C-Level Cirque Trail Guide, Banff

C-Level Cirque Trail is a moderately challenging hiking trail found in Banff National Park, Alberta. This beautiful hike is a perfect half day adventure through alpine forests, glacier formed valleys and provides excellent views of ever popular Lake Minnewanka.

This C-Level Cirque hiking guide will provide you with trailhead information, route details and some recommendations on exploring further.

C-Level Cirque Trail Information

• Distance: 10.2km
• Elevation: 759m
• Trail Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Facilities: Washrooms at trailhead

Best Time to Hike C- Level Cirque

The mountains in Alberta and Banff are prone to avalanches, especially during the winter and early spring months. The road to the trailhead is also closed from November to April each year, as snowfall is highest during this time of year. Due to this, I will always recommend planning your hike during the summer months and early fall.

Temperatures are at their best during the summer, mountains roads are open, and the chance of avalanches is minimal. The sun typically doesn’t set until after 9:30pm, allowing for longer days to explore the mountains.

Wildlife Safety

Bears (black and grizzlies) and other wildlife are present in Banff and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. While attacks may be rare, there is still a chance to encounter these animals along the trail. Make sure to let animals know you are in the area, by wearing bear bells, listening to music, or travelling in larger groups.

It is highly recommended to carry bear spray with you at all times in these areas, especially during the late spring when bears are waking from hibernation. For the best tips on bear safety, check out Parks Canada Bear Safety Guide.

Luckily for us we only encountered marmots and a few other rodents along the trail.

Banff National Park Pass

A park pass is required to explore and visit Banff National Park. These passes help support conservation, facilities, and visitor services within the park. Passes can be purchased online and at the main entry gates. They can also be bought at the Visitor Centre at Lake Louise and Banff. Passes must always be displayed on the vehicle dash during your visit to the park.

There are currently two options for tickets into Banff: Day Pass or Discovery Pass.

The Day Pass is typically used for short visits throughout the park and expires by the end of the day.

These tickets costs $10.50 CAD/adult or $21.00 CAD/group

The Discovery Pass is for multiple trips and includes access to over 80 national parks throughout Canada. This pass is valid for 12 months. A year pass for an adult is $72.25 CAD and a Family/Group pass is $145.25 CAD.

The entry gates for Banff National Park can become congested, especially during the peak season. By purchasing tickets online, you can avoid the lineup and bypass the gates.

Purchase your Day Pass or Discovery Pass here.

How To Reach the Trailhead

Just past the Banff National Park entry gates, follow the Trans Canada Hwy until you reach the turn off for Lake Minnewanka. Proceed up this road for approximately 3.7km and turn left to access the Upper Bankhead Parking Lot.

There are two trails at this parking lot: Cascade Valley and C-Level Cirque. Cascade Valley follows an old fire road and spends most of the time in the dense forest. This trail is located to the right of Cascade Mountain.

For the C-Level Cirque trailhead, take the path that faces the mountain.

Parking is free but tends to fill up, so plan to hike either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. There are washrooms (drop toilets) at the trailhead as well.

Driving directions

• From Banff Town Centre: 9km (15 minutes)

Check out the driving route here

• From Calgary: 126km (1 hour 30 minutes)

Check out the driving route here

Trail Overview: The Forest

The trail slowly begins to climb through a dense forest, passing by several old mining sites from the Bankhead Coal Mine. This mine was built in 1886 and closed in 1922. Warning signs and protective barriers can be seen throughout the forest section of this hike. These sites can be very dangerous, so please respect the rules and stay away from these areas and stay on the designated path.

Around 1km, an abandoned house and several mining shafts can be seen.

This section of the forest is quite easy, as the wide path slowly climbs over rooted terrain. While it is beautiful, there are no scenic viewpoints in this area. The forest lasts around 4km, before ending at the cirque.

The Cirque

The cirque (basin on the mountain) of Cascade Mountain is stunning. This section is where the viewpoints and climbing begins. During my hike, the cirque was covered in extremely deep snow and some avalanche debris.

I would be careful in this area, as we also heard several rockslides in the area. While most of the snow had already fallen (and this winter’s snowpack was minimal), there is still a high degree of hazards in the area regarding avalanches.

The trail turns into a single file path and begins to climb up the side of the valley. Marmots and other rodents can be seen sunbathing on the rocky terrain. If you look back, halfway up the path, you will get a glimpse of a small hidden turquoise coloured pond.

After another 0.5km, the path will lead to a rock field. This area requires some mild scrambling, however if you stick to the left side of the rocks, there is a small path that can bypass most of the rock scaling.

Rock Field to Final Viewpoint

Past the rock field, the trail will lead back into the forest. This is where the path begins to gain more elevation. The narrow path is rocky, filled with roots and can be quite steep in sections. Don’t be discouraged, as the viewpoint waiting for you is well worth the struggle to get up. Take your time and be cautious of loose rock. The final stretch is around 1km.

The trail passes by another large rock field, which luckily you do not need to climb over. Follow the tail on the right-hand side, around the piles. While you may not have to climb this section, the next section is required to access the viewpoints.

It’s a little tricky to navigate, as the boulders are quite large, and some are unstable. The views, however, are stunning. The beautiful Lake Minnewanka and the surrounding mountains can be seen in the distance.

Hiking further up the rockfield will bring you to an additional viewpoint. This trail was a little tricky to find, as it wasn’t clearly marked and rather overgrown. This section is very steep, but manageable. This area provides views of the cirque, lake, and other side of the mountain.

Further Exploring: Lake Minnewanka

If you want to explore the surrounding areas in Banff, I will highly recommend Lake Minnewanka, especially during a hot summer day. Lake Minnewanka is the second largest glacier lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, spanning over 21km long. The lake is over 140m deep and boasts many hiking trails, water activities and camping in the area.

To reach Lake Minnewanka, continue past the Upper Bankhead parking lot for another 2.4km. There are several parking areas, but they tend to fill up quickly.

There are several rules and regulations you need to follow while entering lakes and rivers in Banff National Park. A self-certification permit is required when using your own watercraft. These permits assure users have cleaned, drained, and dried their personal watercraft before entering the water. This helps prevent invasive aquatic species from contaminating the waterways.

These permits need to be printed/signed and left with either a parks employee or at one of the many collection boxes located near water bodies. One of the collection boxes at Lake Minnewanka is located on the route to the main dock.

Obtain your Self-Certification Permit here.

Additional Hikes Near Banff National Park

Lake Agnes Tea House

Ha Ling Peak

Yates Mountain