2025 Campsite Reservation Guide for Alberta and BC

Here we go again! We're still making plans for ski getaways and now it's time to start thinking about the camping season as well. Ready or not, it's time to pull out that calendar and to start planning for the summer.

The May long weekend is coming soon! 

National Park Reservations 

National Park campsites can be booked online for the entire 2025 camping season beginning in JANUARY.

Reservations will open in January for the entire 2025 visitor season.

And unlike with provincial parks, there is no 90 day or three month window. You can book any site for a stay during the entire camping season once reservations go live. 

The initial reservation launch date has been staggered by park to ensure that the website doesn't crash.

Below is the reservation launch schedule for national parks near Calgary:

Banff National Park - Friday, January 24th at 8 am MT for front country camping and Monday, January 27th at 8 am MT for backcountry camping.

Scroll further below for more information on day use shuttle bus reservations for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.

Jasper National Park -  Tuesday, January 28th at 8 am MT for front country camping and Wednesday, January 29th at 8 am MT for backcountry camping.


Waterton Lakes National Park - Wednesday, January 22nd at 8am MT for front country camping in the Townsite Campground along with backcountry camping.


Kootenay National Park, BC  - Tuesday, January 21st at 8 am MT for front country camping and Monday, January 27th at 8 am MT for backcountry camping (same as Banff and Yoho for backcountry reservations) 

Yoho National Park, BC - Tuesday, January 21st at 8 am MT for front country camping and Monday, January 27th at 8 am MT for backcountry camping (same as Banff and Yoho for backcountry reservations)

Backcountry Campsites at Lake O'Hara can be reserved online for the entire summer season starting Thursday, January 23rd at 8 am MT.

Reservations for guided Burgess Shale hikes go live the same day as front country campground reservations on January 21st.

Scroll further below for more information on day use shuttle bus service to Lake O'Hara.

Mount Revelstoke National Park, BC - Friday, January 17th at 8 am PT for both front country and backcountry camping

Glacier National Park, BC - Friday, January 17th  at 8 am PT for both front country and backcountry camping

Soon! We'll be camping in the sunshine again soon.

Day Use Shuttle Bus Service for Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park: 

In 2025, reservations for the Lake O'Hara day-use shuttle will once again be available by way of random draw or lottery. More information on the lottery and shuttle bus service can be found on the Parks Canada website.

Read more about camping and day hiking at Lake O'Hara here. 

And check out my most recent guide: The BEST of Lake O'Hara in a Day!

Visiting world-famous Lake O'Hara requires a lot of luck every year

Day Use Shuttle Bus Reservations for Moraine Lake and Lake Louise in Banff:

Reservable shuttles to Moraine Lake and the Lake Louise lakeshore will be online again for this summer.  Reservations can be made starting Wednesday, April 16th at 8am MT.

Reservations can be made on the same website that you use to book campsites.

And note, there is no public vehicle access for Moraine Lake. You'll need to reserve seats on the shuttle bus, take Roam Public Transit, or bike up to the lake. Lake Louise is still accessible, but the parking lot fills up very quickly each day so you're better off taking a bus to reach this destination as well.

Should you decide to drive up to Lake Louise, you'll still have to pay for parking as well, so the shuttle is again, my recommended way of visiting this premier tourist attraction in Banff.

Read more about accessing Lake Louise and Moraine Lake here. 

The Moraine Lake Road is usually scheduled to open mid-May. I recommend watching for the 2025 opening date (for bus access) because it's a lovely bike ride when there are no vehicles on the road. You just have to time your visit so that the snow has melted.

Note the hiking trails will still be snowy in May, so an early season bike ride would purely be an opportunity to view the lake and enjoy a peaceful visit.

For full information on reservations in all parks:

Visit the Parks Canada website. You can also visit individual parks from this link to read up on the campgrounds.

Plan a day hike at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake with shuttle bus tickets for easy access 

Making a Reservation on the Parks Canada website

As of 2021, Parks Canada has gone with a queue system for campsite bookings.

The basic process for booking sites is as follows:

1. Log in to your Parks Canada account on the day that you can book sites for your chosen park BEFORE 8AM MT (8AM PT for Mount Revelstoke and Glacier.)
   
   
2. You will be placed in the queue and given a random number. You won't know what number you have until 8am when they shuffle everybody in the queue. You may be number 50, you may be number 5000. It is 100% random. 
   
   
3. It does NOT matter if you join the queue at 7:30 or at 7:59. There is no rhyme or reason for your place in the queue.
   
   
4. Make sure you have at least one to two hours of free time to make your bookings. If you have to work, try to find somebody else who has free time that morning to make your bookings for you. If you end up with a high number in the queue, you may be waiting for over an hour to get on the website to make your bookings.
   
   
5. You can not choose your campsite before joining the queue. You can try, but everything will be shuffled at 8am and so anything you had done before this time will be lost. You should still know which sites you are trying to book, but have it written beside you on a piece of paper.
   
   
6. You won't have much time to make your bookings (especially if you have multiple bookings to make.) Make sure your credit card information is handy and know what you're trying to book before you log on to the website.
   
   
7. Most people try to get more than one number in the queue to increase their odds at getting a good number. This is only possible though if you have more than one computer/laptop in the house. You can not just open multiple tabs in the same browser. Every browser shares the same number in the queue. 
   
   You can however open different browsers on the same computer to get more than one number in the queue. (Example, log in with both Chrome and Safari.) 
   
   Note, if you do get multiple numbers in the queue, please go with your best number and then close all other browsers so that those numbers can be released to other people trying to book. 
   
   
8. Make sure you're actively monitoring your browser as your number counts down!! If you miss your time to book your campsites, you'll have to join the queue again and you'll be at the back of the line. 

Reservations may be stressful at the time, but worth it come summer!

Other Tips for Getting the Site you Want!

• You will want to book campsites the day that the reservation system opens for each park and at 8am sharp if planning on camping on weekends during the summer season. There will be more flexibility if camping mid-week or in the spring/fall months.
  
  

• Tag team with friends to get sites you really want (especially if you are looking for sites side by side.)
  
  Make sure you exchange all booking info. with your friends ahead of time because you can't hold more than one permit in your name for the same date/campground. If booking for friends, you'll want their full name and address. You'll also want to know the size of their trailer or tent along with how many people they will have on their site. (And if you are booking for friends who haven't committed yet, you can change the name on a campsite permit before you show up.)
  
  

• There are still several first come first serve campgrounds in the national parks if you don't get a site.
  
  
• Consider private campgrounds if you can't get into a national park campground or choose provincial park campgrounds just outside the national park.
  
  
• Make sure there is a fire pit on the site that you are reserving. Some sites in Banff and Jasper do not allow fires.

AND THIS IS THE WEBSITE WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION

Everybody looks forward to that first camping trip of the season!

Alberta Provincial Park Reservations

Last year, in February 2024, Alberta Parks campsite reservations moved to a new website at shop.albertaparks.ca. If you did not create an account with this website last year, you’ll need to do it before you get started this year.

In general, reservations for provincial parks are much simpler than national park bookings and you won’t have to plan out your entire summer in January.

Reservations in Alberta provincial parks can be made 90 days in advance for individual campsites as well as for backcountry campsites, and can be made 180 days in advance for both group camping and comfort camping (yurts, tipis, cabins, trappers tents, etc.)

The booking window advances by one day each morning at 9:00 am, so you’ll want to be ready to go first thing when your 90-day window has arrived. For the May long weekend, that will be February 15th. 

Grab a group of friends and book some great campsites this summer in a provincial park

Special Tips:

• Follow many of the same tips as per national park bookings above. Tag team with friends (especially for group bookings) and pay very close attention to those 90 or 180 day windows!
  
  
• Make sure everything is in your calendar with reminders! I even put reminders beside my computer, my coffee pot, and my bed the night before making a campsite reservation so that I don't accidentally forget.
  
  
• If you don't get the site that you want, there are plenty of first come first serve campgrounds. Many campgrounds also have a small number of  FCFS campsites. A Full List of FCFS Campgrounds can be found here.
  
  
• Consider booking a group site if you have at least 5 families coming with you. You'll get your own private campground or group area and will have lots of room for the kids to run around and play.
  
  Note that most group sites do not have power or services for RVs so you'll have to either bring generators or camp off the grid as we do. Most group sites can be booked with a payment for 5 units but some require payment for 10 units so make sure you check the details before reserving a site. Full info. on group camping can be found here.

See more booking tips from Alberta Parks here. 

Spring Camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park

Important Links:

Alberta Parks Online Reservation Information

Comfort Camping in AB Parks  

Group Camping in AB Parks 

Backcountry Camping in AB Parks 


AND THIS IS THE WEBSITE WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION: Reservation website 

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is a beautiful place to camp in Kananaskis 

British Columbia Provincial Park Reservations

BC Parks launched a new reservation service in 2022, so if it's been a few years, you'll have to create a new account.

Visit the new reservation service here. 

And reservations can be booked 4 months in advance of all trips (which is very different from Alberta Provincial Parks.) You'll be able to book sites for the May long weekend in January.

Backcountry permits are also available to reserve 4 months in advance of your trip.

And all new sites become available in the system at 7am PT each morning.

- and note that the Berg Lake Trail was closed for the 2024 season. Information has not been released yet for 2025 so visit the BC Parks website for updates.

And group campsites can be booked a full year in advance.

Beach life at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, West Kootenays

Using the BC Parks Booking System

Online bookings open at 7 am PT each day and can be made on the BC Parks Reservation website.

** And note that BC Parks has also gone to the queue system so you may have to wait to get onto the parks reservation website in the morning.

Read more about the queue system under national park bookings above.

Reservations are NOT Transferable once Booked 

"Reservations are not transferable. Reservation holder name(s) ("Occupant Name" and alternate "Optional Authorized Person") must be provided at the time of booking and cannot be added or changed later. Any reservation holders found to be transferring or selling their reservations to another party, risk their reservation being cancelled without a refund. If a customer can no longer use their reservation, they are encouraged to cancel it so that any unused camping fees that are not forfeited as a penalty, can be refunded to the credit card that was used to make the original reservation."

And know that at least ONE of the reservation holders must be present upon arrival and during the stay. ID may be required to prove you are the reservation holder. - So don't think you can just sell your site to another family and have them "pretend" to be you. 

You can not reserve extra nights to "save" a site

And if you think you can book early, accept you'll get no refund for un-used nights, and just show up on Friday night, that isn't going to work!

"Reserved sites are held until 11 AM the day after the scheduled arrival date. If you do not notify the park operator directly of a late arrival, you will be considered a no-show and your reservation will be cancelled." - and your site will be given away!

And, pay close attention to the restricted booking window!

"If your reservation is made on the first day of the four-month booking window, you cannot change your dates. For example, if your arrival date is July 1 and you booked on March 1, you cannot change the arrival or departure date."

Imagine scoring a campsite here!

Camping in BC provincial parks over Long Weekends

To make a reservation for a statutory holiday weekend, you are required to book a minimum of 3 nights.

The nights you must camp are below for 2025:

Victoria Day: Monday May 19th (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights)

BC Day: Monday August 4th (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights)

Labour Day: Monday September 1st (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights)

Thanksgiving: Monday October 13th (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)

Follow this link for information on making reservations. 

For Bookings, Follow this Link to BCParks.ca 

The are some amazing places to camp across British Columbia!

Other Suggested Reading 

Camping Super Guide - This is a quick guide to all of my popular camping stories for easy reference and reading. I add to this page regularly.

Notable stories to check out:

How to Choose a Good Campsite (Family Camping Made Easy) 

5 Tips for Getting a Campsite without a Reservation

The Best Provincial Park Campgrounds in Southern Alberta 

Where to Camp in the National Parks of Alberta

Our 5 Favourite Campgrounds (within a 3 hour drive of Calgary)

The 5 Best Waterside Campgrounds near Calgary   

Alberta Comfort Camping Destination Guide 

 

 

The Ultimate 5-Day West Kootenays Road Trip

The desire to go on a mountain biking road trip this summer led us to the West Kootenays, an area we'd never fully explored beyond the Nelson / Kootenay Lake area. This time we wanted to check out the trails, beaches, and hot springs around the Village of Nakusp.

Below is the itinerary from our 6 night summer vacation where we had 5 full days to explore the best of the Arrow/Slocan region staged from a basecamp on Summit Lake where we camped at a private campground called Camp Valhalla (more information on our campground at the end of this guide.)

The Ultimate West Kootenays Road Trip

From our campsite on Summit Lake we explored the nearby Nakusp area on the Upper Arrow Lake 20 minutes to the north. From Nakusp we visited 3 different hot springs 2 beaches, and we did lots of mountain biking at the Mt. Abriel Recreation Area.

Heading 20 minutes south from Summit Lake, we found more great trails to ride around the communities of Rosebery and New Denver on Slocan Lake. Forest fires prevented us from traveling further south along Slocan Lake, but we enjoyed a great day trip to Kaslo, an hour east from camp, where we drove to the top of a fire lookout on Mt. Buchanan for an epic bike descent.

Epic mountain biking in the West Kootenays

Day 1 - Mountain Biking in Rosebery / Nakusp Beach

We'd decided that we'd pair mountain biking with one water activity each day. For day one, we started our day with a drive to Rosebery where my husband and son wanted to ride Upper and Lower Butter. 

"Butter" is a an intermediate downhill-specific trail with 1000 metres of descent after reaching the top of the mountain. It is most commonly accessed by driving up the West Wilson Creek FSR which was pretty good for a forestry road. The trail itself is technical in nature with natural features including roots, rocks, drops and a few wooden boardwalks.

Note: All trail links will take you to the Trail Forks website. I highly recommend purchasing the app if you do a lot of biking.

Mountain biking on "Butter" in Rosebery

After biking we headed to the Nakusp beach which had great sand and a shallow swimming area bordered by logs to protect swimmers from boats on the lake. It would be a good option for families with young kids. We also stopped at the Hut Drive In where they have 25+ flavors of milkshakes!

Sand for miles at the Nakusp Beach

We returned to camp and paddled around the islands on Summit Lake after dinner as we enjoyed the sun set and listened to loons calling over the water.  It was the perfect end to the day.

Evening paddling on Summit Lake

Day 2 - Hot Springs near Nakusp / Mountain Biking at Mt. Abriel Recreation Area 

Day two was a big one for us because we wanted to visit two different hot springs north of Nakusp. Since they were very close in proximity, we chose to stop in at both locations before biking. 

I'd recommend choosing one of the hot springs to visit. Alternately, if you travel to Nakusp from Revelstoke, you'll pass by both of them on your travel day. Either would be great to break up the drive if you're not towing a trailer.

Halfway Hot Springs north of Nakusp

Halfway Hot springs 

The Halfway natural hot springs are easy to access from Nakusp via a good logging road and a short hike. There were several pools of varying temperatures located beside the river, and there was even a changing cabin beside the pools.

We'd heard that these pools can get busy, so we got an early start and visited before biking.

Notes if you want to visit these hot springs:

• They're free to visit
  
  
• Wear running shoes or something other than flip flops to access the pools from the parking lot. The trail down has wooden stairs, but it's steep. Down below you'll appreciate sandals to get between pools.
  
  
• There's an outhouse down by the pools. There's also a small FCFS campground above the pools! It's best suited for tents or maybe small campers/vans.
  
  
• Pack out everything you bring

Soaking in the hot pool at Halfway Hot Springs

Halcyon Hot Springs

Also located north of Nakusp, these public hot springs are located at the Halcyon Hot Springs Resort, perched on a bench high above Upper Arrow Lake for stunning views while you soak. You'll pay to use the pools, but you'll also get a modern facility complete with bathrooms, showers, and a clean user experience.

At the facility you'll find a hot soaking pool, warm leisure pool with jetted swim channel (similar to a lazy river,) a seasonal swimming pool, and a cold plunge pool. They also provide pool noodles to enhance your relaxation experience.

The hot springs are open to non-resort guests and reservations are not required.

Seasonal swimming pool at Halcyon Hot Springs

Floating around the circulating channel in the warm pool

Mountain biking at Mt. Abriel 

The Mt Abriel Recreation Area is located 10km north of Nakusp. There is a great FCFS campground on site or you can drive to the park for the day.

Intermediate / advanced riders can access phenomenal trails across the highway from the campground either by riding the climb trails or shuttling the Turner Road forestry service road. I'd rate the road double black as far as shuttle roads go and we had to shift into 4-wheel drive to climb to the very top. Fortunately the reward was high.

My boys loved "Ride On" which descends 1000 metres of height from the top of Mt Abriel. Features included rocky  technical sections with slabs, root drops, steep pitches, and flowy sections with berms and jumps.

Lots of slabs on "Ride On!"

For a slightly tamer drive, turn off Turner FSR on to the North Flank Road which doesn't climb as high. It still accesses great trails but you won't need 4-wheel drive. (High clearance is still ideal.)

My boys' favourite trail off North Flank was "Dusty Panther" which descends about 250 metres and ends in the campground. My son actually said this was his absolute favourite trail that he rode on our trip.

Beginners will find an assortment of fun trails on the campground side. "Sky Captain" was my favourite (it was like a flowy pump track) and I also enjoyed the Lake Trail where there was a beautiful wooden boardwalk bridge to ride over.

After our long day of hot spring soaking + biking, we enjoyed dinner in Nakusp at the Leland Hotel where they have a lakeside patio. The cuisine was basic pub fare, but the setting can't be beat for dining out in Nakusp.

The Mt. Abriel Trails are phenomenal for intermediate/advanced riders!

Day 3 - Day Trip to Kaslo / Mt. Buchanan

Mt Buchanan has a historic fire lookout site on its summit complete with tower still standing. And you can drive to the very top!! The road was steep and rough, but it was very driveable with a high clearance truck (maybe an AWD vehicle and a confident driver.)

This trip was high on our vacation priority list because I love fire lookouts and my boys were excited by the idea of riding down 1300 metres from the summit!

Mt. Buchanan Fire Lookout, Kaslo

There's a great trail that leaves from the summit called the "Friendly Giant." It's rated green for beginner-friendly riding, but you must be comfortable with downhill riding and berms! (And be able to actually descend 1000+ metres on a bike - which is no small feat!) 

The trail is bi-directional, but you'll have a lot more fun starting at the top if you have a shuttle driver! If you enjoy climbing though, the trail is well designed to be ridden in either direction and you'll certainly earn that ride down!

And note if you plan to shuttle riders on this one, research the ending spot before you start up the road. Your riders will be ending further up the highway towards Kaslo! I drove all over the mountain trying to find my boys. Beginner riders may also want to try the lower section too before committing to the full descent! I tried the bottom third and it was enough for me. Next time maybe I'll try the middle third.

My boys loved the flowy trail with all its berms, jumps, and rollers. They finished on an intermediate trail called "High Commander" that they especially loved! I know we'll be back next summer.

And, for the shuttle drivers, bring your hiking shoes cause there's a lovely loop trail at the top which visits a beautiful viewpoint over Kootenay Lake and Kaslo.

Trying the lower half of the Friendly  Giant

Day 4 - Beach Day at McDonald Creek Provincial Park

We'd heard great things about McDonald Creek Provincial Park near Nakusp, so we loaded up the paddleboards and a kayak, and set out to explore.

While we were just visiting for the day, there is a provincial park campground at McDonald Creek. Reservations can be made online. Next time we're definitely camping here!

The main attraction for day users here is the large public sandy beach which requires only a short 20 second walk to access from the day use area.

Day trip to the West Kootenay Bahamas 

From the main public beach you can also paddle over to the lagoon on the far side of the lake. It only takes 20 minutes but you'll feel as if you've arrived in the Bahamas on your own private island. 

As always, remember to pack out what you pack in and note that there are no facilities beyond the main beach. You won't find bathrooms or anything like that on the far side of the lake.

And if you're paddling to the back lagoon, please remember, people are here to relax, so leave those speakers behind, find a different party spot, don't start a campfire on the beach, pack out your garbage, and don't bring glass bottles!!! We found glass in the sand which is not cool.

If you're looking for a peaceful place to escape the crowds and sunbathe on a sandy "island," you'll love this park and remote area.

Paddling around at the back of the lake from McDonald Creek

Day 5 - Galena Rail Trail, New Denver / Nakusp Hot Springs 

The Galena Trail starts in Three Forks, approx. 10 km east of New Denver. The main trail is only 5km one way until you reach the edge of New Denver. We continued on the Lower Galena Trail to Rosebery for a total of 11km point to point.

The highlight of this trail is the cable car near the beginning which crosses over Carpenter Creek. There is no way around this, so those with a fear of heights may not love this trail. You load your bike into the cart and then pull yourself across the creek to reach the far side. Families with young kids may have to make a few crossings if the kids can't ride alone.

The Galena Trail cable car crossing

The trail is a true delight to ride through a lush forest of large Devil's Club plants, and other than a couple of steep hills down and up from the creek, it's a lovely rail grade ride that's fun for all abilities.

The trail is most fun to ride in the gradual downhill direction towards New Denver but experienced cyclists will easily ride it both ways. I'd start in Rosebery or New Denver if riding out and back so you can enjoy cruising back to the vehicle at the end.

For shuttling, we started riding together as a family and then my husband turned around at the 5km mark as we were approaching New Denver. My son and I continued to Rosebery where my husband met us at the end.

The Galena Trail is a family favourite!

Other things to note:

• You could "maybe" fit a chariot or bike trailer into the cable car but you'd have to detach it from the bike and collapse it. Easier to "not" use one.
  
  
• The trail is a designated non-motorized greenway.
  
  
• Early season it's a good idea to check trail reports to make sure the cable car is good to go for the season.

Crossing Carpenter Creek in the cable car

We returned to camp for lunch, and then headed to the Nakusp Hot Springs for some afternoon relaxing. These hot springs are located at the Nakusp Hot Springs Chalets and Campground Resort, but the pools are open to the public with no reservations required.

The facility is small, one circular hot pool and a separate cold plunge pool, but we loved the place! We were there pre-dinner when it was extremely quiet, and had the place to ourselves. We shared the pool with one other couple and chatted away as we floated around on the pool noodles provided. 

It was a great relaxing pool and I highly recommend visiting mid day when the resort guests are off exploring.

We ended the day with dinner at Chumley's restaurant in Nakusp where they have phenomenal Mexican food and a pleasant outdoor patio.

Every hot spring pool should provide pool noodles

Peaceful afternoon relaxing at the Nakusp Hot Springs

More Information on our Basecamp at Camp Valhalla 

We chose to stay at Camp Valhalla because we wanted an RV site with full hookups for our trailer. The campground also has tenting sites and a variety of other sites (some with power and or water.)

There is a small beach on site along with a dog beach as well and a boat dock for launching kayaks, canoes, or small fishing boats.

The campground attracts a lot of large groups so don't expect it to be terribly quiet, but it's a great basecamp, ideally situated between Nakusp and New Denver. From this campground you can access many great trails, hot spring pools, and beaches.

Reservations can be made online early winter (I believe it was around February) so check their website at the beginning of the year.

Evening paddling on Summit Lake

Great way to unwind at the end of the day!

Resources and More Information on Mountain Biking in the West Kootenays 

Visit the Arrow Slocan Tourism Website for more information on things to do around Nakusp and the surrounding area.

Visit the Kootenay Dirt Website for a complete list of bike regions across the East and West Kootenays.

"Kootenay Dirt is a consortium of nine destination marketing organizations in the BC Kootenays. With more than 680 world-class trails for all levels of experience, including people with disabilities, three bike parks, and incredible mountain culture to offer visitors, these destinations are sure to satisfy any bike enthusiast or beginner biker alike." - Kootenay Dirt

This trip focused on the Arrow/Slocan Region with one day trip to Kaslo, but this summer we've also done a lot of biking in the East Kootenays around Cranbrook, Kimberley, Invermere & Panorama, and Golden.

You'll find information on each of these regions on the Kootenay Dirt Website.

The Kootenays are packed with amazing mountain bike trails for all abilities!

Recommended Reading / Previous Blog Posts:

Family Touring around Nelson and the West Kootenays

The Best Family Bike Trails in the Columbia Valley

Family Adventure Bucket List for Kimberley and Cranbrook

Family Adventure Bucket List for Golden

The Best Family Bike Trails in Fernie 

Family Adventure Bucket List for Revelstoke

Canyon Creek Ice Cave - Spring Hiking in Kananaskis

This has become my new favourite spring hike, and while it would be a great hike any time of the year, spring is magical when there is actual ICE in the ice cave. Visit later in the season, and it's just a cave (still cool, but not exactly an "ice" cave.)

There's no better spring adventure than biking and hiking to an ice cave!

When the trail is dry, the hike is generally family-friendly for experienced youth who have done intermediate/advanced hikes with some easy scrambling. I wouldn't recommend it with babies or young children (for rock fall hazard alone,) and to fully enjoy every aspect of the trip, you're going to need bikes to access the trailhead.

Canyon Creek Ice Cave Adventure in Kananaskis

Stats for the Hike

Distance: You'll bike or hike 5.5 km on a gravel road. After that, you'll hike ~1.5 km to reach the cave. All added up, your adventure will come to roughly 14 km round trip.

Height gain: 450 metres including the height gained/lost on the gravel access road. The road gains about 75 metres and the rest is gained on the steep hiking trail.

Time it takes to complete the hike: It really depends on whether you hike or bike the gravel road, and how much exploring you do in the cave. At a fast pace (with a bike) you could complete the hike in 3 hours. Most people will spend significantly longer on the adventure though.

Rating: The actual hiking trail is steep and scrambly at the top. Hiking inside the cave is very rough (and slippery when there's ice.) For these reasons, I'd rate this as an intermediate/advanced adventure.

Most fit adults (or youth) should have few problems getting to the cave if they are with a strong group of hikers, and this trip is definitely a "crowd favourite" if wanting to introduce friends to hiking. Everybody loves a good adventure, and caves are fun to explore (even if novice hikers have to slide down a few sections at the top on their bums to descend the steep trail.)

The entrance to the Canyon Creek Cave is pretty spectacular!

Best Guide Book: Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, Volume 2, Gillean Daffern - Amazon affiliate link 

All Trails Link: Canyon Creek Ice Cave

* All hiking distances are approximate

Visit the cave in spring when there's actual ICE

Trailhead Information 

The trail starts from the Ing's Mine parking lot off Highway 66 in the Elbow Valley west of Bragg Creek.

You can see the Google Maps link here.

The Canyon Creek Road is open as far as the parking lot. Beyond that, there is a gate, and I highly recommend bikes for the next 5.5 kilometres of distance to reach the true trailhead for the cave hike.

The Canyon Creek Road is accessible year round, and is located before Elbow Falls where there is a highway gate that doesn't open until May 15th. 

Such a fun adventure for a group of friends

Hiking or Biking the Canyon Creek Road to the Ice Cave Trailhead 

The gravel road portion of the trip would be mind numbingly boring to walk, and is therefore best done with bikes. If hiking, make sure you bring a lively group to chat with.

With bikes, there are a couple of hills that children or novice riders may need to walk. I walked a couple myself since it was one of my first rides of the season and my lungs weren't in biking shape yet. The road is generally easy to bike though, and is just a wide gravel road. This isn't mountain biking, and you'll do fine with a simple gravel bike or mountain bike if you prefer.

Even if you end up walking a hill or two with your bike, it's still preferable to walking the entire 11 km round trip distance (on a road!!)

Bring a bike, and the trip out is very FAST because it's relatively downhill coasting on the way back to the parking lot.

When you reach the end of the gravel road, lock your bikes up, and switch to hiking mode. There are no bike racks, but we just locked our bikes to trees beside the road where there was a nice clearing beside the trailhead.

Biking the Canyon Creek Road (not something I want to hike for 11 km round trip!)

Hiking to the Canyon Creek Ice Cave

There's a decent trail that you can follow all the way to the cave, but I do recommend downloading the map if you have a premium subscription to All Trails, just for the peace of mind as the trail is braided in a few spots closer to the cave.

The ending is steep but manageable on a good trail

The trail has a few steep spots, but is generally quite pleasant to follow through the trees until you reach the scree slope below the cave. Once you reach the final section, it becomes much steeper, more scrambly, and there are a few blocky steps to climb up. (On the way down I had to lower myself from my bum a few times.)

Approaching the cave after a short 45 minute hike from the end of the road

As far as "scrambling" goes, this is a very easy scramble. There is no loose scree and you'll never feel like your feet are going to skitter out from underneath you. 

If the trail is snow covered, ice cleats or spikes would be imperative.

Arriving at the cave after a bike and hike adventure

Exploring Inside the Cave

I recommend helmets for exploring inside the cave, and you should have them on as you approach the cave as well because people can knock rocks down from above. I visited mid-week with friends when we had the cave to ourselves so it was less of a worry. On a weekend though it could be a different story. - And in a pinch, just wear your bike helmets if you rode up (no need to bring two helmets.) Or, bike in a climbing helmet.

There are no shortage of fun photos you can take inside the cave

We enjoyed seeing so much ice in the cave!

You'll also need good headlamps for this adventure. There's lots of light near the cave entrance, but as you go further, it becomes very dark. 

Ice pillars and giant icicles inside the cave 

And a final word of caution about hiking in the cave: Exercise extreme caution when walking around. Many of the rocks are covered in ice and are also polished from thousands of boots walking over them.

This is where that headlamp becomes super important so you can see the ice covered floor sections of the cave.

Bring headlamps to explore the cave!

Spring is a great time to visit this ice cave

Hike as far back into the main chamber of the cave as you want, and then if you're feeling brave, you can crawl into a few other smaller chambers. For this, I really do recommend helmets. (Ignore our bad example in the photos below.)

Crawling around at the back of the main chamber

This is definitely my new favourite spring hike

The Hike and Bike Out from the Cave 

On descent, I found the trail to be much trickier near the cave entrance, but a pair of poles and slow maneuvering got us down safely.

The descent from the cave is steep so take your time

The descent starts off steep but the angle eases as you descend

The bike ride on the way out was exceptionally fast! We just had to climb up the first hill from the end of the road, and then it was a beautiful ride back down to the parking lot. I can't even imagine hiking back down the road.

Our happy group at the Canyon Creek Ice Cave 

We enjoyed a fast bike ride back down the road 

Returning for the Family Version 

I visited the cave mid-week with girl friends, but my son was ticked when he looked through my photos, and I knew there would be no forgiveness until he'd had the chance to visit the cave too.

My son HAD to visit the cave himself after seeing my photos!

I wasn't quite up for a second cave adventure in the same week, so my husband happily took him on the weekend. They got a very early start, biked up the road, and beat the weekend crowds.

Safe to say most kids will LOVE this adventure.

Every child's dream hike!

Other Recommended Reading for Spring Hikes

Read: Spring Hiking Super Guide to the BEST Hikes in Kananaskis

Read: Wild Adventures in the Elbow Valley, Kananaskis

Read: White Buddha and Vents Ridge, Family Hiking in Kananaskis 

Read: Mockingbird Lookout - Family Hiking in Kananaskis

Read: Ten Day Trips for Spring Adventures Close to Calgary