Not all days are mad for big objectives, sometimes time is limited and you just don’t have a big day in you. The hike to Wind Point is a perfect objective for those just starting out, short on time or just looking for something relaxing to do with big rewards!
Distance: 11.2km
Elevation gain: 410m
Note: This trail is closed until June 15th annually. For more information on trail conditions visit the Alberta Parks website here.
Getting to the Trailhead
To access the hike to Wind Point, take the Dead Man’s Flat junction and follow signs to the Banff Gate Mountain Resort, follow the road even after it stops being paved. As you near the end, keep right for the Pigeon Mountain Trailhead, you’ll see the parking lot from the road.
The Wind Point Trail
There are a number of trails which start at this trail head, keep alert in order to make sure you take the correct turn off for the hike to Wind Point, otherwise you’ll end up hiking the Cenntenial Ridge Trail, which is a long day!
There are a number of maps and trail markers along the way but there isn’t one at the turn off for the Windy Point trail. Once you pass the horse trail junction, you’ll go past a right hand turn (when we went it had a trail closed sign up) then it is the second right turn you want to take to continue the hike to Wind Point, the trail is thinner than the main trail but still clearly a well worn trail.
After the turn off, the trail winds through the forest with little elevation gain, it crosses washed out sections of trail, the remnants of major floods and it also crosses a number of creeks, easy to navigate but using the mostly new bridges which are in place. This was my favourite part of the hike to Wind Point, the trail was winding and the trees super green, with little bridges around corners and the open flat river banks making a perfect spot to sit, enjoy a snack and soak up some sunshine.
Eventually you join up with the horse trail, as the footpath pops out of the woods turn left! The right hand trail has logs across to make it look less appealing and when we went someone had made a huge arrow out of wood to point us in the right direction. The trail here is really wide but can be muddy when wet, again the trail continues on with little elevation change as you walk beside forest clearings and get peaks at the river running through the valley, again, perfect places to stop, enjoy some sunshine and maybe have a spot of lunch.
After this the hike to Wind Point starts to head upwards, this is where you’ll be gaining your 400m of elevation! It starts at a pretty nice gradient but gradually gets steeper and steeper. You’ll start to see glimpses of Mount Lougheed and the Windtower through the trees and they look spectacular!
As the trail breaks the initial tree line it flattens slightly, take a breath and enjoy the view, it’s about to get a whole lot steeper as you round the corner! Never fear though as the steep trail takes you up through the grass, it is short lived! The cairn signals the turn to reach the end of the hike to Wind Point, our final destination of the day.
After heading right at the cairn it is just a short, mostly flat walk to the lookout. We saw two grouse on this section going about their business, they didn’t seem particularly bothered by us. From the lookout you can see down the valley towards Lac Des Arcs and Highway 1. The real showstopper is the view behind you as you look back into the valley bowl with Mount Lougheed towering behind.
For those who have it in them and have more time you can continue on to the ridge by heading back to the cairn and picking up the main trail. The trail is pretty obvious from the cairn, cutting across the grass before heading up the steep mountainside. This will add an extra 300-400m of elevation gain on to your day. If this doesn’t look appealing head back the way you came, it’s almost completely downhill and you can even stop and cool off in one of the rivers before getting back to your vehicle.
