women: Osprey Sirrus 24L & Osprey Sirrus 36L
- For men: Osprey Stratos 24L & Osprey Stratos 36L
Hydration: I use the 3L Hydrapak to carry water. A 2L or 3L reservoir is typically the perfect size for any length of day hike. You can also bring lightweight aquatabs if you need to clean water on-the-go.
Footwear: I currently use the Scarpa Kailesh (men’s version) and full cushion crew Smartwool socks.
Safety: carry a communication device. The Garmin Inreach Mini is a fan favourite for its small size and price point.
I also always carry hiking poles (no need to purchase fancy hiking poles), a hat, and an extra layer.
Looking for my backcountry gear recommendations? Check out this post.
Rockies Hiking Gear: Winter
If you’re planning to hike the Rockies in winter, you’ll need to add a few more items to your gear arsenal. The below are my personal favourites.
Spikes: I love Hillsound’s trail crampon which provides killer traction and long-lasting durability.
Snowshoes: I use TSL’s sustainable Symbioz Hyperflex snowshoe, however any snowshoe from TSL is top of the line. This one is their midrange model which offers similar features at a light weight and better price point.
Gaiters: this is my top pick for gaiters which are great for keeping water and snow out of your boots. If you’re on a budget, these ones are a little more cost effective and have plenty of great reviews.
Warmth: I struggle with Raynaud’s disease and use Aurora Heat’s reusable, fur hand + ultra foot warmers which have made a massive difference for both winter hiking and skiing.
Softshell Pants: these are my favourite pants (men’s sizing) for cold weather hiking. They’re water resistant, wind resistant, and warm. If you’re reading from the USA, these REI pants are equivalent: women’s sizing | men’s sizing.
C Level Cirque hike, Banff
Banff Google Map: 600+ Pins
Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Banff?
Get my 600+ Banff recommendations saved to your Google Maps app
Outdoors: hiking trails, campgrounds, ski resorts, waterfalls & lakes
Planning: lodging, restaurants, public washrooms & transit hubs
Things to do: tours, viewpoints & unique activities
I lived in Banff for years and know all the best spots!
C Level Cirque hike, Banff
Happy adventuring!
Taylor ♡
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About the Author
HI, I’m Taylor – the voice behind The Holistic Backpacker.
After moving to Banff National Park in 2020 I became an outdoor adventure enthusiast and vowed to never stop exploring.
I now spend my days travelling the world, climbing mountains, and spending nights under the stars in the Canadian Rockies backcountry.
I created The Holistic Backpacker so I could share my adventures and help connect people like you with the same amazing experiences.
