5 Hikes You Can Do In Canmore WITHOUT a Car

These hikes prove you can absolutely hike in Canmore without a car, whether you’re a local or a visitor. However, it’s essential to know that most of the hikes we recommend are full-day adventures requiring prior hiking experience. These aren’t considered leisurely walks around town, so plan accordingly and do further research!

Note: It's important to have bear spray whenever you’re hiking in the Bow Valley. Hiking equipment, including bearspray, can be found at 10th Street’s Switching Gear, close to Canmore’s transit hub. For the trickier paths, walking poles can be borrowed totally free from the library.

1. Ha Ling via the Grassi Lakes

• Beginner to intermediate

• 10km each way from downtown

There's a good reason Ha Ling Peak is popular. It's very doable year-round (but use crampons in winter). 

A staircase follows a straightforward series of switchbacks, then a very small scramble to the peak. A panoramic view of the whole town awaits at the top.

Many people will drive straight to the Goat Creek parking lot at the trailhead (a Kananaskis pass is needed to park). Those people are fools! 

Instead, experience double the wonder by walking from downtown. This route leads you on a highlights reel of Canmore ― crossing Engine Bridge, then passing the reservoir, the blue Grassi Lakes, and Whitemans Pond, all before the main event. 

It also adds two hours each way to the hiking time. A good deal for those who enjoy punishment, which the Bow Valley does attract.

If you prefer to start at the Grassi Lakes trailhead, take the No. 12 Roam bus there in summer only. Stick to the Grassi Lake Upper trail rather than the trickier Interpretive Trail (which is closed in winter).

Outside summer, getting the 5T bus from 9th Street shaves off half an hour or so. 

Disembark at Walker West, then take the Powerline Trail, turn on to Highline Trail, and continue to the Grassi Lakes. 

It's also easy enough to cycle to the Powerline Trail from downtown, with a cycle lane on the road. Once on the Highline Trail, stay on-path: it's in a wildlife corridor.

Alternative Option: Banff via Goat Creek

• Intermediate to difficult (due to length)

• 20km each way from Ha Ling trailhead

Once you're at Ha Ling's trailhead, instead of climbing the mountain, you could turn off onto the Goat Creek trail and walk to Banff. 

Sure, the no.3 bus will get you there from Canmore’s 9th Street in 25 minutes. But why not take the bragging rights option? Even other locals will be impressed.

Used by bikers and Nordic skiers, the route is perfectly walkable if you have a whole day, even in winter. 

You’ll pass the Rundles and plenty of bighorn sheep and get a magical view of the Banff Springs Hotel twinkling on the hillside. 

End with a well-earned drink (or five) in Banff, then get the no. 3 bus home.

2. East End of Rundle (EEOR)

• Difficult

• 6km each way from Grassi Lakes Trailhead bus stop

It may be gnarly, but EEOR is arguably a more pleasant experience than Ha Ling. 

The harder grade translates to fewer tourists. Full of scrambling, scree, and snow, it's unwise for non-experts to try in winter, early spring, or late fall. Walking poles (and patience) are a big help. 

The peak, as ever, is breathtaking ― if too windy and exposed to stay on for long.

EEOR's trailhead is right before Ha Ling's, so the hike starts with the same walk via the Grassi Lakes, or the cycle/5T bus to the Powerline Trail first. 

Again, allow two hours to get to the trailhead from downtown. 

Summer's no.12 bus will zip you to the Grassi Lakes Trailhead stop. 

The Goat Creek parking lot is still best if you’re ridesharing and want to skip the walk to the trailhead.

3. Three Sisters Mountain Village

• Beginner

• 6km each way from downtown

You may see hiking as a non-accessible hobby ― if so, think again! 

This option is a personal favourite because it’s scenic and rewarding but also inclusive. 

The path is largely paved, and even the unpaved parts are smooth, maintained, and without steps or roots. It’s suitable for powered wheelchair or mobility scooter users.

While it's simple enough to start in downtown Canmore, this trail really starts at the pedestrian bridge over the Bow River. The nearest bus stop is Bow River Bridge North. 

After following the river, the path winds uphill, passing peaceful wooded areas, likely some deer, and the smelly sulphur pond. 

A good place to end is at Three Sisters Mountain Village's Market Bistro. Load up on Italian food before turning around or getting the 5T from the bistro's bus stop.

4. Middle Sister

• Intermediate to difficult

• 9km each way from Three Sisters Parkway at Drygas bus stop

The trailhead for the easiest (but still daunting) of the iconic Three Sisters mountains also begins in Three Sisters Mountain Village. 

You can start with the previous walk, a 30-minute cycle using the same route, or a 10-minute trip on the 5T, getting off at Three Sisters Parkway at Drygas.

There are two sections to this hike: clambering and hopping from rock to rock along the dry creek bed, then a steep walk up to the peak. 

Like EEOR, the surface is entirely scree (also like EEOR, it's not one for colder months). 

It's often a case of walking two steps forward and sliding one back; walking poles help.

However, the endpoint is really something special, with the peaks of the other two sisters standing on either side like proud guardians. 

To ‘do’ Canmore, you almost have to tackle one of the sisters, if able. After all, they're plastered on every single postcard. 

And when you're downtown looking up at the trio, you'll remember what it was like to be up there looking down.

5. Banff Hoodoos Trail

• Beginner

• 6km each way from Banff High School transit hub

If you do opt for getting transit to Banff ― whether Roam, FlixBus, On-It, or Poparide ― it's worth seeking out a trail that's more off the beaten track compared with, say, the tourist-thronged Tunnel Mountain.

The year-round path from Surprise Corner to the Hoodoos is comparatively quiet and starts just a 20-minute stroll from Banff's High School transit hub. That’s important: lots of hikes ‘near’ Banff are actually a drive away. 

After the waterfall, mountain, and hotel views on the trail, the eerie rock formations of the hoodoos are a satisfying end. 

Then it's just a case of wandering back to the town. It’s worth bringing crampons in the winter.

Cut the walk back by a third by getting Roam's no.2 bus from Hidden Ridge Resort (or from Tunnel Mountain Campground in summer). 

Even if doing this step, don’t get a Roam day pass: it's cheaper to get individual tickets for Canmore to Banff ($6), Hidden Ridge to Banff ($2), and then back to Canmore again ($6).

A Quick Word About Transit Options

For cyclists, bikes can be rented from Rebound Cycle, very close to the main transit hub on 9th Street. They can be bought for much-reduced prices from Community Cruisers, which is also a great resource for winterizing your bike.

Roam routes bring hikers (and their bikes) to the trail bright and early. The year-round 5C and 5T buses cover Canmore and Three Sisters Village for free, picking up their first riders before 6am. In summer, the free no.12 route goes to the Grassi Lakes, near the start of a fair number of trails.

It's easy to reach hikes in Banff, too. The no.3 bus costs $6 each way and sets out from 9th Street from 6:21 AM. 

For those not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed enough to risk standing up on their bus, FlixBus and On-It coaches are another good choice. 

On-It operates from Spring through Fall, and FlixBus runs all year round. Both usually charge around $12 to ride one-way from Canmore to Banff. 

The rideshare app Poparide is worth keeping an eye on, too.