Between PD days, school holidays, and weekends, there’s a lot of time to fill over the winter months. Just surviving Christmas or spring break can feel daunting when the kids are climbing the walls at home.
Check out these fun, affordable activities and day trips that are guaranteed to bring some excitement to even the coldest days this winter.
Go skating on a frozen pond or lake. There’s nothing like skating on a frozen lake or playing a game of pond hockey to make you feel like a true Canadian! Below are my personal picks for a great outdoor skating experience in or near the city:
Bowness Park, Calgary. Skate rentals and fire pits are on site, with options for either skating on the large lagoon, along the connected creek, or on the ice pathway beside the river.
Lake Louise. One of the world’s most scenic outdoor rinks, with rentals available at the Chateau. There’s also an ice castle on site by mid-January most years.
The pond in downtown Canmore. Located on 7 Avenue and close to cafes for hot chocolate afterwards. Also nearby, you’ll find a fun sledding hill at the Canmore Nordic Centre just outside town.
The pond at Kananaskis Village. Skate rentals available on site from Kananaskis Outfitters. There’s also a sledding hill and a hockey rink.
Hike a frozen canyon. Canyons are a fun place to explore in winter when proper precautions are taken to play safe. You’ll need ice cleats or microspikes for all canyon hikes, and I recommend helmets for young children when canyon floors are covered in ice. Below are my personal picks for fun winter canyon hiking with the kids:
Johnston Canyon in Banff. Hike to the Upper Falls in a 6km return trip to watch ice climbers in action. If you’re hiking with young children, you can hike to the Lower Falls in an easy 2km return trip.
Grotto Canyon, Canmore. Located on Highway 1A outside Canmore, you’ll get to experience hiking on a pure sheet of ice as the entire canyon floor freezes solid. Hike to the twin waterfalls in an easy 4km return outing.
Jura Creek Canyon, Exshaw. This hike starts on Highway 1A east of Exshaw and is a more advanced version of Grotto Canyon where you’ll have to navigate up and around natural obstacles such as logs, boulders, and ice slides. The hike is 3km round-trip at most if you turn around at the end of the canyon.
Find a new favorite sledding hill. The City of Calgary has a complete list of official sledding hills on their website. Don’t forget your helmet! Travel to a different area of the city to discover a new favorite hill this winter.
For a day trip outside the city, you’ll find sledding hills at Kananaskis Village or at the Canmore Nordic Centre. And to take it up a notch, treat the family to a day of tubing at one of several ski resorts including WinSport in Calgary, Nakiska in Kananaskis, Mt. Norquay in Banff, or at the Lake Louise Ski Resort.
Hike to a frozen waterfall. Troll Falls is an easy 4km loop hike that follows the Troll Falls and Hay Meadows Trails near Kananaskis Village.
With older youth, you can also extend your hike for a couple more kilometres by going further to the Upper Falls once you reach Troll Falls. Ice cleats will be necessary for this steep trail, which has a few sections with snow-covered stairs. It's worth the effort, though, for the opportunity to walk behind frozen Marmot Falls.
Heart Creek is another great winter waterfall hike located along the TransCanada Highway east of Canmore. The hike is 5km return, and ice cleats or spikes are usually necessary. The hike is relatively flat other than a couple of hills on the connector trail from the official parking lot.
Remember that a Conservation Pass is required for parking in all areas of Kananaskis. You can purchase a daily pass or an annual pass on the Alberta Parks website.
Discover a new park or natural area in Calgary. Our city is big, so it’s understandable if you haven’t visited every park or natural area yet. Below are some of my favorite parks for winter exploring across the city:
North Glenmore Park, SW Calgary. Bring your skates for a few laps around the unique ice pathway created in this park. There’s also groomed cross-country ski trails, paved walking trails, and you can access the Weaselhead Natural Area for a fun year-round urban hike.
Carburn Park, SE Calgary. This is the south equivalent of Bowness Park, with a large skating lagoon, paved walking paths, and access to urban nature year-round.
Fish Creek Provincial Park, South Calgary. The park has more than 60km of paved pathways, and the province tries to keep many of them plowed and clear for winter walking. The park is so big you could visit one area every weekend and still have new places left to explore.
The Fish Creek ice caves are also popular to visit in winter from the Visitor Centre parking lot. A short hike leads you along the frozen creek to a small waterfall and cave that delights children.
Nose Hill Park, NW Calgary. This giant park covers over 11 square kilometres and has numerous hiking trails and dedicated off-leash areas that are suitable for year-round hiking. Most trails are not cleared of snow, so bring your ice cleats or snowshoes and be prepared for a true urban hiking experience.
Have fun, and remember that you’ll only enjoy winter if you have reasons to find enjoyment in the snowy months.
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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