Prairie View Trail to Jewell Pass Hike- Kananaskis Country

Prairie View Trail to Jewell Pass is a popular day hike in Kananaskis, particularly because it offers wonderful views of Barrier Lake from low and high elevations.

The hike forms a loop, during which there are long walks in the forest before and after arriving at the main point of interest- the Praire View lookout. This lookout point at the summit of Prairie View Trail is a spectacular vantage point for admiring Barrier Lake, Mount Baldy, and other surrounding peaks. 

Most people choose to do the hike in a counter-clockwise direction, which is how it is described here.

Jewell Pass via Prairie View Trail Description

Prairie View Trail begins from the parking lot at the Barrier Dam Day Use Area. At the trailhead, there’s a display board with a map of the Prairie View and Jewell Pass loop and other nearby hiking trails.

After leaving the parking lot, the trail crosses Barrier Dam and proceeds along the northeast shore of Barrier Lake. There is an excellent view of Mount Baldy across the lake to the south and several rocky peaks straight ahead. The view to the north is of forested mountains, which is quite pretty in the fall when the leaves are bright yellow.

Soon the path curves away from the lake and heads north toward the mountains. You’ll come to a bench beside the old forestry road just before Prairie View Trail crosses Stoney Trail. At the intersection, there is a map and a utility pole. Stay on Prairie View Trail (do not follow the path under the powerline) and head into the forest to do the loop in a counter-clockwise direction.

After a short distance walking in the mixed forest, you’ll come to another intersection with Stoney Trail, which is marked by a sign and a map. Keep north on Prairie View Trail.

This segment of the hike is a straightforward walk in the forest, gradually gaining elevation. There are no points of interest or views other than trees, so it’s the least interesting part of the Prairie View hike. Eventually, you’ll come to a section of switchbacks before the trail turns west.

Going west, the trail continues to ascend through the forest. Finally, the path breaks out of the forest arriving at the edge of a cliff offering great views of Barrier Lake, Mount Baldy, and other surrounding mountains. You can also see the rocky terrain of the Prairie View lookout, the next destination of this hike.

Carrying on toward the lookout, the trail ascends beside the edge of the cliff and then renters the forest.

Back in the trees, the trail is rocky and the route is less defined, but just keep going up. When you get higher a green trail sign by a tree comes into view letting you know you’re on the right track.

At the top of the hill, there’s another sign with an arrow pointing left to get the Prairie View lookout.

Emerging from the forest, at the cliff’s edge you’ll see some nice views of the landscape and its transition from prairie to mountains. You can even look down to see the trail you just hiked.

Although the scenery here is pretty, there’s an even better view waiting nearby at the summit of Prairie View Trail.

Head past the trail sign and soon you’ll reach the main destination of the Prairie View hike, the rocky viewpoint looking out onto Barrier Lake. 

The panoramic views are stunning so this is the perfect spot to take a break before hiking the rest of Prairie View Trail down to Jewell Pass. 

After enjoying the scenery from the summit, to get to Jewell Pass you’ll descend into the forest to the west via Prairie View Trail. There are two different approaches you could take. The shortcut is to go down the rough trail from the end of the rocky viewpoint (look for a green trail sign below and head toward that). The second option is to backtrack to where the trail exited the forest just before the lookout point and go down the path behind the “trail not maintained beyond this point” sign.

Once you’ve descended from the lookout point, the path enters a shady forest. It’s an easy walk because it’s downhill, but the only scenery is trees for several kilometres. 

About 7.7 km into the hike, Prairie View Trail ends and reaches Jewell Pass. Follow the map and turn left to hike Jewell Pass Trail through the forest toward Barrier Lake. Most of the walk is downhill.

Eventually, the trail comes to a short boardwalk and later a bridge crossing over a creek. 

Continuing downhill, the trail soon crosses a wooden bridge and proceeds through the forest.

Further ahead, nearing Barrier Lake, the trail goes between the edge of the forest and a cliff. The mountain views and glimpses of the lake are a treat after a long forest walk.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, the trail passes under some power lines then heads into a treed area near the lakeshore. Turn left onto Stoney Trail.

This last segment of the hike roughly follows the shoreline of Barrier Lake. In some areas, trees block the view but in other spots, you can admire the lake’s turquoise water.

Arriving at the intersection with Prairie View Trail completes the Prairie View and Jewell Pass Loop. Turn right to get to the dam and back to the parking lot at the trailhead.

Review of the Prairie View Trail to Jewell Pass Hike

The Prairie View to Jewell Pass hike is a great option for a long hike in Kananaskis that isn’t too strenuous. It’s also a good choice on a hot day because most of the trail is in the shade, except for the section along the lake.

People who like hiking in the forest will find plenty to enjoy on this trail, but those who don’t may be a little bored, especially during the ascent (the forest section on the descent is more visually interesting). No matter your preference, the mountain and lake views near the summit and from the Prairie View lookout make the journey worthwhile. 

Accommodations in Canmore and Kananaskis

For your convenience, here is a list of hotels in Canmore and Kananaskis. Please consider booking your Canmore and Kananaskis accommodations through the included links. It costs nothing extra and helps support this website. Thank you!