day trips from Canmore day trips from Canmore

Day Trips From Canmore – Read a List Of 10 Perfect Options!

Nestled at the heart of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canmore is a small town known for its culture, charm, and spectacular scenery.

It is located approximately 81 kilometres west of Calgary near the Banff National Park in the southeast. The town also shares a border with Kananaskis Country in the west.

Canmore offers a lot, including its amazing scenery, vast wildlife, outdoor activities, pubs, and restaurants. Its craggy summits like the Ha Ling Peak, the Three Sisters, and the Grassi Lake Trail are famous tourist attractions.

The place is also a favourite among those who enjoy hiking, camping, skiing, and enjoys mountain biking.

10 Best Day Trips From Canmore

Here is a list of some short and perfect day trips from Canmore that can be taken to explore its surrounding areas.

1. Lake Louise

(Time: 1 hour 16 minutes)

Lake Louise is one of the famous and recognizable lakes in Alberta’s Banff National Park. The glacier-fed lake is known for its magical turquoise green water surrounded by high snow-capped granite peaks.

The luxurious Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is at one of its ends, which has the most dramatic and amazing setting.

Millions of visitors and photographers have visited the place to witness and capture the beauty of the lake. Lake Louise is one of the best landmarks included in the list of top day trips from Canmore.

2. Moraine Lake

(Time: 1 hour 9 minutes)

Photo by Jaime Reimer from Pexels

Moraine Lake is another beautiful lake included in the list of top-day trips from Canmore. Moraine Lake is yet another lake of the Banff National Park, which is equally as impressive as Lake Louise, but it attracts a lesser number of tourists compared.

Moraine Lake is located 13 kilometres away from Lake Louise and is surrounded by 10 beautiful peaks at its edge. This lake is also known for its shimmering turquoise colour and is beautifully picturesque.

3. Town of Banff

(Time: 20 minutes)

The mountain town of Banff, located at the south end of the Banff National Park, is a beautiful place located in Alberta’s Rockies along the Trans- Canada Highway.

Photo by jewhyte from Depositphotos

The town of Banff was the first municipality incorporated within a Canadian national park.

It is a resort town and Canada’s most popular tourist destination known for its hot springs and mountainous surroundings suitable for skiing, hiking, and biking.

The town’s streets remain packed all seasons with tourists from all over the world to witness its nearby beauty.

4. Icefields Parkway

(Time: 3 hours 34 minutes)

The Icefields Parkway, Highway 93, is one of Canada’s most beautiful highways that takes travellers on a lovely journey from Banff National Park to Jasper National Park.

Photo by aiisha from Depositphotos

The parkway crosses the northern part of the Banff National Park and the southern part of the Jasper National Park, forming a link between the Yellowhead Highway 16 and Trans- Canada Highway 1.

The Icefields Parkway is a beautiful sightseeing route with incredibly breathtaking views, scenic waterfalls, snowy mountain peaks, glaciers, and wild animals like the bighorn sheep, and mountain goats visible along the roadside.

The Columbia Icefield is another popular sight along the Icefields Parkway, the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains.

The icefield feeds the six major glaciers, the famous Athabasca Glacier, the most-visited glacier in North America. The Icefield Parkway and the Columbia Icefield are a must-visit and a perfect sight for any day trip from Canmore.

5. Peyto Lake

(Time: 1 hour 25 minutes)

peyto lake
Photo by Brandon Jean on Unsplash

Peyto Lake is another well-known glacier-fed Banff Lake located in the Banff National Park of Canadian Rockies, Alberta; included in the list of day trips from Canmore.

This lake can be easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway and is just 30 minutes away from Lake Louise as they are located on the same route.

Peyto Lake is also famous for its wonderful turquoise colour and the beautiful meadows in its surroundings covered with wildflowers.

6. Bow Valley Parkway

(Time: 45 minutes)

The Bow Valley Parkway is another beautiful place suited best among all other locations, perfect for day trips from Canmore.

Photo by UnaiArnaz from Depositphotos

It is a 48 kilometres-long, long parkway that runs between Banff and Lake Louise and serves as an alternative route to the Trans-Canada Highway.

The Bow Valley Parkway offers many viewpoints. One of them is Castle Mountain, whose Eisenhower Peak stands 2728 meters high.

The parkway also has numerous camping and picnic spots and gives us a chance to see some of its wildlife. The Johnston Canyon is one of the most famous stops along the parkway.

7. Radium Hot Springs

(Time: 1 hour 52 minutes)

Radium Hot Springs
Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash

The Radium Hot Springs is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Banff, located at the south entrance of the Kootenay National Park.

The village itself is small with only 700 people, but many people visit its hot springs pools. It is a soothing mineral water hot spring that is perfect for relaxing and chilling out with family and friends.

Not only that, but the place also has a small cafe and provides on-site spa facilities that let us reserve messages and facial care. One can also enjoy the view of the Bighorn Sheep on the slopes above the Radium Hot Springs Pools.

The other attractions of the Kootenay National Park are the Marble Canyon and the Stanley Glacier Hike. The Stanley Glacier is an 8.5km hike that provides amazing views of the mountains along its path.

Hiking here is difficult due to its height, but people still love visiting this not-so-busy trail.

The Marble Canyon is a short drive from the Stanley Glacier. It is a 1.5 km loop trail leading alongside the deep and narrow canyon providing numerous photo aesthetic views perfect for capturing.

Another attraction here is Boom Lake which is just 56.5 kilometres away from Canmore. The Kootenay National Park is an ideal spot among all other destinations that fall under the perfect day trips from Canmore.

8. Takakkaw Falls

(Time: 1 hour 31 minutes)

Photo by Victor Silva on Unsplash

The Takakkaw Falls of Yoho National Park is another location for a perfect day trip from Canmore. Another attraction of the Yoho National Park is Emerald Lake, the largest of the other 61 lakes and ponds.

With its stunning scenery and wonderful picturesque, Takakkaw Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies.

The Takakkaw waterfall is the second-highest waterfall in Canada, falling from over a cliff of a height of 255 meters. The Takakkaw Falls is a must-visit for those planning for day trips from Canmore.

9. Kananaskis Lake

(Time: 15 minutes)

Lake
Photo by Matt Forster on Unsplash

Kananaskis Country is a beautiful park system located west of Calgary in Alberta, in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. The Kananaskis Country is a good destination for a perfect day trip from Canmore.

One of the famous attractions here is the Kananaskis River, after which the place was named.

The Kananaskis is a tributary of the Bow River that flows along with the Kananaskis country.

The river’s upper course is famous for its many hiking trails, and the lower part of the river is popular for canoeing, rafting, and kayaking. The place is also perfect for enjoying with family and friends.

And one must add this destination to their list of days trips from Canmore.

10. Bow Valley Provincial Park

(Time: 17 minutes away via Three Sisters Parkway)

Bow Valley Provincial Park
Photo by Nikki Tate on Unsplash

The Bow Valley Provincial Park, situated in the beautiful Kananaskis Country, is a perfect location for spending a relaxing day and a perfect day between the pristine nature of the place.

The Bow Valley Provincial Park is a wonderful place located not very far from Canmore, which lets one enjoy its beautiful nature, amazing campsites, and scenic view.

The park is rich in flora and fauna and is abundant in pines, including spruce, fir, and poplars. The Bow Valley Provincial Park allows various activities such as camping, bird watching, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, and many more.

Conclusion

Canmore is a beautiful place to enjoy hiking, skiing, fishing, sightseeing, and even dining events. Many amazing resorts, hotels, restaurants, and plenty of accommodation options are available for the visitors who plan their stay in the place.

Photo by kavramm from Depositphotos

Canmore is not only a wonderful place itself but is also surrounded by beautiful neighbouring locations. Everything mentioned above on the list is the places one can choose from to suit their taste for perfect day trips from Canmore during their stay here.

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Last Updated on by Saket Kumar

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