Town of Banff

Stoney Squaw

Stoney Squaw Offers Great Views of Banff Photo: Rob Fullen

Mt. Norquay Ski Area to Stoney Squaw Summit — 2.1 km (1.3 mi)

Like Tunnel Mountain, across the valley, Stoney Squaw is not really a mountain, just an 1884 m promontory extending east from the slopes of Mount Norquay. It is one of the highest, easily reached viewpoints above Banff, and though there are a lot of trees to contend with, a few openings provide “windows” to the town and the Bow Valley far below.

This moderately graded but steady uphill trail is enclosed in a dense forest of lodgepole pine and spruce most of the way, but within 200 m of the top you begin to catch glimpses of the Banff environs. The Bow Valley and the town of Banff lie immediately below, and Tunnel Mountain, Mount Rundle, and Sulphur Mountain are all visible beyond.

At the summit, nearby Cascade Mountain rises to the north and the Bow Valley stretches away to the southeast.

You can make a loop back to the trailhead by descending northwest from the summit on a faint path that soon turns into good trail. This track descends through a dense, mossy forest on the cool north side of Stoney Squaw.

When you reach the top of a ski run, walk down the slope to the ski area access road, turn left and follow the road to the ski lodge complex and the main parking lot.

Access: From the Trans-Canada Highway at the Banff West Exit, follow the Mount Norquay Road north, climbing 6 km (3.5 mi) to the Ski Norquay ski area. Turn right at the main parking lot and watch for the trail sign just inside the entrance to the right.

Maps: Banff 82 O/4; Banff Up-Close (Gem Trek).

Trail description from the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide (Brian Patton and Bart Robinson; Summerthought Publishing), the original hiking guide to Banff National Park and the contiguous parks. Originally published in 1971 and now in its 8th edition, this book details over 3,400 kilometres of hiking trails in Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay and Waterton Lakes National Parks.