Easy Winter Hikes in Kananaskis Country: 10 Local Favourites

Winter hiking is one of the best ways to experience Kananaskis Country. These easy winter hikes in Kananaskis Country include frozen waterfalls, forest trails, mountain lakes and short snowshoe routes, with options near Canmore, Kananaskis Village, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and the Smith-Dorrien Trail.

As Canmore locals, we spend a lot of time hiking and snowshoeing in Kananaskis through the winter. We also often head this way when we want to avoid the crowds in Banff. These Kananaskis winter hikes are generally quieter, and many are just as scenic as the better-known trails in Banff National Park.

If you’re staying in Banff, we also have a separate guide to the best easy winter hikes in Banff. If you’re based in Canmore, or willing to drive a little farther, Kananaskis opens up a completely different set of winter trails.

The hikes below range from very easy walks such as Troll Falls and Heart Creek to slightly more challenging options like Black Prince Cirque and Watridge Lake to Karst Spring. We’ve included what makes each trail worthwhile, what winter traction we typically use, and any important seasonal or safety considerations.

Visiting Kananaskis Country in summer? Don’t miss our list of the best easy Kananaskis Country hikes.

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10 Easy Winter Hikes in Kananaskis Country

These are the easy winter hikes in Kananaskis Country we recommend most often, from short family walks and frozen waterfalls to longer trails with a bit more climbing. Some are almost flat, while others are a little harder, yet still sit on the easier end of the spectrum by Rocky Mountain standards.

Winter conditions can change quickly, so the same trail might be packed enough for microspikes one week and better suited to snowshoes after fresh snow. It’s important you know about your winter traction options before hitting the snowy or icy winter trails. We’ve noted the terrain, traction and any important winter considerations for each Kananaskis winter hike below.

Grassi Lakes Trail

Distance: 4.0 km out-and-back, Elevation Gain: 170 m

The Grassi Lakes hike is one of our favourite easy hikes near Canmore, and we make time to do it almost every year. It’s short, scenic and manageable for most hikers, which also makes it one of the best easy winter hikes in Kananaskis Country.

Grassi Lakes has been part of our family hiking life for a long time. It was the very first hike we did with our daughter as a baby, and a few years later she hiked the trail herself when she was just under three. That gives you a pretty good idea of how family-friendly the easier route can be.

In winter, be sure to use the Grassi Lakes Upper Trail. The steeper Grassi Lakes Interpretive Trail closes because flowing water can create icy conditions. The Upper Trail climbs gradually through the forest before reaching the two lakes, where the turquoise water can look even more striking surrounded by snow-covered trees and cliffs.

Because Grassi Lakes is so popular, the winter trail is often packed down. On our most recent winter hike here, we carried microspikes but didn’t need to use them. Conditions can change after fresh snow or freeze-thaw cycles, so we still recommend bringing traction just in case.

If you’re spending more time in Canmore, see our guide to the best things to do in Canmore in winter for more ideas.

For parking information, route details, family hiking tips and what to expect at the lakes, read our complete Grassi Lakes hiking guide.

Heart Creek Trail

Distance: 4.7 km out-and-back, Elevation Gain: 302 m

Just east of Canmore, the Heart Creek Trail is one of our favourite easy family-friendly winter hikes in Kananaskis. We’ve been hiking it with our kids since they were very small, and the little wooden bridges crossing Heart Creek have always been one of the highlights.

The trail follows Heart Creek into a narrow mountain canyon, with evergreen forest, large boulders and several bridge crossings along the way. Most of the route climbs very gradually, with only a couple of short steeper sections, so it still feels very manageable by Rocky Mountain standards.

In winter, the snowy forest and frozen creek make the canyon especially pretty. The trail ends at a rock wall with a hidden waterfall tucked just out of sight, which makes a fun turnaround point before retracing your steps.

Heart Creek works especially well for families because there is so much to keep kids interested along the way. When ours were younger, the bridges, logs and rocks were often just as much fun as reaching the end of the hike.

For parking information, trail details, family hiking tips and what to expect inside the canyon, read our complete Heart Creek Trail hiking guide.

Troll Falls Trail

Distance: 3.4 km, Elevation Gain: 151 m

The Troll Falls hike is one of the most popular easy winter hikes in Kananaskis, especially for families. We’ve done this trail many times with our kids, and it’s easy to see why it’s such a favourite. The trail is short, has very little elevation gain and ends at an impressive frozen waterfall.

One of the best hiking trails in Kananaskis all year long, Troll Falls is especially beautiful in winter. The trail winds through a mix of evergreen and aspen forest before reaching Marmot Creek and the frozen falls. Because the trail gets so much winter traffic, it’s often packed down enough that microspikes are more useful than snowshoes, although fresh snow can change conditions quickly.

If you have a little extra time, we recommend returning via the Hay Meadow Trail instead of simply retracing your steps. We prefer the loop when conditions allow because it adds more scenery with very little extra effort.

For full trail details, parking information, the optional Upper Falls route and our recommended Hay Meadow return, read our complete Troll Falls hiking guide.

Grotto Canyon Trail

Distance: 4.5 km out-and-back, Elevation Gain: 260 m

Grotto Canyon is another really fun and interesting easy winter hike in Kananaskis. Once you enter the canyon, much of the trail follows the frozen Grotto Creek between narrow rock walls, eventually reaching an impressive frozen waterfall. We’ve done this icewalk many times over the years, and every visit is a little different depending on how much ice and snow has built up.

We typically turn around at the large frozen waterfall. The trail through the canyon is relatively easy, but the ice is no joke. Some years you’ll walk over long stretches of smooth blue ice, while other winters there may be more packed snow covering the creek. We’ve generally found the ice conditions to be especially impressive later in winter.

One of the most interesting things to look for along the way is the ancient pictographs on the canyon wall. They are surprisingly easy to miss. In fact, it took us years of hiking Grotto Canyon before we finally found them.

You can absolutely do Grotto Canyon on your own if you have good winter footwear and proper traction, but this is one hike where there are some real advantages to joining the guided Grotto Canyon Icewalk tour. The tour includes transportation from Banff or Canmore, ice cleats and hiking poles, so you don’t need to rent gear or worry about winter driving. A certified guide also leads you through the canyon and points out features such as the pictographs, geology and frozen waterfalls that are easy to walk right past on your own.

For first-time winter hikers, visitors without a rental car, or anyone who wants more than simply walking to the waterfall and back, we think the guided icewalk is especially worthwhile. You get the fun of walking directly on the frozen creek while someone else takes care of the gear, transportation and route, and you’ll likely come away knowing much more about the canyon than you would exploring it independently.

For more photos, advice on the best time to go, what traction we use and details on finding the pictographs, read our complete Grotto Canyon Ice Walk guide.

Hogarth Lakes Trail

Distance: 4.2 km Loop, Elevation Gain: 109 m elevation gain

The Hogarth Lakes Loop is another of our all-time favourite easy winter trails in Kananaskis. In fact, this is often where we take friends and family who are trying snowshoeing for the first time. It’s relatively flat, easy to follow and offers an excellent amount of scenery for the effort.

The loop takes you through snowy evergreen forest, across frozen creeks and past Hogarth Lakes, with plenty of open sections where you can enjoy views of the surrounding Kananaskis mountains. We especially like the variety on this trail. It never feels like you’re simply walking through the trees for the entire hike.

We’ve done Hogarth Lakes many times with our kids, starting when they were babies and we pulled them along in a chariot. As they got older, they were able to snowshoe the full loop themselves. There’s usually plenty of deep snow along the edges of the trail for kids to play in, and we often stop for a snack once we reach the lakes.

Hogarth Lakes is technically a snowshoe trail, but because it’s popular, you may find it packed down enough for microspikes. After fresh snow, snowshoes are the better choice and make the outing much more fun.

For trail conditions, parking information, route details and more of our tips from hiking it as a family, read our complete Hogarth Lakes Loop snowshoe guide.

Watridge Lake to Karst Springs Trail

Distance: 9.0 km out-and-back, Elevation Gain: 302 m

Watridge Lake is one of those Kananaskis winter trails where you’ll share the route with all kinds of people. The wide, groomed trail from the Mt. Shark Day Use Area is especially popular with cross-country skiers, but you’ll also see winter hikers, snowshoers and people fat biking in Kananaskis along the way.

The trail to Watridge Lake is very flat and easy, making it a good winter outing on its own. Because it is groomed and well travelled, you often won’t need snowshoes for this section, although traction can still be useful depending on conditions.

For us, though, the real reason to do this route is the short extension to Karst Spring. We’ve been to the Karst Spring platform countless times and still find it impressive. The final 0.5 km climbs steeply beside a fast-flowing stream, with snow and ice building up around the rocks, fallen trees and cascading water in winter.

That last climb is definitely the hardest part of the outing. It’s short, but you’ll notice the elevation, so microspikes or snowshoes and trekking poles are a must when the trail is icy or snow-covered. Once you reach the top, the spring seems to pour straight out of the side of Mt. Shark, which is a pretty remarkable payoff for such a short climb.

We’ve also done this route with our kids from a young age, and the mix of wide trail, wooden walkways, creeks and the dramatic spring at the end gives them plenty to stay interested in along the way.

For full route details, parking information and what to expect on the steep final section, read our complete Karst Spring Trail guide.

Black Prince Cirque Interpretive Trail

Distance: 4.8 km loop, Elevation Gain: 178 m

The Black Prince Cirque Interpretive Trail is a short winter hike in Kananaskis, but it may feel more substantial than the distance suggests. From the Black Prince Day Use Area, the trail starts beside the creek, crosses a bridge and then begins climbing through the forest.

We first did this hike in winter boots and quickly wished we had brought some proper traction. The trail was doable, but avoiding the nearby ski tracks often meant trudging through deep snow. Since then, we’ve considered this a better choice for snowshoes when conditions are soft, although packed conditions may be manageable with microspikes.

Once the trail levels off, it narrows and loops through a boulder field toward Warspite Lake. The mix of snowy forest, open terrain and mountain views gives this hike a lot of variety for a relatively short outing.

Be especially careful with your route in winter. Do not continue beyond the lake, where the terrain becomes exposed to avalanche hazard. We recommend downloading the Black Prince Cirque Interpretive Trail map on AllTrails before you go and following the mapped loop back toward the parking area.

Heart Creek Bunker Trail

Distance: 4.2 km out-and-back, Elevation Gain: 227 m

The Heart Creek Bunker is one of the more unusual easy winter hikes in Kananaskis. Instead of ending at a lake or viewpoint, this short hike leads to an abandoned Cold War-era bunker hidden in the mountainside.

The route is about 4 km return and follows the Trans Canada Trail for most of the way. From the Heart Creek parking area, the bunker trail starts on the opposite side of the parking lot from the Heart Creek Trail.

Most of the Heart Creek Bunker hike is quite manageable, but the final section up to the bunker is steep. In winter, we consider microspikes a must for this last climb, especially when the trail is packed down or icy.

Once you reach the bunker, be prepared for how dark it is inside. A phone flashlight really isn’t enough. Bring a powerful flashlight for each person if you want to explore beyond the entrance.

The bunker itself is what makes this hike memorable. It’s a fun option if you want something completely different from the usual winter trails in Kananaskis, especially with older kids who will enjoy the novelty of exploring an abandoned bunker.

For the route map and current trail information, see the Heart Creek Bunker trail on AllTrails.

Kananaskis Village Trails

The Kananaskis Village trails are a good option when you want a very easy winter walk with mountain views right from the village.

The Village Rim Trail is a short 1.3 km loop with several viewpoints over the Kananaskis Valley. Because the trail starts right in Kananaskis Village, it’s especially convenient if you’re staying nearby or already stopping in the area.

There are also several other short walking trails around the village, so you can easily extend your outing if you want a bit more time outside.

Easy Canmore Walking Trails

Canmore has an excellent network of easy walking trails, and many of them are just as enjoyable in winter. As locals, these are the paths we use regularly when we want an easy walk close to home with plenty of mountain scenery.

The Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk is one of the best options right in downtown Canmore. We love the mountain views along the creek, and because the trail is flat and easy to access, it’s a simple way to add some outdoor time to a day in town.

Another good option is the Bow River pathway to the Engine Bridge. The river, forest and mountain views make this one of our favourite walking areas in Canmore, and the historic bridge gives you a natural turnaround point.

For something even shorter, walk a loop around Quarry Lake. We live nearby and still never get tired of the views of Mount Rundle, Ha Ling Peak and the surrounding mountains from the lake.

For more easy options around town, see our complete guide to the best walking trails in Canmore.

Essential Tips for Winter Hiking

Winter hiking requires more preparation than summer hiking. Know the terrain, check conditions and be prepared for changing weather.

Always check the weather forecast and be prepared to turn back if the weather changes. The weather can change quickly in the mountains and blowing snow can reduce visibility to near zero.

Be aware of the terrain you are hiking into and only venture into avalanche terrain if you know what you are doing. Learn the avalanche basics from Avalanche Canada.

What to Wear for Winter Hiking in Kananaskis

As you can imagine, dressing properly for winter hiking in Kananaskis Country is imperative for your comfort and safety. If you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors in Kananaskis or Banff this winter, these resources will help you prepare:

We discuss all your winter clothing options in our post on Banff winter essentials.

As you’ve seen above, you’ll likely need some traction devices (like microspikes or snowshoes) to enjoy many of these easy winter hikes in Kananaskis. There are different kinds for different purposes, so before you go, be sure to read our post on traction devices for winter hiking in Kananaskis.

Winter Hiking with Kids

Keeping kids warm and dry is the key to successfully hiking in the winter with kids. For more advice, see our complete guide to winter hiking with kids on Family Can Travel.

Winter is an exceptional time to explore Kananaskis and the surrounding area. With the right hiking gear for winter and preparation, hiking is an easy way to enjoy the mountains beyond skiing and snowshoeing. When you are looking for things to do in winter around Banff other than snowshoeing or skiing, add winter hiking in Kananaskis to your itinerary.