Grassi Lakes

Two turquoise alpine lakes above Canmore, with Indigenous rock paintings nearby

The Grassi Lakes sit at about 1,525 metres above sea level, a short but steep hike above Canmore. The two lakes are a striking turquoise — the colour comes from glacial rock flour suspended in the water — and the surrounding cliffs are a popular rock-climbing destination. The hike to the lakes is 3.5 kilometres return via the upper trail (steeper and more scenic) or 4.5 kilometres via the lower trail (more gradual).

Near the lakes, Indigenous rock paintings are carved into the cliff faces — ochre pictographs of uncertain age, protected by a fence. The site is worth the short detour to see them. The lakes are accessible from spring through autumn; snow lingers into June in heavy years. The trailhead is at the Grassi Lakes parking lot off Spray Lakes Road, a five-minute drive from Canmore town centre.

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A story
The lakes are named after Lawrence Grassi, an Italian-born coal miner who came to Canmore in 1912 and spent his free time building trails through the mountains. He constructed the path to these lakes with hand tools over several summers, hauling rock to create the staircase sections. The peak above them also bears his name, and the trails he built are still in use more than a century later.