I’ve chosen to feature three destinations that my family loves visiting in the autumn from Calgary. We bring our bikes or a good pair of walking shoes with the essentials for an easy hike, we pack lunch and snacks to enjoy along the way, and there’s always a stop at a local cafe or ice-cream shop.
Head west of Calgary on the TransCanada Highway and turn south on Highway 40 to reach Kananaskis Village in an easy drive that’s high on scenery. You’ll reach the Village in an hour from the city and once you get there, you’ll find a coffee shop inside the Kananaskis Lodge, ice cream at the Trading Post, a playground behind the lodge, and a flat, paved walking trail that loops around the Village for family photos.
If you’ve brought your bikes, the Bill Milne Trail is a paved trail that starts at the Village, descends to the Kananaskis River, connects to the Kananaskis Country Golf Course and the Mt. Kidd RV Park, ending at the Wedge Pond Day-Use Area.
The entire traverse is a 20km or more return, so I recommend starting at the Kovach Day-Use Area below the Village, riding towards the golf course and back through a large, pretty meadow. The trail is completely flat from Kovach Pond to the Mt. Kidd RV Park and high on scenery. Continue to Wedge Pond in a return-trip distance of 17km from Kovach.
If hiking is more your speed, Troll Falls is a family-favorite and blissfully short for little legs at 3km round-trip. Plus, it’s on a wide gravel trail that is doable with a big-wheel running stroller or Chariot®. If you choose to take the stroller, leave it behind at the final junction with the waterfall where the trail narrows for the final 0.3km.
After reaching Troll Falls, there is an option to extend your outing to the Upper Falls in 5km return distance. Along the way, stop at Marmot Falls, where you can walk behind the waterfall.
The Troll Falls trailhead can be found at a large parking lot near the bottom of Mt. Allan Drive, which climbs to the Nakiska ski area.
Remember to purchase a conservation day pass to visit Kananaskis, which you can do online before leaving the city. Alternatively, stop in at the Barrier Lake Visitor Centre along the way. Also know that you’re in bear country, so bringing bear spray with you is always a good idea, whether that is for your bike ride or your hike.
Canmore is no secret, but once you start exploring by bike or on foot, you’ll find hidden playgrounds, beautiful pathways few Calgarians know about, and stunning scenery around every corner.
My favorite trail for a family bike ride or an easy walk with a stroller is the West Canmore Trail. This paved trail connects downtown Canmore to the Three Sisters neighborhood, offering stunning mountain views along the Bow River. Much of it is very flat, with only a couple of short hills.
Start at the Canmore Public Boat Launch parking lot off Rundle Drive. Head south on the paved pathway, where you’ll soon reach the West Canmore Playground. Continuing, you’ll come to a beautiful meadow with an old mine site. This is a good turn-around spot with a stroller or with young kids. Otherwise, the distance from the playground to the Three Sisters Mountain Village is about a 13km return.
If you can’t find parking at the small boat launch, start from Millenium Park on the east side of the river. From Millenium, a short ride or walk heading north will bring you to the bridge to get you over to the west side.
Alternately, from Millennium Park, bike or walk west without crossing the river until you come to Engine Bridge, one of the filming locations for the popular “Last of Us” series. Cross the river here and return on the other side for a beautiful 2km easy loop. The loop is not fully paved, but it’s hard-packed gravel and very easy for riding or pushing a stroller with larger wheels.
You can also continue biking or hiking along the Bow River past Engine Bridge as well (on the near side) on easy and wide dirt pathways that will take you on an adventure around Canmore, past Larch Island, along Policeman’s Creek, over to the skateboard park, and back through the main downtown area for ice cream!
Everybody loves a trip to the badlands, and it’s perfect for shoulder season as well when the mountains are still snowy or when you want warmer weather on a chilly fall day.
On your way to Drumheller, you’ll pass by the popular Horseshoe Canyon which is fun for a short family hike.
For cyclists, park at the giant dinosaur beside the Visitor Centre and follow the paved riverside pathway to the Royal Tyrrell Museum (a 14km round-trip ride). This beautiful bike ride makes for an incredible day trip. There are a couple of hills that could be walked by novice riders, but the majority of the trail is fairly easy.
For a scenic drive with fun stops along the way, make a loop with the North and South Dinosaur Trail, crossing the Red Deer River on the Bleriot Ferry and passing by the museum, the Little Church, and Horse Thief Canyon (with all the badlands scenery of Horseshoe Canyon minus the crowds). Alternately, head south of town on the Hoodoo Trail, which passes by the Star Mine Suspension Bridge and the Hoodoo Viewpoint, ending at the Atlas Coal Mine (where you can book tours).
Heading south, you’ll also pass by the intersection with Highway 10X, which takes you to the ghost town of Wayne over 11 one-lane bridges. In Wayne, you’ll find a family-friendly saloon and a challenging disc golf course (bring your own discs; maps are available at the saloon).
Happy exploring!
Tanya is a freelance writer and mom to a spunky boy. She loves hiking, camping, skiing, and all things mountain-related. She is the author of the blog Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies, rockiesfamilyadventures.com. You can find her on Instagram @MountainMomYYC.
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