Distance: 27km (Out and back)

Elevation Gain: 1535 m

Rating: difficult

Remoteness: Busy up until Rockbound Lake, the peak can be quiet!

There is nothing like standing on top of the famous Castle Mountain in Banff National Park. Although this hike is not super technical, the real challenge comes from the sheer distance and elevation you need to climb. This hike is 27km out and back with 1535m of elevation gain. We recommend an early start, making sure you have a full day to hike. This hike can take a solid 10-14 hours, obviously dependent on your hiking and fitness level. We recommend bringing lots of food and water for this one.

The initial beginning (and end) of this hike consists of a very long walk through the forest. About 1/3 of the ascent is through the trees. The descent through this section can feel never-ending after a long day. The end of this initial section is marked by the beautiful Tower Lake (left in the above photo). From here, you enter into steep switch backs, which bring you up to Rockbound Lake (right in the above photo).

The path then veers to the right, where the scrambling begins. We don’t recommend doing this scramble if there is snow, as this can make the path quite dangerous. Sections of this path can be steep, and the loose rocks can make it slippery even without snow. We recommend lots of breaks to keep your leg strength up. The views looking over tower and rockbound lake make it all worth it. The path then begins to circle above Rockbound Lake at the base of Helena Peak. Make sure you follow the trail carefully, as going off trail may result in needing to back-track to avoid cliffs. A map is never a bad idea! If the trail feels like it is too exposed, it’s likely that you went the wrong direction.

The ridge walk is an interesting one, as there are lots of boulders, creeks, and intermittent pathways to navigate around. There is lots to explore up there! We generally try to stay on the upper ridge for the final push to the summit, as the lower ridge feels like a more technical scramble. At the top, you get an incredible 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. It is generally extremely windy, so celebrations are short and sweet. We recommend having your celebratory beer lower down to keep warm.

At the end of the hike, we love a good polar dip in Tower Lake to give us some much needed energy for the final part of the descent. Even though this hike beats up your feet and body, the sense of accomplishment you feel is hard to beat. Bragging rights are definitely earned if you finish this hike!