Tourism Canmore Kananaskis

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Home > Explore Canmore & Kananaskis > Walk, Hike, Bike

Walk, Hike, Bike - Popular Trails

Assuming you do not have years of mountain experience, we respectfully offer the following for your benefit: “To thine own self be true” is a bit of wisdom that has real relevance here. It is vital for your safe enjoyment of these Canadian Rocky Mountains that you apply absolute honesty in evaluating your skills, equipment and level of preparedness for your endeavors.

For our purpose here, a classification of “Moderate” for a hike will likely place some exertive demands on ones cardiovascular system as well as the legs.

Do keep in mind that while planning your outings in advance is an excellent step to being prepared it is always a good idea to select a few more options than you need. The reality of the Rockies is that once here, you may well find that your pre-selected trail is not available, possibly due to a temporary closure for predator presence or other natural condition. If you are new to the Rockies, you will likely have some concerns about wildlife and how to behave or what to expect.

Never embark on a trip, no matter how short, without every member in the party having their own well equipped day pack. Ideally, your trip will go off without a hitch. Nevertheless, it makes sense to be prepared for the unexpected. You may encounter sudden changes in weather, get injured or lose your way. Bringing the proper supplies with you on your trip means you will likely have a better time, as well as be prepared in an emergency situation.

More information about wildlife and preparing for your trip is available in the Playing it Safe section of this website.

We definitely recommend that once here in Canmore, locate our Visitor Information Centre in the heart of downtown (907A 7th Ave), and we will provide you with up to date information regarding trail conditions. We are certainly equipped to assist you in planning your days of discovery, and assuring that you get absolutely the most out of your experiences.

Within a one hour drive from Canmore, there is a selection of trails offering in excess of two solid weeks of hiking for someone capable of doing multiple hikes in the same day without repeating trail heads!

The Spray Lakes area of Kananaskis Country boasts some of the best hikes in the area. This area offers rapid access to genuine alpine terrain with the average trip durations ranging between two and three hours. A number of longer half and full day hikes are also available.
Trails are accessed from the Smith Dorrien Trail/Spray Lakes Road/Route 742 rising rapidly from Canmore past the Nordic Centre and trailheads seem to occur every kilometer or so of travel. An enticing feature of many of the hikes in the Spray is the fact that they culminate invariably in pristine alpine environments, quite often accentuated by the presence of stunning mountain lakes. A number of trail heads will also occur along Highway 40.

Equipment rentals for all seasons are available in Canmore. If you are traveling with young kids, mountain strollers with big tires are available for rent, as well as “baby backpacks”. For additional trail information, or to purchase hiking books (we recommend
Gillian Daffern’s Popular Day Hikes 1: Kananaskis Country) and GemTrek maps, please stop in at the Tourism Canmore Kananaskis Visitor Information Centre.

The following is a sampling of some of the more popular hiking and mountain biking trails for summer activity, and cross country ski or snowshoe trails in the winter.