Elbow Loop Bike or Hike Alberta Kananaskis Country.

Elbow Loop trailhead is located 40 minutes west of the City of Calgary near the Little Elbow Campground. Total elevation gain on the loop is approximately 600 Meters with an approximate return distance of 42km's. Elbow Loop is considered one of the best Mountain Bike outings and is ranked as moderate to difficult. Allow 5 to 8 hours on bikes. Hikers would have to allow two days. The trailhead is located a short distance west of the Little Elbow Campground parking lot. You can approach the loop in either direction with the right south west approach being the favorite. I'm not sure if one direction is easier then the other. Certainly makes for an interesting debate when you've completed the loop. From the Little Elbow Campground follow the road for a short distance. The Harold Chapman foot bridge crossing the Little Elbow river is either the end or the start of the loop, depending on your direction of travel. Here you can decide which direction you want to take on the loop. Cross the bridge for what is generally considered the reverse route or keep heading up the road for the more popular route direction. Follow the gravel road through the campground until you reach a locked roadblock gate. Ride or walk around the gate and then stay on the old fire road for the entire 42km loop. The fire road crosses the Little Elbow River with several up's and downs with a continual elevation gain towards a summit pass located near Tombstone Lakes. A short distance past the Tombstone Lakes trailhead sign you'll reach the top of the pass and the approximate middle point of the loop. Here you'll find a nice rest area where you can eat lunch and enjoy the views of the surrounding meadow and mountain ridges. At this point it's mostly down hill from here with a few small ups and downs. Stay on the fire road and keep going past the Tombstone Backcountry Campground. At this point the fire road turns into more of a trail then a road. Stay on the trail as it crosses a few Elbow River braids then finally reaching the pedestrian bridge near the start. Moose Mountain, Moose Mountain Ice Cave, Prairie Mountain, For Get Me Knot Ridge, Powder Face Ridge, Nihahi Ridge, Elbow Falls, Mount Glasgow, Mount Cornwall, Outlaw Peak, Banded Peak and Mount Romulus are all located near here. Goose Berry campground, Little Elbow, Beaver Flat campground, Paddy's Flat campground, and Nihahi Pond day use picnic area are located just west and east of here. You are in bear country.