Cascade Amphitheatre Trail
A long forest climb to a meadow enclosed by the natural walls of Cascade Mountain.
Route overview
Cascade Amphitheatre Trail in Canadian Rockies.
The route begins on a gravel ski-area road before entering forest with roots and rocks, eventually reaching the open Cascade Amphitheatre. The maintained hiking trail ends at the meadow; the summit beyond is a separate expert scramble and is not part of this record.
Trail facts
- Country
- Canada
- Region
- Canadian Rockies
- Distance
- 13.6 km return
- Typical duration
- 6 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation gain
- Not published by official source
- Best season
- Summer to early autumn after snowmelt
- Trail type
- Out and back
Access and logistics
- Permits and access
- Park entry required; no hiking permit for maintained trail
Safety context
Check current official conditions, closures, weather and access rules before departure. Check current official conditions, closures, weather and access rules before departure.
Long day, snow patches, navigation at ski area, weather exposure, wildlife and temptation to continue onto scramble
Highlights
Banff National Park, Cascade Amphitheatre, Mount Norquay, long day hike, alpine meadow
Why find a buddy
A buddy is valuable for this longer objective, especially for group cohesion and rejecting the unplanned summit extension.
Primary source
Explore and prepare
Discover hikes by intent, read the hiking guides, review hiking safety, prepare a BuddyPack, or browse hiking plans.
Route conditions, access, services and transport can change. Verify time-sensitive information before departure.