Jumpingpound Loop is an easy, mostly flat hike that is under an hour away from Calgary. It is at a relatively low elevation. This means it is usually accessible in the early spring, and sometimes throughout the winter.

This is a good hike to consider if you want to stay below the tree line. You can also get a decent number of kilometers in while taking it easy on your joints. It is also a nice trail for mountain biking and trail running.

Distance: 9.2 km
Elevation gain: 346 m / 1135 ft
Access: The Jumpingpound Loop has two access points, both on highway 68. Coming west on highway 68, the first is at Pinetop Provincial Recreation Area. I recommend driving farther west on highway 68 and starting at Pine Grove Group Campground.

If you go counterclockwise from Pine Grove, you can save the views of Moose Mountain as a treat for the end. Depending on what time of day you are starting, you may also want to start at Pinetop. Going counterclockwise, this will allow you to complete the more exposed portion of the hike at the beginning and save the shadier portion of the hike for the end. For this write up, I will assume you are starting at Pine Grove and going counterclockwise.

The First Half of Jumpingpound Trail: Jumpingpound Creek

The first half of this hike is mostly forested and loosely follows Jumpingpound Creek. The first point of interest you will pass is the Pine Grove Group Site. This is a loop with 10 camp sites that private parties can book through Alberta Parks. You can see the group fire pit from the trail.

Just over the 2 kilometer mark, there is a junction that basically serves as a shortcut if you want to cut your hike in half. This shortened loop would clock in around the 4.7 kilometer mark, and is a good option if you are short on time or your body isn’t feeling up for a longer distance.

There are some nice ravines that overlook the creek along the next portion of trail, and I’m sure you could find a way down if you were interested in splashing around a bit.

Before you reach the first highway 68 crossing, you’ll come across the Pinetop Provincial Recreation Area. There are outhouses and picnic tables here if you need a pitstop.

The Second Half of Jumpingpound Loop: Views of Moose Mountain

Cross highway 68 and then continue up and to the left on Jumpingpound Trail. Climbing up the first little hill reveals views of Moose Mountain, which can still be very snowy in the springtime. If you look closely you can see the fire lookout on Moose Mountain as well.

Shortly after the highway crossing, the trail runs behind Camp Cadicasu, and then undulates up and down a few small hills for the remainder of the hike. There is a mix of aspen and conifer forest that is usually well-maintained, and periodic breaks in the trees that offer nice views of the foothills. We saved our snacks for one of these viewpoints instead of stopping at Pinetop.

The stretch after Camp Cadicasu will bring you back to the shortcut connector trail, but at this point you are three quarters of the way through the hike, so there isn’t much benefit in taking that. From the connector trail, the hike continues up and down a couple more times before returning to the starting point on highway 68.

Summary

This is a great hike for getting the legs back into hiking shape. You can get your distance up towards the 10 kilometer mark and enjoy the Kananaskis foothills. It is accessible year round. Keep in mind you may need snowshoes during the winter and spikes during the shoulder seasons.

If you are interested in finding more easy hikes that are accessible in the shoulder seasons, check out this post that lists some of my favorites.