Bow Valley, Alberta
Canmore
A mountain town just outside Banff National Park: the Three Sisters peaks above town, turquoise Grassi Lakes, trails at the Canmore Nordic Centre, a guided cave crawl and the Spray Lakes road.
Photo: Three Sisters from Police Creek, Jakub Fryš, CC BY-SA 4.0
Canmore began as a coal-mining town and grew after the 1988 Winter Olympics, when it hosted the Nordic events.
The Three Sisters rise over town. Grassi Lakes, above the Spray Lakes road, are small lakes of clear, blue-green water. Be adventurous and hike up to them.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park
Olympic trails for hiking, biking and skiing.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Canmore Mountain Market
A Thursday market in summer.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Rat's Nest Cave tour
Guided wild caving trips into Rat's Nest Cave near Canmore.
Part of our Canadian Rockies guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Quieter than Banff, which is 20 minutes away.
- Sunrise on the Three Sisters.
- Kananaskis is next door.
Nearby and worth the drive
Lake Louise and the gondola.
Calgaryabout 75 min · Guide ↗The city and airport, at the edge of the prairie.
Ready-made trips with Canmore
Good to know
- Kananaskis: A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is needed for most of the parks here: Alberta Parks.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Three Sisters from Police Creek, Jakub Fryš, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rock outcrop at Grassi Lakes, Canmore, Georgialh, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Mountains from the Canmore Nordic Centre, Gord Schindell, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Ha Ling Peak‘’, Khoshhat, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Spray Lakes Reservoir, Khoshhat, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Canmore Hotel, Mule hollandaise, CC BY 4.0