The Jura Creek hike near Canmore is a family-friendly outing with an option to add a level of difficulty by doing a loop hike that includes a scramble of Doorjamb and Loder Peak. Another alternative once out of the canyon and past the false fault, is to walk up Jura Creek for many kilometres. Near the end of Jura Creek, you can climb Morrowmount (in the summer or fall), a peak named for Patrick Morrow,…
There are three ice walks in Alberta - and they all provide unforgettable experiences. Enjoy a high fun factor as you slip slide along frozen rivers, stopping to admire icy waterfalls or beautiful ice formations. On one of the ice walks in Alberta you can slither into a cave and stand behind a curtain of frozen water. On another, you can enjoy the view down into a multi-hued canyon while standing on a cantilevered catwalk…
The Columbia Icefields Parkway stretches for 232 km between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta. It's one of the prettiest drives in Canada - and indeed the world. While you can knock it off comfortably in three to four hours, that doesn't allow for any stops. At a minimum, take the day to drive the parkway - but if you've got a week, then you'll have time to get out and explore some of the gorgeous…
The Rawson Lake hike in Alberta's Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is one of a few that you can do year-round, no matter what the weather throws at you. You can knock it off in half a day - whether you hike it in summer or snowshoe it in winter. It's family-friendly if your kids are regular hikers and are 8 years of age or older. If you want to do a full day of hiking,…
We all know that 2020 was an insanely awful year - a year we want to put behind us even if it's one we'll talk about for the rest of our lives. While I was certainly affected, I was also spared the worst of 2020. No one I was close to caught the virus (though my mother was in a long term care home that saw a major outbreak.) I always had food on my…
Looking for some new Alberta hikes that not everyone knows about? Over the years, I have explored some of the less well-known areas of the province and discovered numerous hikes that aren't very popular - yet. On some, I've barely seen a soul and on others there's been moderate traffic. While a couple of these Alberta hikes aren't as drop-dead gorgeous as the popular ones you'll find in the Lake Louise area or even Kananaskis…
The Goat Lake hike in Waterton Lakes National Park reopened in the summer 2020. It had been closed for several years due to the 2017 Kenow fire that devastated some of the infrastructure in the park, including part of the Red Rock Parkway - the pretty access road to the trailhead. The trail to Goat Lake was closed many times again in 2020, but that was on account of bear activity. Two days before my…
Snowshoeing in Banff National Park is a fun, invigorating way to spend time outdoors in winter. It's hard to beat rosy cheeks and the glow you get after a few hours outdoors in Mother Nature. In Banff National Park, there are loads of trails to choose from - including some that will get your heart pounding for hours at a time. Don't worry though. There are plenty of easy, family-friendly options for those of you…
For a take-your-breath-away beautiful multi-day hiking trip in the Canadian Rockies, you must put the Tonquin Valley trail in Jasper National Park on your hiking wish list. You've probably seen postcards with the famous Ramparts in touristy shops in Banff or Jasper. They're a mountain range with 10 named summits like Drawbridge, Bastion, Dungeon and Turret Peak - towering over beautiful Amethyst Lakes and the main reason you want to do this hike. But there…
Bow Valley Provincial Park, less than an hour's drive west of Calgary, is a great year-round destination. The park is blessed with a varied landscape that includes a section along the glacier-fed Bow River at the confluence of the Kananaskis River, grasslands, boreal forest and a bit of the front range of the Canadian Rockies. In summer Bow Valley Provincial Park is a wonderful place to go camping (though be prepared for some highway and…