Ice skating in Banff is certainly a quintessential Canadian winter activity and not only that, but it’s a very popular winter activity in Banff. The best part is that there are several options for ice skating in Banff National Park and the surrounding area (including Canmore and Kananaskis), from local indoor recreational centres to skating …
Winter Activities
The Hogarth Lakes snowshoe is one of our all-time favourite easy snowshoe trails in Kananaskis country. It’s our go-to snowshoeing trail any time we want to take an out-of- town visitor snowshoeing, as it’s the perfect easy Kananaskis snowshoe trail for beginners.
As a family who’s been ice skating on Lake Louise for years, we still think this is one of the best things to do at Lake Louise in winter. We return year after year to Lake Louise in January to skate on the lake and see the Lake Louise ice sculptures.
The Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival is part of Banff’s SnowDays celebration and is always a big draw for visitors to Lake Louise in winter. The Ice Magic Festival in Lake Louise is host to a world-class ice-carving competition.
When you are planning your Banff winter itinerary make sure to leave some time for a visit to Lake Louise. There are so many wonderful Lake Louise winter activities that your biggest challenge will be deciding how to fit them all in.
Since we started snowshoeing in the Rockies over a decade ago, the Penstock Loop snowshoe trail remains one of our favorite easy Kananaskis snowshoe trails. The Penstock snowshoe trail is an easy trail through the forest near the Kananaskis Lakes which provides a wide variety of Rocky Mountain scenery.
For over a decade, the Sawmill Loop has been one of our favorite easy Kananaskis snowshoe trails. It’s such an enjoyable snowshoe trail in Kananaskis that we make time for it almost every winter.
If you are looking for a really fun winter hike near Canmore, check out the McGillivray Canyon Trail. This unique Kananaskis winter hike follows the path of a McGillivray Creek riverbed into a narrow slot canyon between Pigeon Peak and Mount McGillivray.
Renowned for its incredible amount of natural snowfall, Sunshine Village is one of the best ski resorts in Banff National Park. Sunshine Village is a huge Banff ski resort, with 9 chairlifts and ski runs spread over 3 mountain faces.
The Lower Kananaskis Lake snowshoe is a perfect combination of an easy snowshoe trail and outstanding scenery. You’ll enjoy a leisurely walk through a snow covered forest with non-stop lake and mountain views.