Ptarmigan Cirque Trail

Ptarmigan Cirque is a beautiful hike accessed from highway 40 in Kananaskis Country, at the Highwood Pass. The trail head starts from the Ptarmigan Cirque and Highwood Meadows parking lot on the west side of the highway.

What You Need to Know:

There is no water on this hike till you reach the top so it’s a good idea to carry water and water bowl for your dog. The beginning of the hike is steep (210m elevation gain in 1km) on a well maintained hard packed trail, so make sure your dog and yourself are in shape for it. At the top in the cirque area, the trail turns to loose rocks and scree material. Most dogs can handle this but some may find it hard on their paws if their paws are very sensitive. Boots could be a solution to this. There are no obstacles for short legged dogs and the only challenging part is the steep hike to the cirque. Long legged dogs should have no problem at all with this hike. This is a very popular trail on summer weekends so you will meet other hikers and possibly other dogs.

This is a relatively short hike, about 4.5km, but quickly takes you high up for some fantastic views of the peaks in the Highwood Pass. This is a self guiding interpretive loop. If you pick up a pamphlet at the trail head you can read about the interesting sights that are marked along the trail. The forest of Engelmann spruce, larch and fir opens up into meadows at the top filled with wild flowers during summer and the views are fantastic in any season. This is an extremely environmentally sensitive area so it is important to keep yourself and your dog on the trail. This is also a favorite area for grizzly bears, bighorn sheep and elk so be alert when hiking.