Nihahi Creek

Trip Date: July 2012

The Nihahi Creek Trail can be a lot fun!  It's a relatively easy hike to the mouth of the Nihahi Creek Canyon, but from there you can make a choice.  You can descend down through the canyon, using logs and the smooth canyon walls to help yourself through, while trying to avoid the clear pools of cold water below, or you can turn around and hike back out the same way you arrived.  I highly recommend scrambling through the canyon, because if you take your time, it is well worth the effort!

The Nihahi Creek trailhead is the same for the Little Elbow Trail, which is at the end of Highway 66 and about 80km southwest of Calgary.  The trail is in the Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area, which is part of the bigger Kananaskis Country park system.  The trail itself is about 13km round trip with 240m gained in elevation.  You can hike further up the valley above the Nihahi Creek Canyon, but I am unsure where, or how far, it goes.  When we did this hike we ventured a little further up the valley out of curiosity, but it looked like some rain clouds were blowing in so we turned back and had our fun in the canyon, before heading back to the car.  Here are a few pictures from our day-trip to Nihahi Creek.

Starting the hike along the Little Elbow River

Nihahi Creek

This is where we ventured above the mouth of the canyon

Christine and Rome

Sarah and Jaryd

Chris and I

The mouth of Nihahi Creek Canyon

The sheer walls of the canyon.  There was no water flowing through the canyon while we were there.

Jaryd making his way into the canyon

Chris balancing on a log over a pool of water

One of the logs we crossed

The hiking crew!

Christine making her way over the water while Rome gets a drink!

My turn

Sarah and Chris

Jaryd in the canyon

Eventually the canyon opens up and you get his view

We continued our way down the dry creek bed

It was very rocky terrain

Unfortunately the dry creek bed leads to this impassable dry waterfall.  We had to double back and scramble up to the trail above us.  

The Harold Chapman Suspension Bridge spans the Little Elbow River

Sarah and Jaryd on the bridge after a great day outside!