Distance: 10.1km (Out and back)

Elevation Gain: 873m

Rating: moderate to difficult

Remoteness: This hike can be quiet! You may even get the mountain to yourself.

Distance from Calgary: 73km, 1 hour and 10minutes (give yourself 1.5-1.75 hours for the road)

Part of the adventure of Black Rock Mountain is driving there. The Ghost Creek road is not a friendly one for smaller cars. The road is full of rocks and potholes, and a river crossing is required. It’s a wild, but beautiful ride! If driving across a creek isn’t for you, it is possible to start walking earlier. This will just add an extra 4-5km onto your hike.

If you can make it to the trail head without popping a tire, the rest of the hike is relatively moderate as far as scrambles go. The hike begins walking through a burnt forest. On a hot day, shade is not available, so bring lots of water and good clothes to block the sun. There is nowhere to fill up you water bottle once you start the incline, unless there’s still snow on the ground. This section of the trail is a slow and steady incline through friendly switchbacks. It’s a great way to warm up your legs.

Once you’re out of the tree line, the trail becomes a steep and steady incline through scree. The exposure on this is minimal, so hikers of all levels can make it if you take your time! The hardest part of this is the incline. The trail is easy to follow, and no route finding is necessary. You then shoot through a gap in the rock, and continue your way upward to a flatter saddle. Don’t forget to look around and see all the neat rock formations! There’s lots of fun climbing and exploring through this section.

Once you reach the saddle, you get your first view of the final ascent. If you look close enough, the old abandoned fire station is visible. This grassy slope really stands out after travelling through the burnt forest and all of the rock! The views from here are breathtaking.

The final push to the peak is another steep scree slope. This is the most difficult part of the hike. Anyone afraid of heights, or beginner hikers, may not love the top of this section, as there is a drop off on either side. If this is too much for you, turning around at the grassy saddle still makes for an amazing hike! However. the path is relatively wide, so we recommend staying right in the middle of it to avoid feeling the exposure. The leg burn, and adrenaline, is worth it for the views at the top. To experienced scramblers and hikers, this section will be no problem.

Your final destination is marked by the above abandoned fire watch station. Blackrock mountain is the farthest eastern peak in the area. This means that on the east side of the peak, your views consist of prairies, and on the west side your views consist of jagged peaks. It’s a super neat juxtaposition! On a clear day, if you look hard enough to the east, you can see Calgary’s skyline. If you look to the West, you can see Banff National Park’s Lake Minnewanka. Take your time up hear to enjoy all the views this peak has to offer. The fire station makes for a great place to take pictures! This is not a bad place for a beer, if you have the energy to carry one to the top!