Quarry Lake Canmore: Swimming, Parking & Local Tips

Quarry Lake is one of the most beloved recreation spots in all of Canmore, Alberta. The transformation of a former open-pit coal mine into a beautiful lake surrounded by forest and stunning mountains is an incredible reclamation success story.

Today, visiting Quarry Lake is one of the most popular things to do in Canmore. There’s plenty of things to do at Quarry Lake, and it also makes a great starting point for nearby walks, hikes, biking trails and scenic viewpoints. Here’s what to know before you go to Quarry Lake.

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How to Get to Quarry Lake

Quarry Lake is located on Spray Lakes Road on the very western edge of Canmore. There are many different ways to get to Quarry Lake:

Drive to Quarry Lake

It’s a quick 5 minute drive from downtown Canmore, but before you drive there, you should know a few things about parking at Quarry Lake:

The popularity of Quarry Lake has exploded in recent years. Unfortunately, not all visitors treated the area respectfully, and litter became a growing problem. In response to the popularity of this beautiful lake, the Town of Canmore upgraded the parking lot and facilities around the lake, and then introduced a paid parking system.

From mid-May to mid-October, it will cost non-residents $20 for 2 hours of parking at Quarry Lake. In shoulder seasons and winter months, paid parking at Quarry Lake costs $2.50 per hour. Accessible stalls are free.

Canmore Resident Parking Permit holders get up to 3 hours free in paid zones each day, but they still need to start a parking session.

The revenues from the paid parking at Quarry Lake helped pay for upgrades to the park, including the installation of many more bear-safe garbage cans (please use them).

When the parking lot is full, it’s tempting to park along the Spray Lakes Road, or in nearby Canmore neighbourhoods. But parking in these areas is either prohibited or requires a permit, and it is actively enforced.

If you are planning to drive to Quarry Lake on a sunny day, on a weekend, or any day in July or August, you must arrive early to guarantee a parking spot. Otherwise, we recommend you take the free Roam bus from downtown Canmore, or even better, enjoy the beautiful walk.

Public Transit to Quarry Lake

Canmore’s local Roam transit routes are free to ride. In the summer months (mid-May to mid-September) the Roam Route 12 will take you from downtown Canmore to directly to Quarry Lake. This is an excellent choice to avoid finding and paying for parking.

Outside of the summer months, the closest bus stop to Quarry Lake is the Prospect Heights West stop on the Roam 5T route. From this bus stop, it’s a 10 minute walk to the park.

Check the Roam bus schedules for Route 12 and Route 5T before you go.

Bike to Quarry Lake

It’s a quick, but uphill 14 minute bike ride from downtown Canmore to Quarry Lake.

Walk to Quarry Lake

Walking to Quarry Lake from downtown Canmore is a highly enjoyable experience. The walk is approximately 2 km and should take approximately 30 minutes.

Our recommended walking route would be to start in Riverside Park, then walk along the Bow River to West Canmore Park. From here, walk up the Canmore Creek Waterfall trail (one of the best easy hikes in Canmore) to the entrance of Quarry Lake.

This Google Map shows most of our recommended walking route to Quarry Lake. When you reach the end point of this trail map, simply follow the road until you see a trail which has a warning sign about old coal mining equipment in the area. Follow this short hiking trail past a beautiful waterfall all the way to Quarry Lake.

Swimming at Quarry Lake

One of the questions we get asked most is “Can you swim in Quarry Lake?“. The answer is yes, you can go swimming in Quarry Lake, but the water is bone-chillingly cold.

When our kids were small, we’d take them to play at the Quarry Lake beach and let them splash around in the shallow water near the beach (we talk about this in the next section). But aside from getting our legs wet, we have never gone for a proper swim in the lake.

Just because we have never gone swimming in Quarry Lake, that doesn’t mean that you can’t. There are lots of people who go swimming at Quarry Lake. The water in Quarry Lake is F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G, so if you do intend to go swimming at Quarry Lake, be sure you have the proper gear. Most people we have seen swimming at Quarry Lake wear proper insulating wetsuits.

Finally, swimming at Quarry Lake is unsupervised, so swim at your own risk.

Play in the Water at the Quarry Lake Beach

Aside from actual swimming, you can also play in the water near the beach at Quarry Lake.

Quarry Lake is one of our top things to do in Canmore with kids. The water in Quarry Lake is incredibly cold, but you’ll be amazed at the number of hardy little kids laughing and playing in the water of this beautiful mountain lake on a hot summer day.

Quarry Lake isn’t a natural lake, but there is a small sandy beach near the northern picnic area. It’s a small beach, but again, kids don’t care, they’ll have fun anyway!

The water is shallow near the Quarry Lake beach area, but you’ll notice a series of large rocks in the water. These rocks denote where the safe swimming area ends and the water is about to get very deep quickly.

Best Things to do at Quarry Lake Park

In addition to the chance to go swimming in glacially cold water, there are many other things to do at Quarry Lake in Canmore. Here are some of our favourites:

1. Enjoy the Stunning Views of the Canadian Rockies

With its enviable location high above the town of Canmore, visitors to Quarry Lake will be treated to stunning views of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. From the moment you arrive at Quarry Lake, the surrounding mountains are the main attraction.

Looking across the water from the main picnic area, you’ll have 180-degrees of mountain views. On your right will be Mount Rundle (which runs west all the way to Banff National Park), Ha Ling Peak, Mount Lawrence Grassi and Hope (the littlest of the famous Three Sisters).

If you walk to the far side of the lake, you’ll be treated to views of the rest of Canmore’s mountain family, including Grotto Mountain, Cougar Peak and Mount Lady MacDonald.

2. Have a Picnic at Quarry Lake

With such amazing scenery, it’s no wonder that Quarry Lake is one of the best spots for a picnic in Canmore. There are picnic tables on both the north and south sides of the lake. If they’re full, bring a picnic blanket and find a spot on the grass.

3. Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Quarry Lake is one of our favourite spots to go stand-up paddleboarding in the Canadian Rockies. We are drawn to paddleboarding at Quarry Lake because of the truly incredible mountain scenery. It’s a pretty small lake, but you’ll be too busy admiring the surrounding mountain peaks to notice.

4. Kayaking

Although we prefer to stand-up paddleboard at Quarry Lake, another popular paddling activity is kayaking.

5. Walking Trail

One of our favourite easy Canmore walking trails is located at Quarry Lake. The short trail hugs the shoreline all the way around the lake, treating walkers to a variety of different mountain vistas along the way. There are several sightseeing benches along the walking path, which are perfect for soaking in the views.

If you are lucky enough to walk around the Canmore lake early in the morning or in the evening when the wind is calm, you’ll be treated to glasslike water and some amazing mountain reflections!

6. Watch for Wildlife

Located at the very edge of Canmore, Alberta, Quarry Lake is a prime spot for spotting wildlife. There is nothing but forest separating the lake from the headwall of Ha Ling Peak, so wildlife occasionally wanders through the area.

The most common wildlife I’ve seen at around the lake are elk, but you’ll also have a good chance of seeing deer. Bears are not unheard of, but they are not commonly seen here. Improve your chances of seeing an animal with our expert tips on spotting wildlife.

Dogs are not allowed at Quarry Lake Park, but there is a sanctioned off leash dog park located to the north side of the lake. Due to the presence of dogs in this area, most of the wildlife viewings will be at the south end of Quarry Lake.

7. Off Leash Dog Park

As mentioned, dogs are not allowed anywhere near Quarry Lake, but there is a very large off leash area right next door. This is a popular Canmore off leash dog park due to the views and the dog pond, which is a fun swimming area for your dog.

8. Mountain Biking at Quarry Lake

While there are no trails in the immediate area, there are several popular mountain biking trails near Quarry Lake.

For kids and beginners, the Fun Forest Trail and Mosquito Bite are two fun mountain biking trails in the area. More experienced mountain bikers can tackle the Highline – West Connector trail.

If you are a serious mountain biker, you should bypass Quarry Lake and head to the nearby Canmore Nordic Centre, which has tons of awesome mountain biking trails for all skill levels.

9. Hiking at Quarry Lake

Aside from the highly enjoyable easy walk around Quarry Lake, there are no real hiking trails in the area. That said, there are several excellent Canmore hikes within a 10 minute drive:

The family-friendly Grassi Lakes Trail is one of the most popular easy hikes in Canmore.

Those looking for more of a challenge should try tackling the Ha Ling Peak trail or EEOR (East End of Rundle). These challenging Canmore hikes take you to the summit of the mountains surrounding Quarry Lake, allowing you to look down on this popular Canmore picnic spot.

Facilities at Quarry Lake

The parking revenues have allowed the Town of Canmore to invest in better facilities at the park. Visitors can now enjoy:

Picnic tables and toilets at both the north and south sides of the lake.

Interpretive signs about the coal mining history and ultimate creation of Quarry Lake Park.

Life saving equipment on all four corners of the lake. There’s a bunch of complimentary lifejackets available at the main picnic area on the north side, they are hanging from the information sign.

There are plenty of garbage and recycling bins. Human food is harmful to wildlife, so please pack out anything that doesn’t fit in the bins.

Quarry Lake History

Canmore’s coal-mining story began after coal was discovered along Canmore Creek in 1884, with the No. 1 Mine operating by 1887. The quality of the anthracite coal in Canmore was excellent, but the underground mines had a very complex geology, making it difficult and dangerous to extract the coal.

In the late 1960s to early 1970s, Canmore Mines Ltd. established a series of five surface mines, including Canmore Creek Mine Number 3, which is now the site of our beloved Quarry Lake Park.

In less than two years all the economic coal had been extracted from Canmore Creek Mine Number 3, leaving a pit 36 m deep, 365 m long and 150 m wide. In 1974, the Province of Alberta took back control of the land as part of an effort to further develop Alberta’s mountain parks.

After a long and complex reclamation project, the land was renamed Quarry Lake in 1982. With the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics just years away (with Nordic events to be held down the road at the Canmore Nordic Centre), the town further invested in amenities at Quarry Lake.

We are grateful to the visionaries who took an industrial eyesore and lovingly turned it into one of the most scenic and popular places in Canmore.

Quarry Lake FAQ

Can you swim in Quarry Lake?

Yes, you can swim in Quarry Lake, but the better question is: do you want to? There is a small, shallow swimming area by the beach for hardy little kids who don’t seem to notice the near freezing water temperatures.

Adult recreational swimmers also enjoy swimming in Quarry Lake, but they have proper wet suits to protect them from the frigid waters.

Do you have to pay to go to Quarry Lake?

There is no entry fee for Quarry Lake Park, but if you drive, you do need to pay for parking unless you qualify for resident or accessible-stall rules.

How long is the trail around Quarry Lake?

The beautiful walking trail around Quarry Lake is only 1 km long, with virtually no elevation gain.

Where is Quarry Lake in Canmore?

Quarry Lake is on the western edge of Canmore, Alberta. It’s located on Spray Lakes Road, just minutes from the Canmore Nordic Centre, a host venue for the Nordic events during the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

Can you skate on Quarry Lake in the winter?

No, it is never safe to skate on Quarry Lake in the winter.