Missing hiker found dead on Tent Ridge in Kananaskis Country

A female hiker has been found dead on Tent Ridge in Kananaskis Country, marking the fifth hiking-related death in the area and Banff National Park since June.

RCMP responded around 9:30 p.m. on August 25, to assist Kananaskis Mountain Rescue in the search. The Canmore RCMP canine unit and paramedics were deployed. The hiker was located the next day, and police said the death is not suspicious. The chief medical examiner's office is determining the cause of death. The woman's age and place of origin will not be released, police said.

Tent Ridge has grown sharply in popularity over recent years. According to statistics obtained by CBC News in an access-to-information request, the trail saw an estimated 8,560 hikers in 2019. By 2025, that number had grown to 20,425—an estimated yearly average of 14,528 hikers between 2019 and 2025.

This is the first death on Tent Ridge since 2016. The surge in traffic has placed pressure on rescue services in the area. From 2017 to 2025, Kananaskis Mountain Rescue received 49 calls in the Tent Ridge area, ranging from hikers being overdue to broken ankles and minor injuries.

The death comes as hiking in the region has become increasingly popular. High-On-City reported in July that a Calgary hiker died after falling on Mount Temple's scrambling route in Banff, part of a pattern of incidents across the mountain parks this summer.