Top Family Things to do in Kananaskis

With its long stretches of woodland punctuated by valleys and aqua lakes, the green-covered mountains of Kananaskis Country in spring and summer make the perfect backyard for a family hike. Opportunities for hiking and exploring exist at every junction. Getting started with easy family-friendly Kananaskis hikes allows you to reintroduce the family to nature, create fond memories and enjoy each other’s company. Below are the top family-friendly hikes in Kananaskis to try this season!

Barrier Lake

 

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Kids are natural born explorers with as much stamina as they have curiosity! Barrier Lake is a beautifully picturesque hike that captures the sights of Kananskis in an epic aerial view. Hiking 7.7km, this is a trail that will get your family up and moving as they scout through the dense forest, searching for plants and wildflowers.

The beginning trek of Barrier Lake is a one hour drive from Calgary. Located in Bow Valley Provincial Park, take the Trans-Canada Highway to Kananaskis Trail, exiting at the Highway 40 turnoff. Continue to the Barrier Dam Day Use Area. The trail begins where the gravel road converges into the trees of Prairie View Trail. 

Throughout the next 2-4 hours, your family will pass through the Summit of Yates Mountain. Barrier Lake becomes visible after you reach Prairie Viewpoint. As you continue hiking towards Yates Mountain, ask your kids to spot the Barrier Lake Fire Lookout House and Heli-pad. Dating back to WWII, the Fire Lookout House is still in use during warmer months and offers a historical interlude during your hike. 

The summit is surrounded by views of Barrier Lake, Kananaskis Valley, the Bow Valley Corridor, Mount Baldy, Mount Yamnuska, Heart Mountain, Grotto Mountain, Mount McDougall and Loder Peak. After your family counts as many mountain peaks as possible, descend through Jewell Pass. 

If you have time left in your day, you can add extra time to your trip by canoeing through Barrier Lake with your family. In the spring and summer, Kananaskis Outfitters offers easy access to canoe rentals on-site

Heart Creek Bunker

 

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If your kids enjoyed spotting the Fire Lookout House during a hike to Barrier Lake, they’ll love visiting a cold-war bunker in the middle of the forest! Heart Creek Bunker is an easy, 70 minute prairie mountain hike that offers a historical field trip. 

Locate the Heart Creek Parking Lot off the Trans Canada Highway, taking exit 105 (Lac Des Arcs) and turn left. After parking, you’ll hike a short distance through gullies and tree lines to get to the caverns of Mount McGillivray. 

The depths of the caverns offer insight into the cold-war plans that built such a structure to house important Canadian documents. This medley of nature and Canadian history is why this hike is a part of our Top 10 Bucket List Hikes. During the hike – let your kids pretend they are looking for these documents – and see how hard it would be to locate!  

Also known as the Bow Valley Bunker, this hike shows just how useful and important our geographical setting can be. Interestingly, “Rocky Mountain Vaults & Archives Ltd., a defunct corporation since 1999, professed to be able to keep documents safe and dry within nearly 275 meters of limestone.”

If hiking during snowy conditions, be wary of avalanche danger. Feel free to inhabit your explorer persona and bring your headlamps! 

 Troll Falls

 

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What’s the old saying – “Who’s that tripping over my bridge?”. This time, it’ll be your family walking through the falls and a bridge (but not for Trolls)! Troll Falls is considered one of Kananaskis’ top family hikes and rocky mountain adventures no matter the season. This 3.4km round-trip transports you to a place of wonder as you explore the hidden wonders of the forest. 

Find Mt. Allan Drive by taking Highway 40 South to the Kananaskis Village turnoff. Turning right into the Stoney Trail parking lot, the Troll Falls trail takes you to the mouth of a rock cave. Highlighted by a fascinating waterfall that curves through the rock, moss and lush green foliage adorn this peaceful atmosphere. 

For more experienced hiking families that want to add a little more trail to their day, Marmot Falls, Boulder Falls, the Double Falls and Hay Meadows Loop are destinations that can be routed from Troll Falls. Otherwise, follow the trail back to the junction to reach the parking lot. 

Grotto Creek Canyon Trail

 

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The Grotto Creek Canyon Trail is a staple easy hike for families because of its proximity to Calgary. Arrive at the Grotto Pond Day Use Recreation Site off Bow Valley Tail (Highway 1A). Most of the hike will take you between the forest, through rocky rivets with trees that tower beyond the surface. The rocky pathways offer a playground for children to navigate. 

Start your hike from the Grotto Creek parking lot, trailing by the Baymag facility in Exshaw. Located by the Bow Valley Provincial Park, Grotto Creek Canyon offers minimal elevation change for a relaxing meander through Kananskis. Shaped by the “surging meltwater from a receding glacier thousands of years ago,” Grotto Creek Canyon’s trail offers a unique perspective through the forest to be a part of nature carving its path as “the steep canyon walls protect a variety of plant life.”

Before you reach the end of the hike and pass through views of a waterfall, look to the left of the limestone rockface. Your family will be able to sport Hopi pictographs, ancient wall paintings created from the Hopitu. It is said Indigenous tribes transcribed visits with nature as they sought out the spirit world on these walls.

Black Shale Suspension Bridge

 

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The Black Shale Suspension Bridge Hike offers a thrilling surprise that will have children never doubting your ability to find the most unique hikes in Kananaskis ever again! Kids will adore the awe-inspiring feeling of walking 240 ft through the air as the clouds and the sun parts through tree lines that become eye-level.

Taking the Trans Canada Highway onto Highway 40, exit onto the Smith-Dorrien. The hike  begins with a 3km trek under the trees, parting to a bridge suspended over the forest. The Black Shale Suspension Bridge offers a thrilling opportunity to experience the dreamlike views. To return, turn around and backtrack or continue to a secondary meet-up place at the Black Prince parking lot! 

If you want to make this hike even more exciting – take a Blackshale Suspension Bridge Sightseeing Tour & Horseback Ride! With a tour guide, you’ll spend the day learning about Kananaskis, venture to the Black Shale Suspension Bridge, enjoy a delicious lunch among the mountains AND visit Boundary Ranch for a trail ride.