A few thoughts from Calgary:
As
@canadug mentions, the already overcrowded Lake Louise area will be a zoo due to free admission this summer. Moraine Lake hikes will require booking a shuttle bus, and the parking at Lake Louise is congested and expensive from what I hear (we only go there in winter now). A shame as hikes such as Valley of The Ten Peaks, Sentinel Pass, Saddleback/Mount Fairview, Mount St. Piran and Plain of the Six are iconic hikes if you want to deal with the potential hassles of getting to the trailheads.
Some other hikes to consider:
-Helen Lake/Cirque Peak (busy but not to be missed on a nice day)
-Iceline in Yoho as already mentioned. We like it as an out and back to the highpoint.
-Paget Peak
-Taylor Lake to Panorama Ridge. A long forest slog in and out, though, so maximise by also exploring the tarns and basin below the ridge)
-For an easier day hiking in vast alpine meadows, you could pay to take the gondola up to Sunshine ski area (disclaimer- I've never done that)
-Wilcox Pass is great, but a long drive if staying near Banff town. If doing as a day trip from Banff, I'd also do nearby Parker Ridge for a full day.
I would second the mention of "Don't Waste Your Time In The Canadian Rockies" as the book to have for first timers. They don't mention many of the shorter hikes/walks to spots with canyons or waterfalls that may be an option for a weather day.
Kananaskis Country is mentioned above by
@jholmes01 That is where we spend much of our time as it is closer to Calgary and generally less crowded, although the most popular spots are getting increasingly busy. The book you want is
Volume 1 which covers the core area. A $ 90 pass is now required for Kananaskis. A sampling of K-Country hikes would be:
-Galatea Lakes/Guinns Pass. Make sure you at least go to the upper one.
-Mount Allan. great but strenuous ridgewalk.
-Rawson Lake/Sarrail Ridge. Hot on the Insta right now but worthwhile.
-Pocaterra Cirque and ridge (closed right now due to construction, maybe open by late this summer.
-Burstall Pass
-Tent Ridge (expect some short sections of hands on scrambling)
-Chester Lake/Three Lakes Valley. Add in the Fortress if up for a longer day and mild scrambling.
-Sparrowhawk Tarns, but many of the tarns will be dry by August.
-Headwall Lakes. We were there this week:
Lower Headwall from above. A favourite, but as typical for many Kananaskis hikes, expect some sections of rough unofficial trail and/or mild routefinding.
View attachment 143000
Upper Headwall with the Fortress looming at the back. An often used, somewhat rugged route connects to Chester Lake valley over a col below the Fortress, with an easy scramble to the summit as an option.
View attachment 143001
Hope all that helps!
. We hit it in the afternoon since parking there is also a problem. We hiked down to the shore of Peyto Lake that was in one of my guide books and that was nice to miss some of the crowds. It wasn't a marked trailhead.
