Her Mountain Adventures: Rummel Lake

Beautifully scenic larch and snow capped mountains await you!

Difficulty: light/moderate
Round trip: 8.6km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hrs
Elevation Gain: 355m
FitBit: approx 19,000 steps and 155 floors
Location: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

TRAIL HEAD
Marked: No
Facilities: No
How to get there: To find it from Canmore you'll need to get going south on the Smith-Dorrien (Hwy 742). Turn your odometer to 0 when passing the Nordic Center on your right and your destination is approximately 34km from there. You'll see a sign for Rummel Creek and shortly after turn right (W) onto Mt. Shark Road, signed for Engadine Lodge. There is a grassy pullout immediately to the left, but as some do, they also park on the side of the road beside the trail head, which is at the top of the T of the intersection (the E side of Hwy 742, your left when coming from Canmore).

Directions From Calgary - click for Google Maps

The Trail according to Google

HIKE DETAILS
The start of the hike is through the trees on a well defined path where you'll gain most of the elevation at a steady, but very manageable, rate and it levels out part way which I quite liked (versus the hikes that have a steep incline at the end...). Thus it doesn't take long into your day, and with not too much effort, to have a nice view of the surrounding mountains above the treeline!

You will enter a thicker part of the forest, where the path is lined with roots so watch your step. It opens up again and you will find yourself near Rummel Creek. There are some planks laid across the water which you may take and when you come to an actual bridge a little farther up you'll want to go back across (otherwise you'll be on the snowshoe trail meant for winter). However, you should really just skip the planks and continue straight ahead. You'll easily rock hop a bit beside the embankment where the path appears to disappear, but it picks up on the other side. (Trust me, it's not hard).

Option 1 (take next the bridge back across when you come to it)

Option 2 (it's not as bad as it looks I promise!)

From either approach you'll continue E. You will see a sign that says 'Avalanche Territory Do Not Enter' (i.e. don't go there in winter...

There are a couple of beautiful cascades over stair-like rocks, at the second one your path will narrow along the bank for maybe 30m, it's a bit of adrenaline rush, but nothing to be afraid of. On the other side you'll continue on a boot beaten path at the base of a small rock slide.

When you get to the spot where there is a large cairn (pile of rocks) on the ground and a ribbon in the tree, follow the ribbons (go left).

You'll then come to be beside the creek again and when the path appears to end ahead you actually have two options. You can climb up to your right and follow that path, or you can rock hop across the creek. Both will get you there and the lake is not far ahead, 10 min if I remember correctly. You'll know it when you see it :)

If you are looking to continue to Rummel Pass that is an option. You'll need to venture along the main trail over to the north side of the lake and up the rocky slope, but I have not done it yet so my guide stops there.