alberta - sunset pass, tombstone lake

Sep 13, 2025

2 min read

Updated: Aug 20

Sunlight rays shining on Sunset Pass in Alberta.

chris, lance, and i took a quick trip out to calgary to see mike now that he's living back out there. a couple backpacking loops, a lot of beers, and a lot of wildfire smoke (more than i have ever seen)

Two men laughing by a fence near Sunset Pass in Alberta.

sunset pass, banff, alberta

Mountain peaks and hiking trail at Sunset Pass, Alberta

we started out with a loop i had done before - and out and back up to sunset pass, about 4.1km but 500m, it is a steep slog up to the pass, but once you get there you are surrounded by mount coleman to the north and mount burwash to the south, two massive, beautiful peaks

Two men wading in Tombstone Lake near Sunset Pass, Alberta

on a previous trip here, i tried to climb mount burwash only to get lost in the kms and kms of forest trying to get onto the scree slopes. this trip is a little different though, we mostly just got drunk in the river

Hiker at Sunset Pass pointing to Tombstone Mountain

me trying to explain we should go climb the mountain, beers cooling in the glacial stream, guess which one won?

Valley view of Sunset Pass and Tombstone Lake, Alberta

one of my favourite lookouts in all of alberta is a few km backtracking from the campsite, an incredible view of the icefields

Braided river channels at Sunset Pass, Alberta

Sunset Pass overlooking the river valley in Alberta.

Snow-capped Sunset Pass peak in Alberta at dusk.

mount amery across the way

Braided river landscape at Sunset Pass, Alberta

Winding river through Sunset Pass and Tombstone Lake valley

canmore

Mountain peaks reflected in the calm waters of Tombstone Lake.

mike has to work during the week so we drove back down the icefields to canmore to car camp for a few days where there is cell service. played a lot of disc golf, drank and lot of beers, and if i hear the word dope one more time i swear to god.

Four men standing in Tombstone Lake, Alberta with mountains.

Person wading in a river at sunset near Tombstone Lake.

a lot of fly fishing in the bow

Person holding a beer at a frisbee golf course in Alberta.

a lot of disc golf and beers

Tombstone Lake and Sunset Pass mountains in Alberta

Disc golfer teeing off at Sunset Pass overlooking Tombstone Lake

Campers playing video games at a picnic table in Alberta.

a lot of switch

Man carrying pizza box and wood at Sunset Pass, Alberta

a lot of dope

Calm river at sunset in Alberta Sunset Pass.

and a lot of wildfire smoke, maybe the worst i have seen

Disc golf basket at Sunset Pass with mountain views

Sunset over Sunset Pass and Tombstone Lake in Alberta

tombstone lake, kananaskis

Hikers at the base of Sunset Pass in Alberta.

once mike was done work, we headed over to kananaskis to do a backpacking loop - tombstone lake, 19.8km total round trip, 700m, though the campsite is only about 7.5km in which is a nice easy day with packs.

Three hikers preparing gear at a trailhead in Alberta.

it is september so it is getting really cold at night, like well into the negatives

Small waterfall at Sunset Pass in Alberta.

Hiker at Sunset Pass with mountain peaks in Alberta

Hikers at Sunset Pass campsite near Tombstone Lake

tombstone campground has got to be one of the best backcountry camp spots in kananaskis, first of all you can have fires, which you can't anywhere else, also all the wood is already cut for you, and the fire pits have this excellent view of the tombstone range. oh and there is an washroom and it is even stocked with toilet paper.