Show up anytime after 9 a.m. at the Barrier Dam Day Use Area and parking will be a challenge. If you are lucky, you may be able to snag a close spot along the road or in the ditch.
There’s no way around it – the Barrier Dam area is ALWAYS busy. Families love it. At least a kilometre length of vehicles are lined on both sides of the road especially on nice days.
A few years ago I ran some of the trails in the area with the Calgary Trail Runners. I haven’t been back since and I really wanted something relatively straight forward to do after my big bike ride on Thursday.
I arrived just after 8 a.m. There were maybe four other cars in the parking lot. I was pleasantly surprised. As always Barrier Lake was calm and majestic. I could spend hours staring out at the lake.
Bear in area signs were posted throughout. I’ve run on trails with bear warnings and I have never come across a bear. The only place I was spooked was in Fernie during Elk Valley Ultra. This time I wasn’t too concerned because there were bound to be tons of people around within the next hour.
There were three people behind me and another couple ahead of me when I started on the looped-trail. Like the others I planned to hike/run the loop counterclockwise. My legs were a little fatigued so I power hiked up the switchbacks and ran most of the way down to my Qashqai.
The trail features gorgeous views of Barrier Lake, meadows, wooded areas and a waterfall. I would consider this an easy hike – very runnable – despite the elevation gains. I stepped off the main trail to head up to the Barrier Lake Fire Lookout (roughly one kilometre uphill). This is well worth the side trip. The trailhead is not clearly marked but it’s easy to find if you keep your eyes peeled.
I had the lookout on Yates Mountain (1981 metres) all to myself. It’s a lovely spot for a picnic or to just relax. The views are outstanding.
The run back to the Qashqai was pretty straight forward. Taking my time to listen to the sounds of the forest, I was feeling at peace. More and more people emerged, the closer I got to the parking lot.
It was a perfect time to leave.
Have you ever been to Barrier Lake Dam? Do you prefer to hike/run alone or do you welcome the crowds for safety reasons? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.