Banff Legacy Trail & Hwy 1A (Canmore, Banff)

October 3, 2026, Road West of Yyc

Gain
815 m
Distance
110 km
Round trip
3.5 hr
Activity
bike
Fun factor
4 of 5
With
Jon
Quick 'n dirty
A classic paved trail and road ride from Canmore to Banff on the Legacy Trail and Hwy 1A from there.
Difficulty
Some steep hills on Legacy and a few on Hwy 1A, otherwise pretty tame.
Route
GPS trackMap
Pretty straightforward but beware of the “Steep Hill” when coming from Banff back to Canmore. The signs say “5km/h” and you should listen.
Pretty straightforward but beware of the “Steep Hill” when coming from Banff back to Canmore. The signs say “5km/h” and you should listen.

I got together with an old friend for a 100km ride on the Banff Legacy Trail with a Hwy 1A extension to take advantage of a seasonal road closure. Click through the photos for more details of the ride. In short, I enjoyed it a lot but found it a little busy and a little easy compared to what I was expecting. I prefered riding the over-and-back route on Highwood Pass this spring.

Ok, that's cute.
Ok, that's cute.1 / 17
The ride along Hwy 1 is a bit loud.
The ride along Hwy 1 is a bit loud.2 / 17
Fall riding.
Fall riding.3 / 17
A steep hill on Hwy 1A.
A steep hill on Hwy 1A.4 / 17
An empty Hwy 1A.
An empty Hwy 1A.5 / 17
Lots of cyclists on a beautiful day.
Lots of cyclists on a beautiful day.6 / 17
Dramatic scenery.
Dramatic scenery.7 / 17
More scenery.
More scenery.8 / 17
On a section of highway past Johnston Canyon (shared with traffic).
On a section of highway past Johnston Canyon (shared with traffic).9 / 17
Another hill.
Another hill.10 / 17
Oncoming.
Oncoming.11 / 17
The road splits on return - this is Hwy 1A.
The road splits on return - this is Hwy 1A.12 / 17
Canadian scenery.
Canadian scenery.13 / 17
Heading out of the town of Banff back to Canmore.
Heading out of the town of Banff back to Canmore.14 / 17
Legacy Trail.
Legacy Trail.15 / 17
Nice stretch.
Nice stretch.16 / 17
Beautiful afternoon in the mountains.
Beautiful afternoon in the mountains.17 / 17