Prairie View

Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

This super fun and scenic ride takes you up Barrier Mountain to a sweet panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, prairies, and rivers. A popular trail among mountain bikers and hikers alike, expect it to be busy on weekends and evenings in the summer months.

A 6 km gravel road climb with a large number of switch-backs takes you up Barrier Mountain to a short hike-a-bike section near the top. The climb to the top is very tough and relentless, but is rewarded with a super-fast and technical descent down to Jewel Pass summit. From there you will head left (south) onto Jewel Pass; the ride is a challenging singletrack, looping you back to the parking lot. Keep left on all major junctions to get back to the start of the Barrier Mountain climb; from there head right (east) back to Barrier Dam parking.

bikepirate rating:

Trail Stats

Distance: 15 km
Time: 2 - 4 hrs
Elevation Gain: 649 m
Elevation Loss: 647 m
Min Elevation: 1,370 m
Max Elevation: 1,888 m
Technical Rating: Intermediate – Advanced
Physical Rating: Moderate – Hard
Season: June - October
Permit Required: No

Trail Location

Trailhead: The trailhead starts at the Barrier Dam picnic and parking area located off Hwy. 40, 8 km south of Hwy. 1. Follow the gravel road, crossing the power lines, up to the fork in the trail. Look for a map indicating the start of the Prairie View climb 2 km from the parking lot.

GPS: N51 01.933 W115 02.353

Downloads

Map: click here
GPS Map (GPX): click here
Google Earth: click here
Trail Report: click here

Google Earth trail view only works if you have the program; download it here (free)

Buy your Kananaskis trail guide:
Find the Hidden Treasures: A Guide to Mountain Bike Trails in Kananaskis Country

This is a super fun and scenic mountain bike ride that takes you up Barrier Mountain to a sweet panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, prairies, and rivers. The climb is rewarded with a super-fast and sweet descent down to Jewell Pass summit. From there you will head left (south) onto Jewell Pass; a nice and flowy singletrack, looping you back to the parking lot.

 
  • http://twitter.com/AdamDotCom Adam Kahtava

    I found it interesting to learn, that the structure on the top of the Barrier climb is an old radio repeater / reflector that was used to bounce signals into Banff.

    • http://www.bikepirate.com Peter Oprsal

      That is interesting, thanks for sharing.

  • Nkzelinsky

    That used to be a super fun and flowy trail that went a summer camp forget the name 

  • http://twitter.com/alexnoot Alex Noot

    A great trail!

    There’s a small trail that forks off to the right just before the last stretch of the wider gravel climb, anyone know where it goes?

    • http://www.bikepirate.com Peter Oprsal

      Yes, that trail has been decommissioned and closed Alex. It’s my understanding that Parks is issuing tickets to anyone caught riding it.
      bikepirate

      • http://twitter.com/alexnoot Alex Noot

        Ah OK, thanks for the info :)  Great site btw



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