How to Hike to Chester Lake in Kananaskis

The Chester Lake hike in Kananaskis is great for all ages, ability levels, and furry friends. Chester Lake is a popular hike year round: in summer users visit Chester Lake for a refreshing swim, and in winter users trek along the pristine snowshoeing trail.

My favourite thing about Chester lake is actually Mount Chester itself which is the swirly, unique mountain backing the lake. Mount Chester reminds me a lot of Mist Mountain – another hike in Kananaskis that features natural hot springs!

Looking for more hikes in Kananaskis? Click here.

Now, let’s go hiking!

Skip Ahead:

• How to get to the Chester Lake trailhead
• About the Chester Lake trail
• Hiking to Chester Lake
• Recommended hiking gear
• What to wear hiking
• Where to stay in Kananaskis

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~ Taylor ♡

How to get to the Chester Lake Trailhead

The Chester Lake trailhead is located in Peter Lougheed which is a Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country. The Chester Lake trailhead is located along Highway 743 (aka the Smith Dorien Trail) at a distance of 1 hour, 20 minutes from Banff or 2 hours from Calgary.

There are no buses or shuttles in the Kananaskis region, so if you don’t have a car you’ll need to rent one to access the trailhead.

Note that a Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for all visitors with a vehicle who plan to visit Kananaskis.

About the Chester Lake Trail

• Distance: 9.3km
• Elevation gain: 433m
• Rated: moderate
• Type of trail: out & back
• Estimated time: 3 hours

The Chester Lake trail is a great hike year round. The trail is well trafficked, so you can expect to find lots of people along the way. The abundance of people makes this a great hike for beginners or solo hikers.

The hike is relatively easy. The trail starts out following switchbacks with gradual, but steady elevation through a pine forest. After some time, the trail will get steeper (but nothing overly strenuous) until it reaches an opening which is filled with wildflowers during the summer months; July is usually the best time of year to see the wildflowers.

Shortly after entering the clearing, users will find the striking Chester Lake.

Plan on Hiking to Chester Lake in Winter?

If you plan on hiking to Chester Lake in winter, you’ll need to follow the snowshoe trail – you can find the Alltrails map here. Alternatively, if you plan to cross country ski, you’ll need to follow the summer route (map featured above).

Since the trail is so well travelled, you shouldn’t actually need snowshoes unless you plan to hike after a fresh dump. Instead of snowshoes, it’s recommended that users bring crampons or micro-spikes.

If you’re looking to purchase snowshoes, Atmosphere frequently has sales. You can also find high quality snowshoes at both MEC (for Canadians) and REI (for Americans).

Helpful Information & Tips

• Try to hike this trail on a warm, sunny day. This is when the lake is best enjoyed.
• Bring a travel towel if you plan to swim.
• Bring a camping chair. There’s honestly nowhere good to sit around the lake – a lightweight backpacking chair like this would make for a much more comfortable experience.
• Start the Chester lake hike early or late (for sunset) to avoid crowds.
• Make sure you find the elephant rocks. I’ll explain where to find these next.
• Bring a picnic, some beers, or good snacks – plan to spend the afternoon!
• There are plenty of Larch tress on this hike, which makes it great for fall colours.
• Want to extend your hike? Make it a loop; summit the Fortress and find the Headwall Lakes OR visit the Three Lakes Valley – both of these hikes start from the Chester Lake trailhead and pass by Chester Lake.

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Hiking to Chester Lake

If you plan to hike to Chester Lake in the winter, please refer to my information about the winter hiking trail! This rest of this guide focuses only on the summer trail.

Chester Lake Trailhead

You’ll notice right away that there’s a fork in the trail at Chester Lake. Hiking straight takes you to the summer route and hiking right takes you through the snowshoe route.

When I hiked this trail I didn’t do any research, so I accidentally took the snowshoe route for a little bit before realizing I was on the wrong route. You can take the snowshoeing trail if you want (is it shorter), however it’s not maintained and it’s overgrown. I’d personally advise against utilizing the snowshoe route in the summer.

You can expect to follow switchbacks through a pine forest for the first 2.6km of the Chester Lake hike. Initially, you’ll gain gradual, but steady elevation for the first couple kilometres. The terrain over the last 0.5km of the switchbacks becomes a bit steeper, but nothing overly strenuous.

After the switchbacks, users will enter a clearing/little meadow. Here you can expect to find blooming wildflowers around July backed by distant mountains like Mount Chesmil and Mount Murray.

Chester Lake

After a quick, flat walk from the meadow users will find Chester Lake. The highlight of Chester Lake is the enormous and intricate Mount Chester that just-so-perfectly frames the light green water of this beautiful alpine lake.

I could imagine the fishing here is quite good. The entire time I sat on the shores of Chester Lake I watched countless fish jump at the surface. You can find more information for fishing at Chester Lake here.

Once you arrive, you’ll notice there’s nowhere “good” to sit. The entire shore of the lake is covered in vegetation with only a small clearing here or there. If you plan to set up shop at the lake, I’d recommend bringing a backpacking chair or at least a picnic blanket to make your visit more comfortable.

Feel free to hike around the lake or swim! Just note that the looks inviting due to it’s tropical-like colour, but it’s actually cooooold. Rather than swim, prepare for a quick dip, and have a lightweight travel towel nearby to dry you off.

The Elephant Rocks

I didn’t research this hike at all before hitting the trail. I’d just returned home the previous night from a trip to Jasper National Park (this trip consisted of a 3 day canoe trip on Maligne Lake and the Sulphur Skyline hike). Needless to say I didn’t have much time to research or plan this quick little day hike in Kananaskis.

BUT I wish I’d taken the time to look into the hike more because I missed the elephant rocks! The elephant rocks are these unique rocks to the left of Chester Lake that look like little mountains.

Make sure you take the extra few minutes to walk over to the rocks and check them out!

Explore More Hikes In Kananaskis

Kananaskis is an area just outside of Banff that’s made up of multiple Wildland Areas and Provincial Parks. Kananaskis is my favourite hiking destination in the Canadian Rockies, so I urge you to explore more hikes in the area!

Click here to explore more of Kananaskis.

Featured Kananaskis Hikes:

• Cool Experiences: Yamnuska scramble, Mist Mountain hot springs, Grotto winter canyon walk.
• Ridge Walks: Pocaterra Ridge, Sarrail Ridge & Rawson Lake, Opal Ridge, Tent Ridge, and Wasootch Ridge.
• Summits: EEOR and Ha Ling.
• Incredible Scenery/Lakes: West Wind Pass, Picklejar Lakes, and Grassi Lakes.

Explore Kananaskis Country by Area:

• Peter Lougheed, Bow Valley, Elbow-Sheep, and Spray Valley

Visit National Parks Nearby:

• Banff, Yoho, Jasper, and Waterton.

Looking for more hikes? Click here to explore all of my trail guides.

Where to Stay in Kananaskis Country

Unless you plan on camping, lodging options are a bit limited in Kananaskis. Here are a few options for every budget:

• Hostel – HI-Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel.
• Glamping – Sundance by Basecamp. Sundance gives you the opportunity to camp in a regular tent, glamping tent, or tipi.
• Mid-range hotel – Crosswaters Resort in Kananaskis Village.
• Luxury Stay – the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge is one of the most luxurious getaways in the Banff-region. At the lodge you’ll find the Kananaskis Nordic Spa which is the most sought after spa in the region. Mount Engadine Lodge is another unique option which gives you the opportunity to lodge in yurts, glamping tents, and cabins. Gourmet food and great views included.
• Stay nearby – If these Kananaskis stays aren’t what you’re looking for, check out lodging options in nearby Canmore or Banff.
• Camping – Kananaskis offers tons of camping facilities scattered throughout the area and they almost always have availability. If you’re one to free-camp, Kananaskis has PLUZ (Public Land Use Zones) and Wildland areas, both of which you can random camp in for free. This is something I have yet to figure out in the Kananaskis region, but if you’re interested you can find more information about it here

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.

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