Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Canada

Alberta

Lake Minnewanka via Devil's Gap Trail — Ghost Public Land Use Zone

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Canada

Alberta

Lake Minnewanka via Devil's Gap Trail — Ghost Public Land Use Zone

Moderate

Lake Minnewanka via Devil's Gap Trail — Ghost Public Land Use Zone

04:56

18.4km

220m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: October 27, 2025

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Banff National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1.79 km

Devil's Gap Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

This remote trail runs through the Ghost Public Land Use Zone toward the Banff boundary, following a mostly flat valley floor surrounded by tall limestone cliffs. The route passes through overgrown brush, open meadows, and shallow creek crossings, with beautiful views of the Ghost Lakes and the Minnewanka Valley ahead. The access road requires off-roading on rough terrain, best tackled with a high-clearance 4×4, and should be avoided after heavy rain. Wildlife is common here—fresh bear and cougar scat are often spotted—so travel in a large group, carry bear spray, and only visit when the trail is officially open.

Tip by

4.03 km

Ghost Lakes

Highlight • Lake

Tucked within the rugged eastern slopes of the Rockies, the Ghost Lakes sit in a remote valley surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and quiet forest. Their name comes from Indigenous legends of spirits said to haunt the valley, later inspiring early explorers to call the nearby river the “Ghost” or “Deadman’s River.” The lakes’ still, glacial waters and stark scenery create an eerie beauty that lives up to their name. Remote and rarely visited, they offer a hauntingly peaceful stop along the Devil’s Gap Trail.

Tip by

9.19 km

Lake Minnewanka

Highlight • Lake

Stretching 21 kilometres through Banff National Park, Lake Minnewanka is the park’s largest lake and a centrepiece for hiking, boating, and wildlife viewing. Fed by the Cascade River, it’s surrounded by rugged limestone peaks and forested valleys that reveal Banff’s glacial past. Sitting right on the eastern border of Banff, the lake can also be reached from the Ghost Public Land Use Zone via Devil’s Gap, where the wide valley opens dramatically onto turquoise water. It’s a popular launch point for multi-day treks, backcountry camping, and scenic shoreline walks.

Tip by

18.4 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

17.6 km

738 m

Surfaces

17.6 km

738 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Today

Sunday 6 September

11°C

3°C

86 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 11.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

Want to know more?

This route was planned by komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Easy

4.7

852

Grassi Lake Trail – Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park

01:34h

4.48km

260m

Easy

4.6

367

Grotto Canyon Trail – Bow Valley Provincial Park

01:21h

4.34km

170m

Hard

4.9

123

Aylmer Lookaout at Lake Minnewanka – Banff National Park

07:16h

23.9km

730m

Hard

4.3

East End of Rundle Route

04:09h

5.01km

790m

Easy

4.8

1,818

Tunnel Mountain Trail – View from Tunnel Mountain loop from Banff

01:50h

5.44km

280m

Easy

4.7

1,424

View from Tunnel Mountain – Tunnel Mountain Trail loop from Banff

01:30h

4.41km

240m

Easy

4.0

Highline and Three Sisters Creek Trails — Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park

01:18h

4.05km

180m

Easy

4.7

Tunnel Mountain Campground loop

01:44h

6.48km

70m

Moderate

5.0

Three Sisters Mountain Village to Canmore via Trans Canada Trail

03:23h

12.8km

130m

Moderate

Grassi Lakes and Rundle Forebay Loop

02:37h

8.17km

320m

Hard

5.0

Middle Sister Trail

07:14h

17.6km

1,390m

Easy

5.0

Three Sisters Viewpoint

00:14h

892m

Lake Minnewanka via Devil's Gap Trail — Ghost Public Land Use Zone

Devil's Gap Trail

Ghost Lakes

Lake Minnewanka

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️