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August 31, 2025 In Outdoor Edventures

Memorial Lakes Hike

Where:

  • Memorial Lakes

 

When:

  • August 31, 2025

 

Who:

  • Ed, Craig, Dave, Neil, Geoff, Janet, Dave, Murray

 

Trailhead:

  • from the Trans Canada heading west towards Canmore, take Highway 40 south for 25 km
  • take the right-hand turn for Nakiska Mountain Resort, take the first left at Centennial Drive, and then a quick right onto Ribbon Creek Road
  • the trail starts out of the far end of the parking area at the sign that says Ribbon Creek Trail

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

  • 500 meters of elevation gain to the first lake, 600 meters to the second lake, and 825 meters to the upper lake
  • 20 km return trip to the third lake
  • we rode our bikes for the first 3.7 km until the sign that points straight ahead to Memorial Lakes, which is where we ditched our bikes 50 meters up the trail in the trees
  • it was a steady climb on our bikes to this point, but it is generally a good and fairly wide trail (the bike ride out was a joyous steady downhill cruise)
  • after several km and two bridges, when you reach a gorge, take the steep climb up the right (north) edge of the gorge
  • at the top of the gorge the trail flattens out and you are soon at the first lake
  • to get to the second lake go to the end of the first lake and look for flagging tape in the thick willows
  • make your way through the willows, cross an inlet stream, and follow the flagging tape, although there are two routes, including one that goes across a narrow ledge
  • from here you cross a rockslide at the base of Bogart Tower and follow the cairns steeply uphill to the second lake
  • the hike to the third lake involves a scramble up a narrow gorge into an upper meadow, followed by another climb into the upper cirque
  • the bike and hike took us 6 hours

 

 

Interesting notes:

  • the lakes are named for the three separate plane crashes in 1986 that killed 13 people, including two search and rescue planes
  • there is a memorial cairn at the third lake
  • the area is surrounded by Mount Kidd, Mount Bogart, Mount Sparrowhawk, Centennial Ridge, and Wind Mountain
  • there are some beautiful waterfalls, especially before the first lake, but also between the first and second lakes
  • the parking lot was once the site of a logging and coal mining town called Kovach
  • the Memorial Lakes portion of the trial hardly had any fellow hikers despite the amazing scenery and beautiful weather

 

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