West Wind Pass
by Jared Anderson & Taffin Evans
Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Alberta
Short but Sweet With Amazing Views!
West Wind Pass, located in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, and is a 5km out-and-back-trail with 355m of elevation gain. This is one of our fave short but sweet hikes to do, however, it’s located on the Smith-Dorrien (aka Spray Lakes Trail) road, which is notorious for being a not-so-fun drive–lots of pot holes and gravel. But, even though the trailhead is located off this awful road, do not let that deter you from enjoying this amazing hike!
While this hike is short with minimal elevation gain, it can be easy to lose the trail! We always use a GPS map to follow the trail, and we do this hike multiple times a year. There are also two other hikes that veer off from this trail–the Windtower and the Rimwall–so be cautious you don’t find yourself on one of those trails instead!
This is also another favourite of ours to do for sunrise. You get an amazing view of the valley below (which faces east), perfect to enjoy the sun coming up with a warm beverage and a cozy blanket.
This hike can be done mostly all-year round, but there is a protective closure in the area from December 1 – June 15 for wildlife. Be respectful of the wildlife on the hikes, and don’t enter a trail that is closed, even if there is no one monitoring!
If you do head on up during the winter, definitely bring a ton of extra layers because like it says in the name, it can be extremely windy at the top!
We absolutely love this hike. The views will never get old and we love coming back to do it again and again.
Sunrise up here never disappoints and you can always expect stunning views!
