A woman in her 20s has died after losing her footing and falling during a group hike near Mount Shark in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country.
Canmore RCMP received a request at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, to assist Parks Canada with a fallen hiker. Police said four people were completing a loop hike when one member of the group lost her footing and fell.
RCMP confirmed the woman’s death on Wednesday, July 29. Her identity has not been released, and police said no further information would be provided. Alberta RCMP extended condolences to her family and friends.
What happened during the hike?
The woman was travelling with three other hikers when the accident occurred. Authorities have not identified the exact trail or indicated whether the group was crossing steep, exposed or otherwise difficult terrain.
RCMP has not disclosed how far the woman fell, whether she died at the scene or how Parks Canada personnel reached and recovered her. No injuries involving the other three hikers have been reported, and police have not suggested that the death involved suspicious circumstances.
Where is Mount Shark?
Mount Shark is in Spray Valley Provincial Park, within Kananaskis Country and west of Calgary. The area is close to the Banff National Park boundary and provides access to several hiking, cycling, skiing and backcountry routes.
Its location near a park boundary may explain why Parks Canada was involved, despite Mount Shark being inside an Alberta provincial park. Officials have not said which agency led the recovery or whether an aircraft was used.
Emergency operations in the Canadian Rockies can be complicated by steep ground, changing weather, limited mobile service and long distances from trailheads. A previous incident involving an American tourist recovered from Johnston Creek in Banff demonstrated how natural conditions can delay mountain recovery work.
How difficult are the Mount Shark trails?
Alberta Parks describes Mount Shark as a system of intermediate-to-advanced rolling trails through forested terrain with mountain views. Its official listing gives the system a length of 15 kilometres one way and a group-size limit of 35.
The network is used for hiking, cycling and e-biking in summer. Winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and skijoring.
Those details apply to the wider system and do not identify the loop used by the four hikers. Without a precise location, it is not possible to determine the difficulty, elevation or exposure of the section where the woman fell.
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Flood recovery and regional warnings
The accident happened while parts of Kananaskis were recovering from flooding and high-water damage. Alberta Parks said crews were assessing affected trails, campgrounds, day-use areas and infrastructure, with some locations closed or restricted.
Visitors were advised to use caution around waterways, obey closures and check current conditions before travelling. The Canmore Hill section of Highway 742 was also listed as closed, affecting some access through the region.
Changing conditions create different risks throughout the year. Earlier in 2026, a teenager was critically injured in an avalanche near Nakiska, another mountain area within Kananaskis Country.
A separate grizzly warning covering Mount Shark Road and nearby locations followed a bear’s repeated approaches toward a hiker and leashed dog. However, there is no evidence that wildlife was connected to this fatal fall.
RCMP has not linked the woman’s death to flooding, trail damage, weather, wildlife or an official closure. The only confirmed explanation is that she lost her footing.
Important details remain private
Police have not released the woman’s name, exact age, hometown or hiking experience. They have also withheld the precise location, fall distance, medical response and recovery details.
It remains unclear who contacted emergency services, how long rescuers took to reach the group or whether the three surviving hikers required help leaving the area.
Because RCMP said no further information would be released, some questions may remain unanswered. Claims about the precise cause of the fall or conditions on the group’s route would therefore be speculation.
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