ZEMS BLOG

If you like to exercise with a great view, try the lesser-known Mount Kidd Lookout hike in Kananaskis Country. Once you find the unofficial trail, which is the heart of the hike, be prepared for a steep hike. The good news is that it offers great mountain views of the Kananaskis Valley, Mount Allan, and Mount Kelvin. Centennial Mountain RangeWedge Peak and Mount Baldy. In the summer, there are also plenty of wildflowers.

The parking lot for the Mount Kidd Lookout is located next to the hotels in Kananaskis Village on Highway 40. You can reach the parking lot from Calgary in about an hour. It's a great drive if you're trying to get in shape—as we did on our Yukon camping trip—or if you like hikes that don't see a lot of foot traffic.

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Kidd Mountain Observation Trip Summary

Allow: You will need to Kananaskis Conservation CardYou can purchase online or at the Kananaskis Visitor Information Center on Highway 40.

distance: 6.2 km return from the village car park.

Gain height: About 620m to the lookout point.

Difficulty level: Moderate to strenuous due to the steep climb although there is nothing technical about the trek.

Required hours: 4-6 hours depending on how much time you spend at the top and whether you continue past the remains of the fire lookout tower.

Best time to hike: From mid-June to mid-October or when snow begins. In mid-to-late September, look for pine trees at the top.

High point: 2,103 m – 6,900 ft

Dogs: Allowed on the steering wheel.

You bear: The meadows are home to grizzly bears. A mother and two cubs were spotted before we started. Have bear spray handy and make lots of noise.

Do not forget: Always fill up Hiking BasicsYou will findWalking sticksIt will be very useful during the descent. Bring it with you.windproof jacketto the top.

Beautiful views of Kananaskis Valley once you reach the tree line on the Kidd Lookout Mountain hike.

Find the unofficial trail to Mount Kidd Lookout

You can park in any of the parking lots behind the hotels in Kananaskis Village. The closest parking lot to the Terrace North Trail is near Terrace Drive, just north of Mount Kidd Manor.

Look for signs to the Terrace Trail. Walk past the skating rink and open fields. Continue for about 600 metres to reach the intersection of the Terrace and Kovac trails. If any of you have cross-country skied here in winter, you will be familiar with these trails.

At the intersection, turn right to stay on the Kovac Trail. Follow it for about 1.1 km until you reach the Aspen-Kovac junction. Keep left to stay on the Kovac Trail. You will take two turns over the next 300 m. Keep your eyes peeled for the signpost on the left side of the trail.

We found two trails about 50 meters apart with flags. The first trail had orange flags and looked like a well-used trail so we took it. But according to Organic maps We weren’t on the right trail (although I think it would have met the other trail), so we retrace our steps and hiked another 60 meters to find another trail, this time marked with blue flag tape. Finally, we were on the trail that would take us to the top of the scenic and historic Mt Kidd Fire Lookout.

There are good signs for the Kovac trail.

There was a good map at the intersection of the Aspen and Kovac trails.

There are no signs but there are flags indicating the way off the Kovac trail.

Hiking through mixed forest on the way to a fire lookout. — Hiking through mixed forests on the way to Mount Kidd Lookout

Road description

Once we reached the Mt Kidd fire lookout trail, we couldn't find a way. The path ahead was always clear, but it was steep, sometimes very steep – with a 38% gradient according to one blog.

Once you clear the trees, you'll find a long section of trail on a steep slope that's a mix of dry soil and loose rocks that aren't much fun to climb or descend, but the views are great. Fortunately, once you get through this section, the trail winds and levels out a bit until you come to the top rather abruptly.

This photo gives you a good idea of how steep the Mount Kidd Lookout hike is!

Kidd Mountain Observation Trip Photos

We hiked Lookout Mountain in early July. The wildflowers were out but not in full bloom. I think mid-September would be a great time to do this hike but no matter when you go, be very careful of bears.