Arethusa Cirque is the perfect way to experience the mountains in September. Along the western edge of Treaty 7 territory, on the traditional lands of the Niitsitapi, Ktunaxa, Iyahe Nakoda, and Tsuut’inna, there is a secret season between summer and fall called larch season.
Driving west on Highway 1 between Banff and Lake Louise, it is obvious that the secret is out. Massive overflow parking lots and shuttles up to Lake Louise bring the masses to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
If you have a vehicle and want to avoid those crowds, you can also see larches in quieter corners of Kananaskis Country. Arethusa Cirque is one of those places, and offers wide vistas and plenty of room to explore.
Hiking Arethusa Cirque
The Arethusa Cirque trailhead is just east of the top of Highwood Pass (the highest road in Canada). The first stretch of trail leads you through a forest with a few teaser larches. The loop starts a kilometer and a bit into the hike, around the spot where you first connect to the little creek.
We enjoyed taking the loop counterclockwise. This allows you to climb up the boulders and talus at the beginning, explore the cirque in the middle, and then head down the dirt path on the other side of the loop.
The dirt path on the way down is quite steep. On extremely wet days, it might feel safer to go clockwise, going up the steeper muddy path, and down the gentler rocky path. Honestly, I think it’s a coin toss.
Tips and Tricks
This hike has some challenging sections. We did not need to scramble at all, but appreciated having our hiking poles. The trail is easy to follow most of the way, but disappears a few times. Using the AllTrails map was enough to keep us on track. We hit the trail around 10 a.m. and got back to the car around 1:30 p.m., with a few stops to eat, play, and take in the views. My Strava GPS logged the hike as 7 kilometers (more than the 4.5 listed on AllTrails).
To make it more hardcore, there are trails off of the loop that head up to Little Arethusa and Mount Arethusa. Little Arethusa looks like a nice challenge for experienced hikers, and I’d like to try that sometime soon. Mount Arethusa, however, looks like a much more intense ridgewalk to the summit that would require greater mountaineering experience.
Arethusa Cirque is for Kids
This is a fun hike for active kids. We brought a 7-year-old and he loved climbing on the boulders, finding fossils, and splashing in the creek. The length and slope were perfect for him. Going counterclockwise, there is also a fun element of surprise when you reach the top of the rocks and find that first glorious view of the forest below.
The cirque at the top is such a wide open area. Adventurous kids could spend all kinds of time looking for fossils or pika, and there are a few cool hidden areas to explore. None of the ledges felt overwhelming or scary, and there are a few sweet stretches of trail to run down. We saw kids of all ages hiking, but those who were 6+ seemed to be having the most fun.
Getting Into Fall Hiking
It’s easy to think that hiking in the Rockies winds down in September, but hikes like this draw me back into the mountains and inspire me to start planning fall and winter adventures. I already want to get back to this trailhead before there is to much snow, and I am looking forward to checking out Little Arethusa.
Have you hiked through larches in the fall before? Do you have other favourite ways to enjoy the outdoors in the fall? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.