Seeing iconic Lake Louise is one of the most popular things to do when visiting Banff National Park. The mesmerizing turquoise colour of the water in Lake Louise is due to the rock flour released from the glaciers overlooking the lake in the Six Glacier Valley as they melt. The sun reflects off the rock flour particles and refract green and blue light wavelengths. To truly appreciate the colour you need to see it from above which means a getting up to one of the best viewpoints in this area on the Lake Louise Big Beehive hike. We stayed in Canmore for a month so were able to visit Lake Louise 3 times and hike several of its trails, an easy choice as one of the best things to do when visiting the Canadian Rockies. How to Get to Lake Louise from Banff Lake Louise is 57 km from Banff,…

Over the course of our month in Canmore we did around 25 different hikes, ranging from short 1-hour strolls to epic mountain adventures. The Tent Ridge hike was definitely one of the latter. In fact, we went back and forth for quite some time trying to decide whether it was actually the best hike we did during our entire stay. In the end, we came to the conclusion that the stunning Smutwood Peak was ever so slightly more deserving of that honour but, I can assure you, Tent Ridge came in a very close second on our list of Best Hikes Near Canmore. And we sometimes mentally move it back to first depending on our mood. The point is, Tent Ridge is a pretty amazing hike, and one that we would highly recommend for anyone with a reasonable amount of mountain hiking experience. As you might guess from the name,…

Before coming to the Canadian Rockies this fall I had never heard of a larch. And suddenly the word was everywhere and people were talking about how lucky we were to be here during larch season since it doesn’t last very long and is different every year, then telling us about all the best Canmore larch hikes that we had to do. There were a lot of questions that came to mind and I set about finding the answers and becoming slightly more nerdy in the process. So. Some basic answers to some basic larch questions. What is a larch? Is it a larch or tamarack? When I told people at home about larches they said ‘oh, like a tamarack?’. A valid question. But not quite the same. Apparently they are the same genus, the larix, but a different species. My dad looked that one up for me. Where do…

The amazing Smutwood Peak hike in Kananaskis Country in the heart of the Canadian Rockies topped our list of Best Hikes Near Canmore, and for good reason. Also known as Mount Smutwood, the views were absolutely stunning even though we hiked it on a mostly cloudy day with screaming winds and only occasionally bursts of sun. We can only imagine how incredible it might be on a clear day with bright blue skies to go along with the dozens of dazzling peaks and the luminescent waters of the twin Birdwood Lakes. As it was, the photos still turned out all right… How to get to Smutwood Peak trailhead You follow the rough and annoying but tremendously scenic Smith Dorrien Trail south out of Canmore past Grassi Lakes. About 40 kilometres from the city, and just after passing the fabulous and often serene Spray Lakes, you will turn off near the…

Over the course of our month in Canmore we did a lot of hiking. Short hikes, long hikes, larch hikes, you name it. Plus, this isn’t the first time we’ve been in the area, just the longest. So, we already had a few to choose from. While we also compiled a list of the Best Hikes Near Canmore – note the missing “easy” – for those strange kindred spirits who think it’s reasonable to spend an entire day climbing to the very top of big hills, this list is for those with more moderate goals. So here is a list of easy hikes Canmore and the surrounding area in the Canadian Rocky Mountains have to offer. So if you are looking for a nice walk, some beautiful scenery, sure, but nothing that might leave you crying in the fetal position realizing your exhausted legs no longer have the power to…