HIKE Up and RIDE Down: Sulphur Mountain Summit Hike #canadianrockies

The Sulphur Mountain Summit Hike in the spring is a rewarding climb through a forest with now less than 28 switchbacks. As you gain elevation, the views open up to reveal the surrounding peaks, the town of Banff, and the winding Bow Valley below, often framed by snow on the mountainsides. As a bonus you can ride the Gondola down, for a fee. Spring conditions can vary from dry lower trails to icy and snowy upper sections, but the mix of crisp alpine scenery and quieter trails makes it a beautiful time to experience the hike. April 20/2026 We stopped at Cascade ponds just outside Banff to get a few pictures before we drove through Banff to the trailhead. Today we will be hiking up to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. The trail is 5.4 kilometers (3.7 Miles) to the summit, with an elevation gain of 692 meters (2270 Feet). We decided to take the gondola down and the price was $42 CAD. The trailhead is in the Banff Hot Springs parking lot. From May 15/2026 to October 12/2026, you will have to pay $17.50 CAD to park here. This parking lot can fill up fast so the earlier you get here the better. Starting out the trail was a little icy, I highly recommend cleats and or poles. It is still pretty much winter this time of year in the Rockies. The trail starts out gradual until you get to the Banff Hot Springs viewpoint. Now you will start to gain elevation. The lower switchbacks are longer and more gradual, but they get shorter and steeper as you climb. At .5k in the trail turned to soft packed snow, with a few icy sections. There is not much for views at the beginning, but the trail will open up a little bit under the power lines. Around 1.5k the switchbacks start to get a little steeper. Soon you will be under the gondola, and you will start to get views looking down and across to Mount Rundle. As we climbed higher the snow got deeper and the trail got a little narrower. At 2.3k on one of the switchback corners just off the trail there is a waterfall. Here is where we met a couple nice ladies from Australia. Now the trees thin out a little bit and the views are getting better. Soon you will be able to see Tunnel Mountain and Lake Minnewanka. At 3.2k you will a great view of Cascade Mountain. Just over 3.75 K you will arrive at the steepest switchback; I hate this part. At 4.8k at the corner of the switchback just off the trail you will get a great view looking down at Banff. At 5.2k you will arrive at the summit gondola station. Our elevation gain was 675 meters, and our maximum elevation was 2266 meters. The wind really started to pick up and was quite chilly. We had proper winter gear. The 3 times I have been up here it has been windy and cold, be prepared. We went inside to have our lunch before working our way out onto the viewing platforms. We had stunning views in all directions. Kim and I decided to take the gondola down, and Bill hiked down. We had a beautiful day. I have not hiked this in the summer time and I am not sure if I ever will, now that you have to pay for parking. This is my 172nd video. Thank you very much for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up. If you would like to see my other hiking videos, subscribe to my channel, LIVE ON ALBERTA. I feature over 170 hiking videos. CHEERS Thank you, Cary Mason #hikingalberta #canadianrockies #travelalberta #springhike #hiking Email – [email protected] Instagram –   / carywmason