Cascade Mountain | Banff National Park, AB

Distance (out & back): 21 km • Elevation gain: 1643 m • Max elevation: 3000 m
We hiked the Cascade Mountain on a whim on Thursday, Aug 24, while escaping the wildfires in Interior BC. The weather in Banff and the Canadian Rockies in general had been very unpredictable, alternating between intense smoke and rain. So while the conditions weren’t perfect on the day of our hike (overcast with some drizzle and haze from the smoke), we were still lucky to have gone when we did.
Overall the hike is highly enjoyable and offers a great reward to effort ratio. The first half or so of the trail is in the forest, but once you get above the tree line, the views are simply breathtaking. Some easy, non-technical scrambles and route finding are required, but if you keep an eye out for the orange markers and follow them, it can be a straightforward hike.
With the elevation being just 2 meters shy of 3000m, we started feeling a bit of lightheadedness and shortness of breath near the peak, but we paced ourselves appropriately and didn’t have any problem reaching the summit.
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