Are you like me and love hiking, but grumble every time switchbacks come your way? Iβve done a fair amount of hiking in the Kananaskis region, and I just experienced a completely new adventure – private, guided hiking Fortress Mountain. More than a hike, itβs an ATV assisted experience, taking you to spots so picturesque movies are made there!

Table of Contents
Hiking Fortress Mountain
If youβre a skier or grew up around Calgary, youβre probably familiar with Fortress Mountain Resort. This ski hill has been closed for over a decade, but itβs actually scheduled to reopen in 2021. In the meantime, you can go hiking at Fortress Mountain even though this crown land is privately leased.

White Mountain Adventures just launched three new adventures at Fortress Mountain. These guided adventures tick all the right boxes:
- No crowds: check
- Easy parking: check
- New to you trails: check
- Unspoiled, pristine mountain wilderness: check, check and check
The landscape is so hella gorgeous, youβll quickly realize why Hollywood shoots so many movies out here. Films like The Revenant, Inception, Jumanji: The Next Level and The Bourne Supremacy were all shot either on mountain or nearby.

Fortress Mountain Tours
White Mountainβs Fortress Wildlife and Nature Explorer tour would be good for those who want to soak up sweeping Rocky Mountain views without having to sweat their way to them. This half day tour takes you to postcard pretty stops via an all terrain vehicle (ATV), with a few short (easy!) walks along the way.
Along with The Huz and our daughter, Eve, we tested out the Backcountry Ridgeline Hiking Adventure, another half day tour, but one where youβre actually hiking along a mountain ridgeline. And come fall, theyβll be running larch tours (more on that below).

Backcountry Ridgeline Hiking Adventure
Tours meet at Fortress Junction, a gas station and parking lot set along the stunningly beautiful Highway 40. Youβll leave your vehicle there and climb into their van for the 15-minute drive up to Fortress.
At Fortress, youβll have time to use the outhouse and meet Mountain Mel, a 79-year-old gent who lives here year round.Then it’s into the ATV for a rip roaring ride across the wilderness.

Our first stop was to Bonsai Garden, a jade-hued lake ringed by staggering peaks. Because Fortress sees next to no hikers, the marmots are especially curious. Youβll want to watch your food should you decide to picnic there. Check out this super quick Twitter video I took of our new BFF.Β

Back in the ATV, youβll cruise along a rough gravel road flanked by a kaleidoscope of wildflowers. A female swainsonβs hawk calls this area home, and if youβre as lucky as we were, sheβll guide you part of the way as you head up to the base of Mt. Baldy.

Thereβs more than one Mt Baldy in North America and this one sees so much wind, the snow blows off of it. This is where youβll begin your hike – a steep, but short 200 ft. uphill grind to paradise.

Once at the top, youβll have your Sound of Music Moment. Or at least I did on Instagram. Itβs an incredibly panoramic scene with the Opal Range on one side and the Fortress range on the other. Youβll peer down into three provincial parks: Bow Valley, Peter Lougheed and Spray Valley. Paddlers on Wedge Pond looked like colourful tiny specs in the distance.
We were happily hiking along for a good while when we spotted a big horned sheep several hundred feet below us. True to form, he scampered away, but as we wound around the ridge, we ran into him again, this time digging for food. Then the dude laid down. On our path.

He simply wasnβt moving and there was no way around him. With herbivores, Parks Canada recommends you stay a minimum of 30 metres away and because this hike is led by a certified professional mountain guide, youβre following ALL the rules. (On that note, do NOT bring beer or alcohol of any kind with you. They wonβt let you drink it.)
Still, it was one of those quintessentially Canadian, pinch me now moments. The Rockies are regal, but that big horned sheep was simply majestic. After taking countless snaps, we scuttled off to a few different areas our guide had planned as backup.

When we werenβt traipsing across scree and rock, we were submerged in carpets of wildflowers from purple fleabane to crimson paintbrush to yellow arnica and periwinkle forget me knots.

Banff ATV Tours
Even though we werenβt in Banff, this ATV tour was one of the most picturesque outdoor experiences Iβve had in the Rockies. Itβs actually pretty hard to do any ATV tour in Banff National Park because of all the Parks Canada regulations. If ATV action is what youβre looking for, look beyond the National Park to spots like the Kananaskis, where this experience took place.
The main difference between earning your views with your own two feet and ATV tours is that the ATV does the hard work for you. You get to experience the great outdoors without really having to rough it. Because youβve got that extra power, youβre also able to go further in a shorter amount of time, seeing a lot more than a hiker would.
Because of COVID, youβll be required to wear masks in the van and in the ATV. Itβs max 5 people per ATV and your guide will be the one driving. Thatβs right, participants donβt get to drive their own ATV as you do in Hawaii or on other popular ATV tours. Youβre a passenger on this experience.

Who is it good for?
This type of assisted activity is ideal for those who love the great outdoors, but perhaps donβt have the stamina to grind their way up significant inclines. If you like outdoor adventure, and heli-hiking appeals to you, then ATV assisted hiking would be right up your alley.
If you’re into photography, but donβt have your hiking legs under you, this tour would also be a great fit. Likewise for families of teens who arenβt avid hikers. ATV riders need to be over the age of 12 to participate.

Best time to hike Fortress
Late spring and summer are good times to get out on the trails. My absolute favourite time to hike in the Rockies is fall. In September and early October, thereβs less crowds, more pleasant weather, less bugs and β¦ the trees look amazing.
In the Canadian Rockies, we donβt have many trees that morph into blazing red and orange foliage, but we do have larches. Larch trees look coniferous, but are actually deciduous with lime green needles. Before they shed their needles, they turn golden yellow, but blink and youβll miss them!
Once the larches start to turn colour, youβve only got about two weeks to catch them before theyβve completely shed their needles. So many people hike Larch Valley in Lake Louise, it can be hard to enjoy that hike unless youβre doing it mid-week.Β
Luckily for us, White Mountain Adventures is offering this ATV tour and hike until the end of September (and possibly into October). Youβll have these pristine mountain and fall foliage views all to yourself!

What to pack for private, guided hiking
As with any hike, bring layers. Even on a hot day, itβs at least 10 degrees cooler up on the mountain than in the valley. It can get quite windy up at Fortress, so bring an ear mask if youβre prone to earaches.
- Hike poles – White Mountain supplies, and you ought to use them, but if yours are your fave, bring βem.
- Mask/buff to wear in the van and ATV.
- Water and snacks.
- Your guide will have bug and bear spray, but itβs always smart to bring your own.
- The usual: hat, sunscreen, kleenex, hand sanitizer, ziplock bag to tote out garbage, etc…

Save these tips
Keep these tips for hiking Fortress Mountain for future reference. Simply pin the image above to Pinterest. I hope youβll follow Travels with Baggage on PinterestΒ while youβre at it.
I would love to try the larch tour!
I am already following you on Facebook and I am receiving your newsletter (I love them so much!)
My favourite adventure this summer was camping and hiking and Takakkaw Falls. Amazing walk in camp spots, the falls are incredible and the hiking trails are amazing.
I would love to try this ATV adventure!
I already follow you on FB and subscribed to your email list.
Got you!
LOVE GOING TO BLUEROCK BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE GREAT FUN
This sounds great! My fave getaways are the ones close to home that don’t take a lot of travel time!
I follow you on Facebook too, that’s how I found this post.
Great to hear, thank you!
LOVE GOING TO BLUEROCK BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE GREAT FUN ATV
My fave adventure has been the many picnics, hikes and camping in Kananaskis!
All adventures in Kananaskis are amazing, best kept secret in Alberta!! This would be a great adventure, a little different then our weekly rides threw on our Spyder!
All time fav summer adventure is exploring new hikes and witnessing wildlife, nothing calms a person’s soul more.
In the words of Liz Lemon:
“I want to go to there”
Actual, LOL! I’m a fan of Ms. Lemon, too!
We love camping on the summer! I would love to bring the hubby on this adventure as he worked at Fortress years ago and loved that area. I follow on Facebook and plan to subscribe to the mailing list!
This looks like a fun adventure!
This sounds amazing! I remember skiing there as a kid π
Me, too. It’s been so long…
Having never been this would be an awesome experience! My husband and I love to hike and take in the beauty nature offers!
We love hiking and biking in the summer. Never been on an ATV Tour, the Ridgeline and Larch Tour sound amazing!
Thank you for giving us the chance of winning couple of spots on a tour.
I’m already following you on FB and subscribed to your newsletter!
I already follow you on Facebook & receive your newsletters π
This sounds like such an amazing adventure!! The Larch tour sounds like it would be so amazing!
Would love to try this. My fav adventure is always hiking…. lots to explore in k-country. I follow you and subscribe! π
Hiking in the mountains is one of my favorite things to do in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. My wife and I try to get away a couple times a year for a couples-only, no-kids hike and this would be a great excuse to add another adventure to our list! Following you on Facebook, Twitter, and subscribed to the blog. Crossing my fingers to win!
I LOVE ATV tours. Did one at Panorama this summer for my birthday! I follow you on all social media platforms (you’re welcome!)
Love ya!
Claire