A lovely, easy hike with a HUGE beautiful pay off at the end! It's a family friendly stroll with…read moreplenty of parking at the trailhead and it's easy to do in a couple of hours at most. The elevation is easy, and the stroll through the forest is leisurely and beautiful. In the winter you may want cramp ons or hiking poles since the packed down snow can get slick, but they're not necessary. At the end you'll find the beautiful Troll Falls. In the winter they're frozen the most miraculous bright blue and ice climbers have a great time climbing it's relatively easy verticals. Unlike the Johnston Canyon hike in Banff National Park, the Troll Falls hike allows you to get right up to the water falls, which makes for a truly special experience. Check my photos for proof!

In the mountains and wanna go hiking, but need a spot that's not too difficult and also…read moreentertaining for wee kids? This is it. We were looking at different trail maps and unsure where to take our two year old for a hike that would grasp her attention span and also would be able to drag her along in a sled if she gets tired from all the walking. When Troll Falls popped out and had everything e were looking for. It's right at the bottom of the ski slope so if you find yourself driving up the mountain, you've gone too far. There is a decent sized parking lot by the entrance to the trail. The secret weapon for kids entertainment (aside from nature chats) are the hidden Troll Dolls around. Fun for everyone to try to be the first to spot them along the way! Even in December this was a fantastic crisp walk to do and at the end you come to a frozen waterfall. It was the most amazing thing to see, and to be able to walk on the frozen river. Just breathtaking! My husband is a geologist so he gives me all the geology chat along the way too. Really fantastic walk, I can't wait to do it again in summer and have a totally different experience. We seen a wolf run across the main road as we drove down to the trail so remember to stay safe when you are out there!

This hike is listed on a number of local websites and tourist brochures, and after talking to…read moresomeone at a visitor information center, my husband and I decided to try it out. All the descriptions list this hike as "easy", and as someone who is in pretty good shape but not an experienced hiker, I would have described this trail as being of "moderate" difficulty. The area is a little remote, and I would have felt more comfortable with bear spray or bear bells to scare off any locals. There is a small parking lot in the area, and the trail is located at the wooden trailhead sign (not the wider vehicle path heading into the forest in the opposite direction). The trail is steep and narrow in a number of sections, so much so that I wondered if we had the wrong trail at one point, and in one area the trail snakes along side of a slope with a fairly significant drop on one side and a sharp upslope on the other. Good hiking shoes are highly recommended for extra traction and stability. That being said, the views of the falls at the end are spectacular. The waterfall is roaring, powerful, and totally awesome. The return trip took us just about two hours, with about 15 minutes at the falls themselves. It's a great shorter hike, and only 20 minutes from Radium Hot Springs.

How much fun was that???? It was amazing and beautiful. So well maintained by the park! THANK…read moreYOU!! I think there were four or five pools but we stayed in the hot and medium ones. I will not lie and say it wasn't busy but everyone was awesome to chat with. Met lots of folks from Calgary and a couple on their honeymoon. I'd definitely go back next time we are around the area.

A private, rarely populated, hidden hot spring tucked away in the mountains! What can get better…read morethan that? In the area there are two other hot springs, Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs... both are naturally heated, but are made into swimming pools... boring! You might as well just jump into a heated pool. Lussier Hot Springs is none of that! Lussier Hot Springs is set aside on a 12 mile gravel road... please don't let that dismay you! Past the private property of cow fields, the roads do get pretty dangerous. We almost turned around because we were nervous that we may slip off the mountain. At a few points you may need to stop and pull to the far right on the turns to let the truckers pass by because some parts of the road won't let two cars pass. Just a tad dangerous... When you finally see the sign for the Hot Springs your almost there, just park and it's a short, less than 5 minute, hike down the walkway. The Lussier Hot Springs are made up of about 3 rock pools with rocky peddle bottoms. The top most pool is the hottest of the bunch, so I'd recommend going in there last. The water from that pool then leads into the other two rock pools. Those two aren't as hot because they are cooled down by the Lussier River that keeps pouring into them. If you're feeling extra brave or maybe a little too hot, the river makes an excellent icy dunk. The Lussier Hot Springs are a serene and secluded hot springs set in the perfect environment. You can warm up and watch the river rush by you or you can scam for wildlife in the forest or the mountains all around. I highly recommend paying this hot springs a visit!

Beautiful and exhilarating, the Canadian Rockies in general, and The Three Sisters in particular…read more When asked, a local tour guide said their individual names are Faith, Hope and Charity. Very nice. The second tour guide disagreed, saying their names are Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. I found this was repeated on Wikipedia ... and is there any higher authority? Why, yes, the lady at the Canadian Tourist Information Kiosk, who said the locals, the real people who live here, refer to the Three Sisters as Beebee, Ceecee and Deedee. So, what's in a name? The Three Sisters, by any name, are Beautiful and Exhilarating. Five-Stars.

As gorgeous as they are iconic - The Three Sisters stand guard over, no that's not right... The…read moreThree Sisters are all about fun, not protection. They're an icon for a town that exists for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. While The greatest cities in the world are know for and defined by their skylines, none of them even come close to Canmore's. Whether you'd prefer to enjoy them while camping, hiking, biking, or enjoying a glass of wine with a fine meal, Faith, Charity and Hope will make your experience all that much better.

Could've been the lake, or it could have been the wonderful sunset watchin', star gazin' company -…read moreeither way, it's a solid 5-Stars. :) Not only is Ghost lake gorgeous, it's an excellent day use park, home to picnics a plenty and boats of all shapes and sizes. It's only a short an enjoyable drive from Calgary, making it an excellent spot to go for a Sunday cruise. Serene when looking one direction, as you can see the mountains beginning, and then excitingly badass when you look towards the giant dam that sometimes spews out hefty plumes of white water. Intense. If you've got wee ones running rampant (or just irresponsible/drunk adults), keep an eye on them. Since the floods, the Ghost Lake banks have turned into some rather stark cliffs! It's day use only, but there is a camp ground directly across the highway. It's also "Liquor Prohibited", so we definitely didn't enjoy a bottle of wine while sunset watching and star gazing... That would be bad.

Great man made lake. The lake is busy with people enjoying thier watercrafts and the shore is busy…read morewith onlookers. This is a beautiful lake with plenty of parking.

I came to Canada with my running group and our first run was here at Barrier Lake. This pretty lake…read moreis located at the north end of Kananaskis Country in Alberta and is an hour drive from Calgary. Barrier Lake is man-made and has lots of hiking trails and beautiful mountain views. It is great for canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding during the summer months. We ran on the Jewell Pass Trail to the waterfall and back. It ended up being around seven miles (11 km) round-trip. I had a nice view of Mount Baldy while on my run. To park here, you need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass. There were restrooms and helpful information signs where we parked. Barrier Lake was featured in the "X2: X-Men United" movie.

What a gorgeous lake, I love the colour! I took my kids kayaking but wasnt crazy about the fact its…read moredammed---- check out the gorgeous view from the top of the mountain right beside it - Yates! Its where our friend lives at the top of the mtn 6 months a year- great views all the time :)

The hike to the waterfalls and the hike to the Inkpots are two different tales..but both…read morespectacular. The hike to the falls are on a paved or finely-crushed gravel path, or on a causeway that walks you above the water. Either way, it is a relatively easy walk for most able-bodied persons. The falls are spectacular, but be prepared...in August, it will be busy with people, and you will spend a lot of time brushing elbows as people head the other way. And, at lower falls, there will be a 45 minute wait to look at the falls through a natural window opening in the rock. Personally, I'm not in the "selfie" crowd, so I will make better use of my time. Upper falls is another few minutes up the trail, and is equally powerful. Obviously, since water flows downhill, you are hiking uphill from the parking lot to see the falls. Continue past the upper falls, and now you are on the way to the Inkpots. This is where you will really start working. It is wide, well marked, but with much less humanity...we were never completely alone, but usually we didn't have anyone within 50 yards of us. It is about 3.5 mi from parking to the Inkpots, and it is uphill 2/3 of the way from the falls to the Inkpots, before descending back downhill to the river and Inkpots. The Inkpots were not as colorful as I had hoped, but they were an interesting natural phenomenon that we wanted to see. There are some benches, no toilets, and the river runs nearby. the walk back was 1/3 uphill and 2/3 downhill to the falls before the final (and crowded) stretch to the parking lot. Speaking of parking, we arrived at 8:20AM and were lucky to grab the last parking spot. It fills up quickly. More parking is nearby, but it adds to your walk. A cafe/store at the start of the trail sells food, coffee, and souvenirs. Bathrooms are also near the cafe. This is a must-see destination at Banff, but in peak season, arrive early- with good hiking shoes, if going to the Inkpots- and bring your food, water, bear spray, and camera. Our round trip was 7.8 miles in 3.5 hours.

We're excited to have an early morning start. Ample time to hike Johnston Canyon Lower Falls. Our…read morebiggest surprise included entering and exiting the cave. Amazing waterfalls! Would love to return and hike Upper Falls in the future.

We had an amazing time visiting sites in Kootenay National Park while staying in Radium Hot Springs…read morefor a week. The is such a picturesque part of British Colombia, Canada. Our first stop was Olive Lake. A gorgeous green-blue body of water. A short trail from the parking lot. Our next stop was Paint Pots. Such a cool experience. We've never seen anything like it before. The colorful, iron-rich pools were so cool to see up close. The boardwalk to the paint pots was picturesque too. There are many stops and viewpoints along highway 93. Be sure to stop at the ranger station to get your park pass ($14/day) and map of all stops along the route. Most stops have restrooms available as well. Overall a must while visiting British Colombia, Canada. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this area and would highly recommend.

Rumor had it that Kootenay National Park was, perhaps, the most underrated of the National Parks in…read morethe area. I'm all for supporting the underdogs (& avoiding the crowds). Compared to Banff, Kootenay was empty & there are plenty of bodies of Gatorade-like waters. We enjoyed the wide open spaces and the non-touristy vibe of the park. On our Stanley Glacier Hike, we only saw 3 other sets of people... no shoulder bumping or shuttles needed here. We opted for the annual family/group pass, a great value if you're spending a week or so in any combination of the parks &/or may come back. (& we will come back... already planning it)

If you ask around for hiking suggestions near Calgary, you'll get sent several hours deep into the…read moreRockies. If you're not looking to spend half the day in the car, this park is just outside of Calgary's city limits. The trails are very well marked and maintained. One of the trails leads up to a ridge with views overlooking the city on one side and the mountains on the other. The 12km of trails make for loops of varying lengths.

Lack of parking is a big problem. Parking lot needs to be expanded now they won't allow road…read moreparking

Forgetmenot Pond is our favourite place to visit in Kananaskis country. It is at the end of Hwy 66,…read morepast Bragg Creek. It is not just off Hwy 40 as is stated in the caption accompanying the picture.

Who doesn't agree with Toad from Wind in the Willows that, 'there is simply nothing in life as…read morelovely as messing about in boats?' Since moving back to Calgary I've been trying to find places to swim and float that are kid-friendly. Forgetmenot Pond is so idyllic it almost feels like stepping into a painting. The water is mountain-fed so it gets the ticker going when you first get in but on a hot day, it is gloriously refreshing. Inflatable and paddle-boats are allowed. There are picnic tables, BBQs, a large parking lot, a fairly flat and short trail to the pond and well-maintained porta-potty style washrooms. The water is turquoise, the mountains are pristine, and even when day camps come to walk the path around the (large) pond it feels uncrowded and peaceful. I am already dreaming of returning. I will forget you not my beautiful Bragg Creek oasis!