If you’re looking for a short hike near Nordegg with amazing views then Vision Quest is only a 30 minute drive from the city of Nordegg. Vision Quest is one of the best hikes in Alberta and an awesome hike to see the well known Abraham Lake. It’s a hike we would absolutely recommend to anyone wanting a bit of a challenge with rewarding views. It’s a fairly short hike as the full trip is just over 6km but the uphill makes it an absolute battle the whole way up!
There aren’t many flat parts on this hike near Abraham Lake which can make it quite difficult but you’ll be rewarded with the most breathtaking views at the top. Luckily, the whole way up you are never really in any dense bush or forest so whenever you take a break, you will be able to enjoy the views of Abraham Lake the entire way to the top.

After about 30-45 minutes of hiking (depending on your level of fitness), you will be able to see what looks like the summit. This actually isn’t the summit but what is called “the false summit”.
You won’t be able to see the real summit till you’re almost at the fake summit but once you get to that part of the hike the real summit isn’t far at all.

Right near the false summit of this Abraham Lake Hike, you will see a red ribbon on a tree (easily visible). From there you just keep continuing up along the ridgeline until you find the summit register (little metal box) which is essentially the “false summit” for Vision Quest.
Practical information about Vision Quest
Distance: 6.3 km return / 3.9 miles return
Elevation: 851 m / 2792 ft. elevation gain
Type: Out and back
Length: 4-6 hours return
Difficulty: Hard (!)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Other related posts
- 3 Hikes Near Bragg Creek That Make an Epic Day Trip
- How to hike Tombstone Campground – Alpine Lake in Kananaskis
- How to hike Chester Lake Trail – Kananaskis
- How to hike Jumpingpound Summit Trail – Bragg Creek
- How to hike Wasootch Ridge – Kananaskis
Vision Quest is an adventurous day hike near Nordegg
Many people choose to stop at the false summit (including Jo), but if you are an experienced hiker/scrambler you can continue up the buckle which will give you a fantastic panoramic view over Abraham Lake. We do not recommend going up unless you truly are an experienced hiker and feel confident in your abilities!
Even if you don’t make it to the real summit the views from the ridgeline are amazing and totally worth all the pain it takes to get there. This is the best hike for Abraham Lake. It’s such a unique body of water and seeing it from above is an amazing experience! All of our pictures from this blog post are from the fake summit. You really appreciate it once you’re up there. It left us and our two friends absolutely speechless.

Here’s a map of the beginning of Vision Quest hike
Here’s a picture of the Vision Quest Trailhead overlooking Abraham Lake

As we mentioned before, Vision Quest hike near Nordegg is not an easy hike. Even though it is only a 6 km return hike, it is a highly inclined climb to the summit. Back down is likewise very steep, which can be very hard on your knees. So be prepared to get your butt kicked and be exhausted by the time you finish one of the best hikes in Alberta. And feel the pain for a few days after while admiring all the photos you’ve taken.
Regardless of how hard we say this hike was and how much pain we were in don’t let our moaning stop you from conquering this mountain!

As long as you stay on the close side which is next to Abraham Lake you will get views like this the whole way up and down. Unfortunately we ended up bush waking for parts of the trip on the way and had to cut back to get back on the right part.
So as long as you don’t do what we did you will be perfectly fine! 😉 This was our first time hiking in Nordegg and we’re definitely going to try and climb some more mountains in the area.
Camping in Nordegg
There are a few options if you’re planning to hike before or after hiking up Vision Quest. You can drive back to Nordegg and hike there which isn’t very far or you can hike at Abraham Lake which is amazing.
We have two awesome options in Fish Lake and Preachers Point which are both quite close to Vision Quest so you can decide on which one would work better for you.
Fish Lake campground
Fish Lake is the perfect place to camp near Nordegg, especially if you’re doing Vision Quest since it’s so close. It’s a really clean and affordable campsite with a bunch of amenities. A non service site costs $26 CAD a night and is on a first come first serve basis.
All the information you need on Fish Lake Campground can be found here.
We also set up the directions from Fish Lake to the Vision Quest hike to make it easier for you to navigate and not miss the turnoff to the hike like we did the first time.
Preachers Point campground
Preachers Point is actually a free campsite. You will basically just be boon-docking right off the David Thompson Highway and right next to Abraham Lake. It’s honestly the most beautiful spot to camp near Nordegg if you’re up for this kind of camping.
Here is a little bit of information about Preachers Point and the directions from Preachers Point to Vision Quest can be found here. Again, hoping you guys don’t miss the turn to the hike. It truly isn’t hard to find, we just didn’t have the right directions when we went.

How to get to Vision Quest
From anywhere in Calgary
- It’s a 3.5 hour drive from Calgary to the Vision Quest trailhead.
- The directions can be found here.
- You can also go towards Red Deer and then west from there. But we prefer driving towards the mountains first and then up to Nordegg so that’s why we chose those directions.
From anywhere in Red Deer
- It’s just over 2 hours to get to Vision Quest from Red Deer.
- The directions can be found here.
From anywhere in Edmonton
- It’s a 3.5 hour drive from Edmonton to Vision Quest.
- The directions can be found here.


About Abraham Lake
Abraham is definitely one of the iconic landmarks in Alberta, Canada. You can go hiking and camping near Abraham Lake in the summer and you can go see the famous “ice bubbles” the lake produces in the winter.
We’ve only visited Abraham Lake in the summer when we went and hiked Vision Quest so we didn’t actually get to see the “ice bubbles” if you want some more information about the bubbles then give this a read.
But we absolutely recommend going hiking around Nordegg especially near Abraham Lake to take in all these stunning views. It’s one of the main reasons we chose to do this hike. The views are simply breathtaking.
Before you go
The first thing you should do before you go is to check if the trail is open and if there are any warnings on it. We actually spoke with someone who saw cougar tracks on Vision Quest last year. So it’s definitely worth checking the trail updates beforehand. You definitely don’t want to run into a cougar if you can avoid it!
We would also recommend you to tell someone about your plans, just in case something were to happen. Make sure they know you’re doing Vision Quest, how long it will take, and what other plans you might have. Better safe than sorry! Especially since there may be no reception while you’re out on the hike.

You can check the recent comments about Vision Quest trail out. If people see wildlife on the path they will likely put an update in the comment section.
What to bring
Vision Quest is a tough hike so try to bring enough of what you need and limit what you don’t need. Jo brought two sweaters and it was totally unnecessary since it was 25 degrees Celsius and the trail is very open (which means NO SHADE) and only has a small section through trees.

So bring:
- Lots of water! We brought 1.5 liters each and that definitely wasn’t enough. The hike is exhausting and the heat dehydrates you quickly.
- A camelbak is a great option too if you’re looking for something to hold a lot of water.
- Food and lots of it.
- Sunscreen if it’s sunny out! Or even if it’s just warm and cloudy bring some.
- Bear spray. And make sure you know how to use it!
- Warm clothes if it’s cold! Remember that the weather can change quickly in Nordegg.
- Walking sticks might also be a good idea (they could save your knees).
- Also this is a great list of hiking gear that you may need on a hike!

Other related posts
- 3 Hikes Near Bragg Creek That Make an Epic Day Trip
- How to hike Chester Lake Trail – Kananaskis
- How to hike Grizzly Peak – Kananaskis
- How to hike Black Rock Mountain – Ghost River
- Hiking Checklist
Other useful info
- You can go camping on the hike. There are two campsites which are already set up about 1/3rd of the way up the hike. If you’re really adventurous. Otherwise we would just stay at one of the other places we recommended.
- Wildlife is often spotted in this area so be on the lookout.
- There are no restrooms or water stations at the trailhead. So make sure you stop in Nordegg beforehand.
We hope you enjoy this hike as much as we did! Enjoy and stay safe out there!
Where was the last hike you went on? Let us know in the comment section below!
Have fun!
Dom & Jo
Red White Adventures

Love it? Share it!


Tiffany says
Such gorgeous views. I’ll add this on my bucket list! Thanks for sharing ♥️ ♥️ Let me know if you are interested in doing collabs! xx
redwhiteadventures says
Thank you!! That sounds great 🙂 and we’re definitely interested in collabs. Feel free to reach out to us via our email [email protected] for any inquiries.
– Jo
Taylor Deer says
Wow! These photos are unreal. You make me want to book a flight back there. Thank you so much for all of this information. I wish I did more hiking when I went, but since I was with my family who doesn’t like to hike, I need to go back and do what you guys are doing! So amazing!
redwhiteadventures says
Thank you, Taylor! You totally should 🙂 if you enjoy hiking and you come back within the next year or so, Dom and I will take you to our favorite hikes and show you some breathtaking views!
– Jo
kelly says
Love the photos! I hope one day I could go there:)
redwhiteadventures says
Thank you! I hope you will too – it’s worth a visit, that’s for sure 🙂
– Dom
Amaya says
oh wow! next summer this is a sure go. I am visiting alberta next summer. Cant wait to go on the hike.
redwhiteadventures says
That’s so exciting for you, Amaya! By that time we’ll have A LOT more posts with hikes, tips, and tricks for visiting both Alberta and BC so make sure to follow along. Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
– Jo & Dom
Ellen | Zyrakuma says
I’m not kidding, the landscape looks absolutely amazing!! And the squirrel is adorable haha.
redwhiteadventures says
It is! Abraham lake and that Nordegg area are stunning! 🙂 What should we name him!?
Kaye says
These photos are gorgeous!! I hope to do this trek one day. I will be pinning this for when that day comes.
redwhiteadventures says
That’s awesome! 🙂 If you ever want to go on a hike with a group of people feel free to message us!
– Dom
Rudy says
Those views! OMG
This looks like a super tough trail. The thought of a false summit without knowing in advance would be one heck of a let down on such a challenging hike.
redwhiteadventures says
Haha yes! Thankfully we read about the fake summit first. The hike was super hard so Jo decided to stop at the fake summit while Dom conquered the mountain! Worth the pain though 😉
– Jo & Dom
Neil Alvin says
I love the view. It looks amazing. 🙂 I would love to visit that place one day.
redwhiteadventures says
The view is incredible! Worth a visit for sure 😉
– Dom
Francisco says
Wow, those views! Looks like such an incredible place
redwhiteadventures says
Hey Francisco,
They are! Have you been to Abraham Lake before?
– Jo
Marcos K. says
This is a great Read!
gotta love guides as complete as yours. Thanks for sharing!
redwhiteadventures says
Hey Marcos,
We’ve been moving more to guides to prepare people for the hikes they’re about to go on! I hope it helps you and many more!
– Dom
Erin says
Wow this is so breathtaking !! I would love to go here one day ! Your photos are amazing !
redwhiteadventures says
Canada is definitely an amazing place to tour. It’s so vast you can see so many different landscapes and especially if you like the outdoors then it’s a must!
– Jo
Hackytips says
Woww! What a stunning place. I really liked the hills and the entire location. I envy you now 😀
redwhiteadventures says
Feel free to come for a hike if you’re ever in our part of the world! 🙂
– Dom
redwhiteadventures says
Hey Hacky,
There’s always room for more people on the mountain! Feel free to join us next time! 😉
– Dom
Maysz says
Wow, Beautiful view so amazing and I love hiking I want to go there someday “cross fingers” Lovely photo!!
redwhiteadventures says
I hope you do get to go here! It’s SO beautiful! Happy travels!
– Jo 🙂
Evan says
The scenery is just so captivating, regardless of my fitness level I would rely like to go on that hike. Like you said even if I don’t make it all the way I will still get a piece of the beauty.
redwhiteadventures says
If you have all day it should definitely be doable! You might have sore legs and knees the day after but the view is so worth it! 🙂 And yes, even after 30 minutes we had breathtaking views!
– Jo
Jenn ~ onehoppymomma says
What a beautiful hike! Thanks for the tips so now I know to wait to my kids are a little older and can handle the terrain.
redwhiteadventures says
Hi Jenn! Yes, it’s probably better to do once they’re a little older. I did read that someone took her young kids on it and that they were fine but personally I would probably wait till they were in their teens / maybe a few years before that 🙂 Happy hiking!
– Jo
Life with Marrs says
the views look phenomenal. what a fun adventure!
redwhiteadventures says
So fun!! You should try it out one day if you go to Canada and like hiking 🙂
– Jo
Lorita says
Although I live in canada as well but I live in Toronto so I don’t get to see this stunning Mountain View often!
redwhiteadventures says
Toronto looks like such a cool city! It would be perfect if Toronto had the mountain views too though 🙂 But you can always just fly out west if you need to!
– Jo
Bindu Thomas says
Am not much of a hiker, but you are right, the view is breathtaking from the top.
redwhiteadventures says
Fair enough! There are loads of other ways to enjoy beautiful views like this 🙂 for example the Gondola in Lake Louise!
– Jo
Anosa says
Whilst I am not big on hiking, I can do it for such views, what an amazing place.
redwhiteadventures says
Even if it’s not your favorite thing to do, the views are just so worth it! 🙂
– Jo
Claudia Caminero says
I have been planning to visit Alberta for the longest time, these pictures are amazing. So much beauty.