Skip the crowds in Banff and tour this underrated mountain town instead

On a quiet fall morning in Kananaskis, Alberta, just thirty minutes from Banff, an inviting bench beneath trembling aspens offers the perfect place to witness the majestic peaks of Mount Kidd, The Wedge, Fisher Peak, and Mount McDougall. The Village Rim Trail, a loop of less than a mile, circles Kananaskis Village, a purpose-built resort community complete with a hotel, Nordic spa, restaurants, and stores, providing access to the Canadian Rockies and, in the winter, to Kananaskis Cross Country Ski Trails. 

Why you should visit Kananaskis Country in Alberta

Visitors also get a grand view of the Rockies by standing directly on a metal sun, etched into the ground at Viewpoint 2, on the Village Rim Trail. Compared with other mountain towns like Banff and Lake Louise, Kananaskis hasn’t experienced the same level of overtourism

“I think Kananaskis is just more raw and wild. It's more untouched,” says Michelle Earls, founder and owner of Kananaskis Outfitters.

A town of less than 200 residents and an hour’s drive from Calgary, Kananaskis offers visitors a variety of fun outdoor activities—hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, ice skating, skiing, and snowshoeing—without the crowds.

Eric Hughes, adventure concierge at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, moved from Nova Scotia just a year ago, and sums up the Kananaskis difference. He explains, “You truly get that sense of mountain adventure here, having these beautiful places almost to yourself is pretty special. When I come to the mountains, that's what I expect. If I wanted to be with lots of people, I'd go to a city.”

Hughes organizes a range of activities for guests at the lodge, including Indigenous-led medicine walks led by an elder or knowledge keeper, who educates guests about local plants, their traditional medicinal uses, and the cultural relationships Indigenous peoples have with the land. He can also arrange horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and extreme adventures like heli-skiing for guests.

Although he prefers dispersed camping at Powderface Trail, Hughes recommends first-time visitors camp in Elbow Falls Provincial Recreation Area or Powderface Ridge Summit—both located near the Powderface East Ridge Loop. 

Take a guided or self-guided hike 

For visitors looking for a hiking trail, he recommends the six-mile Tent Ridge Horseshoe trail. “You go down the other side of the mountain (ridge), and it makes a circle traverse, which is really nice, because you don't see the same area or the same views twice. It's like new terrain the whole way,” Hughes explains.

Signs warn hikers of bears in the area. Kananaskis is home to both black bears and Grizzlies, so hikers should consider a guided tour with local experts like Jordan Ede, a Mahikan Trails guide trained in wilderness First Aid. He also works as an Indigenous interpreter, sharing his deep Traditional Knowledge with hikers through stories and facts woven into his guided walks along secondary trails from Village Rim Trail. Before guided nature walks or self-guided hikes, Ede recommends carrying bear spray for protection, and during his walks, he offers educational insights about them. 

“Studying bears tells you everything about the forest and other species,” he says. Bears act as ecological indicators; the plants they spread, the paths they carve, and the reactions they trigger in other animals all reveal the structure of the local ecosystem, which is constantly changing.

Travelers visiting Kananaskis should also consider the four-mile trail at Rawson Lake, an hour’s drive from Kananaskis Village, and the eight-mile (round-trip) Prairie View Trail, a 30-minute drive from town.  

For a family-friendly hike, Earls recommends the accessible, three-mile Troll Falls trail, an easy, one to two-hour hike that leads to three waterfalls: Troll Falls, Marmot Falls, and Upper Falls. Hikers with extra stamina can extend their hike toward Marmot Falls, Boulder Falls, the Double Falls, and the Hay Meadows Loop, accessible via the Troll Falls trail. 

Paddling pristine lakes near Kananaskis

Alberta is renowned for its beautiful glacial lakes, such as Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Canoeing or kayaking is the best way to traverse the lakes near Kananaskis. Visitors should consider visiting Barrier Lake, in Bow Valley Provincial Park, to enjoy the silence and views of Mount Baldy. Some local outfitters—like Kananaskis Outfitters at Barrier Lake—rent canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards.

For experienced paddlers, Earls recommends heading to Upper Kananaskis Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. She says, “It’s absolutely stunning.” However, she cautions that visitors should ask for advice to ensure their experience by canoe, kayak, or paddleboard matches their skill level. “The wind can pick up, so you need to know what you’re doing. But the visitors to Kananaskis are usually a little bit more adventurous anyway,” Earls explains.

For example, the wind can make paddleboarding more challenging at Spray Lake but canoeing and kayaking are still viable. The reward is amazing views of Mount Lougheed and the surrounding sub-alpine forests of Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park. Nearby Goat Pond is a little more sheltered, so paddleboards may find their experience here easier, even on windy days. Thrill seekers can try class II and III rapids at Canoe Meadows, also located in Bow Valley Provincial Park.

Horseback riding in Kananaskis Country

Head to Boundary Ranch, a family-run operation for 85 years that offers horseback riding on a series of trails or more. This ranch experience may be the ideal destination if the Calgary Stampede inspires you—the annual summer event that features a rodeo and a music and arts festival that attracts more than four million people.

Boundary Ranch Marketing Manager Emiley Nixon moved from Queensland, Australia, to Kananaskis. The horse wrangler and tour guide understands the appeal of the open range. “Growing up on a ranch, I can see how people would kind of get a glimpse of it at the stampede and kind of crave it,” she says.

Young and older horseback riders can choose between a 10-minute pony ride and a six-hour guided journey along the Kananaskis Valley. 

Contrary to the notion that horseback riding requires peak physical fitness, Nixon says the trail rides are surprisingly inclusive. Unlike walking, where steep terrain can be a barrier, horseback riding allows the animal to absorb much of the physical strain.

“You can stop, slow down, take a breather, and experience Kananaskis with people who might not be able to come with you if you were to go on a hike,” says Nixon.

(These Canadian mountain towns offer the beauty of Banff—without the crowds.)