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Saddleback Pass
Brief Description:
Saddleback Pass is a steep, but rewarding hike to a high pass that overlooks the peaks around Paradise Valley. It includes avalanche slopes, old-growth forest, talus slope and alpine meadow landscapes.
Trail Access:
Park in the main Lake Louise parking lot, preferably the upper lot. Trails leaving from these lots draw the hiker to the right, to the lakeshore. Instead head left and uphill to find this trail. Do not take the turnoff for the Fairview Lookout.
Detailed Trail Information
| Duration | Distance | Level of Difficulty | Elevation Gain |
| half day | 7.5 km / 5 mi return | difficult | 595 m / 1950 feet |
This hike provides the hiker with lots of variety. Lichens lurk on the rocks and the forest floor. Marmots muddle around in the avalanche slopes and pikas peek out from behind the rocks of the talus slopes. At the top, the hiker is rewarded with a close-up view of Mt. Temple and its glacier. In the early 1900s there was a teahouse at the pass, but the lack of water forced its closure.
There are scrambles to the top of Saddle Mountain and Mt. Fairview that begin at Saddleback Pass. These should only be attempted by those who know what they are doing and who have gotten full information from the Lake Louise Visitor Centre. The Saddleback trail can be turned into a loop by adding on the Sheol Valley trail.
Trail Information Courtesy Of: Great Divide Nature Interpretation
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