Spend Spring Break with your Family at a Wilderness Hostel

Spring Break is coming along with the Easter long weekend and we always love spending a few nights at one of the wilderness hostels in Kananaskis, Banff, or Jasper. The hostels provide the perfect combination of drive-up access blended with a backcountry experience (with way more comfort than winter camping!)

This cabin could  be yours for a Spring Break getaway! (HI Hilda Creek)

Rent an Entire Wilderness Hostel for your Group

"Rent out an entire wilderness hostel for your family or group's exclusive use. Gather around the campfire pit, gaze up at the brilliant night skies and enjoy your own slice of paradise in the wilderness. Each hostel comes with comfortable sleeping quarters for 6 to 40, a fully equipped kitchen, a cozy lounge area with a woodstove, an outdoor campfire pit and a whole lot of peace and quiet." - Hostelling International Canada

Follow this link to access the Rent-a-Hostel page for Hosteling International Canada for all information.

This entire wilderness hostel could be yours for a weekend! (HI Athabasca Falls)

How do I make a booking and how much will I pay to rent an entire hostel?

Bookings for all hostels with Hostelling International Canada must be made over the phone if you want to book an entire hostel.

You can get more information on the booking process here.

And note the HI Hilda Creek Hostel only sleeps 6 people. For this one, you can book all 6 beds online and voila, you've booked an entire hostel. 

Alternately, you can book an entire cabin for your group or family at most of the wilderness hostels. For this, also book online. For example: book 6 beds at the HI Rampart Creek Hostel and you'll get a dorm to yourself in one of their log cabins. You'll share the kitchen and communal living cabin, but at least you won't be sharing your sleeping cabin.

View all of the hostels in Alberta at this link where you can also see how big the dorm rooms are, and how easy it would be to book a full cabin for your group. (The HI Mosquito Creek Wilderness Hostel for example has dorm rooms that sleep 12 people, so you'd have to book all 12 beds.)

Imagine spending a few days here with your family! (HI Rampart Creek)

Why Stay at a Wilderness Hostel instead of a Hotel

There are a few main reasons why we love staying at wilderness hostels:

• Each hostel has kitchen facilities so we can cook our own meals and save money on not having to eat out. (And they're significantly cheaper than fully equipped condos.)
  
  
• We appreciate the space! Hotel rooms generally have one room (unless you splurge on a 2-bedroom condo.) Meanwhile, a hostel will usually have a separate kitchen and living area (sometimes with a fireplace) and separate rooms or cabins for sleeping. This is great if you want to stay up past the kids' bedtime! (No hiding in the bathroom while the kids sleep in the hotel room.)
  
  
• The kids can go sledding, play in the snow, build a snowman, or just run around - right outside the hostel! (This doesn't usually happen when you stay at a hotel.) Bring some lawn chairs and you can just hang out and watch the kids play - without having to drive anywhere! Every hostel is located in a wilderness setting so you'll have space for the kids to run around for miles.
  
  
• By March we usually miss camping and staying at a wilderness hostel gives us that "nature fix" that we've been craving. Lest you worry that the hostels will be too "rustic" though, many of them have indoor plumbing with showers, and some even have full electricity with microwaves.
  
  
• Spring is a great time to stay at one of the hostels along the Icefields Parkway or near Lake Louise. There's still awesome skating, sledding, and skiing (while everything is starting to melt closer to Calgary.)

This could be your children if you spend a few nights on the Icefields Parkway this spring!

Wilderness Hostels as a base camp for Skiing

The HI Kananaskis Hostel is the closest facility to Calgary and is located just below Kananaskis Village off Highway 40. Stay in Kananaskis and you'll be a 5 minute drive from the Nakiska Ski Hill.

There are also groomed cross-country ski trails right outside the door from the hostel and around the Kananaskis Village area.

HI Castle Mountain is located at Castle Junction in Banff and is centrally located to ski at either Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay, or at the Lake Louise Ski Resort.

There are also groomed cross-country ski trails right outside the door.

HI Mosquito Creek is another great option for downhill skiing. This hostel is located approximately 30 minutes away from the Lake Louise Ski Resort on the Icefields Parkway (a heck of a lot closer than the ski hill is from Calgary for a day trip!)

Stay at Mosquito Creek and you'll have plenty of options for cross-country skiing as well near Lake Louise.

There are several wilderness hostels near downhill ski resorts

Wilderness Hostels as a base camp for snowshoeing, hiking, and adventure

We love staying at the hostels along the Icefields Parkway where you can walk out the door and generally go rambling wherever you want (within reason.) I'm not saying you should just start walking up any random hiking trail in winter (avalanche terrain is very real out along the Parkway) but we've had a lot of fun over the years exploring the terrain near each hostel we've stayed at.

Below are highlights from each wilderness hostel along the Icefields Parkway.

HI Mosquito Creek  - Explore the Mosquito Creek campground or cross the highway and hike up the creek to find frozen waterfalls. Note you'll be going up the actual creek and not up the summer hiking trail. (Though we did try cross-country skiing the summer hiking trail and it was quite beautiful - though challenging.) From Mosquito Creek you're also near Lake Louise where there are many safe designated winter hiking trails.

We found these frozen waterfalls right across the highway from the HI Mosquito Creek Hostel

From Mosquito Creek we also like to hike or cross-country ski to the Peyto Lake Viewpoint at Bow Summit. The viewpoint is closed this winter 2021 for construction, but keep it in mind if you're traveling here next winter. The hike or ski is an easy one up a wide summer road with no avalanche danger. Once you get to the viewpoint though you should return. Do not attempt to hike the Bow Summit Lookout Trail where backcountry skiers will be touring with avalanche gear and training.

The Peyto Lake Viewpoint is always a fun destination on skis or snowshoes (add to your list for 2022)

Finally we have also cross-country skied across Bow Lake (sticking to the middle of the lake to avoid avalanche slopes) and you could also hike across the lake. It's a beautiful lake even if you just stop by the lodge to take photos and play around.

Do not go past the end of the lake towards Bow Glacier Falls as this puts you in avalanche terrain.

Skiing across Bow Lake on the Icefields Parkway

HI Rampart Creek - Further north along the Icefields Parkway near the Saskatchewan River Crossing, this hostel is conveniently located to explore the Mistaya Canyon Trail. We've also enjoyed hiking in the meadows across the highway from the hostel and there's a small canyon behind the hostel. 

From Rampart Creek you're also a short 30 minute drive from the Columbia Icefields Centre where you can snowshoe the moraines below the Athabasca Glacier and hike to the toe of the glacier. (It's not safe to walk on the glacier itself.) And just past the Icefields Centre, make sure you drive a short distance further to view the frozen Tangle Falls (right hand side of the road.)

Playing in the snow outside the Rampart Creek Hostel 

HI Hilda Creek - Families wanting a true backcountry experience will find it here! This is a hike-in hostel and you'll have to load all of your gear into a sled, and use snowshoes to access the hostel (even though it's only a 5 minute hike to the cabin.) - Read more below where I've listed stories from our previous trips.

From Hilda Creek families with backcountry experience and avalanche training can snowshoe up to the moraines behind the hostel to try some epic sledding. The trail we follow starts behind the outhouse by the creek where the terrain is generally safe if you have the training to know where to go (and where not to go.) You should not hike directly up from the hostel as this will put you into direct avalanche terrain.

Sledding down glacier moraines above the Hilda Creek Hostel 

If you want to drive from Hilda Creek you are a very short distance away from the Columbia Icefields Centre where you can play on the moraines at the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. 

Hiking to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields Centre

We've also hiked down to the base of Panther Falls which was an amazing hike nearby. I'd avoid this area in times of high avalanche hazard and the trail is not suitable for young children. It is also imperative that you have spikes or good ice cleats.

Panther Falls near the HI Hilda Creek Hostel

The basic appeal of Hilda Creek is that you'll get to experience true winter camping without having to sleep in a tent. This hostel does not have a manager on site and you'll be fully responsible for your own needs.

Note you should not hike the popular Parker Ridge or Wilcox Pass Trails in winter with children. Both trails enter avalanche terrain.

Create memories on the Icefields Parkway!

HI Beauty Creek - We haven't stayed here as a family yet, but this hostel is similar to Hilda Creek in that you'll be on your own without a manager to assist you. You get a key code in advance to access the hostel. Access is much simpler though and you won't have to hike in to the cabin. 

From Beauty Creek you can either drive back to the Columbia Icefields Centre (20 minute drive) or you can drive further to the Town of Jasper (which is only an hour north.) You're quite close to both the Sunwapta Falls and the Athabasca Falls Trails from this hostel as well (both very safe in winter.)

The "beauty" about this hostel is that you can explore Jasper as a day trip without having to drive the full distance to Jasper. You'll save an hour of driving if you're heading out Friday night but can still go skiing, hiking, or exploring around the Town of Jasper the next day.

Ice climbing at Tangle Falls near the Columbia Icefields Centre

The hostel is also conveniently located near Tangle Falls for families who have experience with ice climbing. This is one of the best places to try ice climbing as a family because you can set up a top rope from above without having to lead.

If you'd like to try ice climbing but don't have experience, contact Rockaboo Mountain Adventures in Jasper. They often use Tangle Falls for their "Experience Ice Climbing" Tour. And while they normally meet in Jasper, you might be able to convince them to meet you at Tangle Falls (especially if you booked a private tour.) Youth must be 12+ to join this tour.

Ice climbing at Tangle Falls on the Icefields Parkway 

Read more here about winter on the Icefields Parkway. This Parks Canada page gives very important information on driving the highway in winter and general safety.

Hiking through the Mosquito Creek Campground beside the hostel

Additional Reading (read about our previous hosteling adventures!)

Wilderness Hosteling in Kananaskis

• Winter Camping in Kananaskis
  
  
• Affordable Family Ski Vacations in the Canadian Rockies
  
  

Space for miles to play outside at the HI Kananaskis Hostel

Wilderness Hosteling at HI Castle Mountain

• Winter at the HI Castle Mountain Hostel with Kids 
  
  
• Family Hostelling - Book an Entire Wilderness Hostel 
  
  

Cross-country skiing at Castle Junction in Banff 

Wilderness Hosteling at HI Mosquito Creek and HI Rampart Creek

• 5 Reasons to Take your Family to Mosquito Creek this Winter
  
  
• Spring Adventures on the Icefields Parkway 
  
  
• Rampart Creek: Our New Favourite Wilderness Hostel 

Playing in a snow quincy we found in the Mosquito Creek Campground

Wilderness Hosteling at HI Hilda Creek

• Raising Tough Kids - Hilda Creek Wilderness Trip
  
  
• Easter at the Best Wilderness Hostel in the Canadian Rockies 

Playing in snow caves outside the HI Hilda Creek Hostel 

Disclaimer: This story has been written in partnership with Hosteling International Canada. We have received many complimentary stays over the years in exchange for writing and sharing.

Chasing Frozen Waterfalls in Kananaskis! Troll Falls and beyond to the Upper Falls

Troll Falls is one of the most popular winter hiking destinations in all of Kananaskis near Calgary. Cross the creek for the Upper Falls though, and you'll leave the crowds behind as you explore a magical world of frozen waterfalls (one that you can even walk behind.)

The Upper Falls above Troll Falls

Destination 1: Troll Falls 

Troll Falls

For trailhead directions and a general overview of this hike please visit the Alberta Parks website where you can read all about the Troll Falls Hike.

We usually start at the Stoney Trailhead below Kananaskis Village.

From the Stoney Trailhead, the Alberta Parks website says it is a short 1.7 km hike (one way) to reach the falls. You'll be following wide multi-use trails (designated for cross-country skiing, hiking, and fat biking) and there are signs at every junction.

Note that while the trail is open to hikers and bikers, it's still appreciated if you stay off the ski tracks and that you give the right of way to skiers coming downhill towards you (since it's often hard to stop on steep hills.)

What to expect from this part of the hike:

This part of the hike is extremely family-friendly and you can even pull children in sleds. The trail is relatively flat with gentle hills that walkers will not find challenging. It's an excellent beginner hike, and most of the time you will be fine in your winter boots without ice cleats. 

When conditions are icy (or if it hasn't snowed in a while) you will however appreciate ice cleats. You should never need snowshoes as the trail is always well packed down.

* As of 2021 there is now a barrier in front of the falls to encourage people to appreciate them from afar due to safety concerns. Some of my photos are from pre-2021.

Troll Falls is magical in winter

From Troll Falls you can either turn around, or continue a short ways back down the trail, cross the creek, and continue to the second set of waterfalls, shown below.

This is where the true magic begins on this hike. 

This is what awaits you if you go above Troll Falls! This is Marmot Falls (or the middle falls)

Destination 2: Marmot Falls (or the middle falls)

From Troll Falls, hike back a short distance until you see a bridge (in the photo below) or hike further back to a junction with a sign that says "Upper Falls."

Follow the trail on the other side of the creek as it starts to climb. The trails is quite steep but there are stairs and handrails to help you. 

The bridge to the Upper Falls Trail from Troll Falls 

There is a set of stairs that takes you down to the Middle Falls (known as Marmot Falls) and then another set of stairs that takes you back up afterwards so that you can continue hiking towards the Upper Falls. It's less than a 20 minute hike to reach Marmot Falls once you leave Troll Falls.

Standing behind Marmot Falls on the hike above Troll Falls 

Destination 3: Boulder Falls 

Boulder Falls are located right on the trail, and thus are easy to find. They are also close to Marmot Falls, so you'll only be hiking another 10 minutes up the steep trail.

We often have a lot of fun playing around on these falls and my boys like climbing them.

Playing around on Boulder Falls 

Note, if you plan on climbing any of the falls, you may want to bring helmets for the kids. Spikes are also imperative. 

And obviously, wait until they are well frozen before you go playing around on them! The same should be said for the creek.

And because I know Alberta Parks would not approve of going off trail to play on the ice, let me say that you are doing this at your own risk!! There are signs encouraging users to stick to the trail. The last time we played on the ice was back when the trail was much less official. Now we would likely question going off trail. I'm leaving the photos though for nostalgia. 

Boulder Falls have been fun to climb on previous trips

Destination 4: The Double Falls or the "Upper Falls"

The final set of waterfalls is really two sets, the "lower" and the "upper" falls, or collectively is known as "Double Falls."

This gorgeous multi-tiered waterfall is fun to play around on (if you're careful,) and when frozen, the creek is fun to explore.

We found his waterfall while exploring down along the creek

Hike up beside the frozen creek and the waterfalls until you reach the final waterfall, the "Upper Falls." Here, it's possible to walk out on a ledge half way up.

Walking out on a ledge in the middle of the Upper Falls 

This is where the official trail ends. Return the same way you came. On our most recent trip, we returned via the Hay Meadows ski trail for a total distance of 5.3 km and 178 metres of height gain. Our trip took us just under 2 hours. 

The Upper Falls at the end of the official trail above Troll Falls 

Need a Place to Stay nearby?

Spend the weekend at the HI Canada Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel where you'll get an amazing basecamp for hiking to Troll Falls. You can even hike right out the front door of the hostel for your hike, and then return later in the afternoon - without ever having to drive anywhere!

HI Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel 

The hostel has private rooms for families along with two dorm rooms separated by gender for adults (or for families with older youth.) We always stay in one of the private rooms. 

Note that the private rooms sleep 3 people comfortably in a single over double bunk bed, but you can often put a child on the floor of your room, and the hostel will give you an extra mattress if you need. (Inquire directly with the hostel on this.)

Bathrooms are shared in the hostel, but there is indoor plumbing, showers, and electricity, so you won't be roughing it too much when you stay here.

We also appreciate being able to cook our own meals in the large shared kitchen, and we enjoy the cozy fireside room that we can retreat to after putting the kids to bed.

Read more on our previous adventures at the HI Canada Kananaskis Hostel below:

Winter Camping in Kananaskis (HI Kananaskis Hostel)

Christmas in Kananaskis at the HI Kananaskis Hostel

Affordable Family Ski Vacations in the Canadian Rockies

Playing games in the fireside room of the Kananaskis Hostel

Interested in Other Ice Hikes near Calgary?

Check out these awesome hikes and the stories I've written on them:

Jura Creek, Kananaskis:

Jura Creek - The Best Winter Hike in Kananaskis

Ice, Ice, Baby - Winter Canyon Hiking 

The Wildest Winter Family Hike in Kananaskis 

Ice sidewalk in Jura Creek

Johnston Canyon, Banff:

The Most Popular Hike in Banff without the Crowds 

Ice Caves and Frozen Waterfalls in Banff National Park 

Johnston Canyon Hike 

Grotto Canyon, Kananaskis:

Grotto Canyon Ice Walk - 5 Reasons We LOVE this Hike

Frozen icefalls in Grotto Canyon 

Happy Ice Hiking! 

5 Reasons to Visit Lake Louise this Spring

Did you know that you can still go ice skating on a real mountain lake - in April? How about skiing in prime winter conditions (no slush here,) or even sledding (without a trace of dirt!) Lake Louise still has epic amounts of snow for all winter sports.

Since spring is taking its sweet time arriving this year, you might as well go away for a weekend to continue enjoying some fun snowy adventures while waiting patiently to bring the bikes out.

The snow is still fabulous at the Lake Louise Ski Resort

5 Reasons to Visit Lake Louise this Spring 

1. Awesome Skiing at the Lake Louise Ski Resort

Spring at Lake Louise

Usually by April we're looking at ice in the mornings, slushy snow in the afternoons, and ski days that are more about the sun than they are about the actual conditions. Let's be realistic, we go skiing in spring because it's warm and not because we expect to have fresh dumps of powder (daily!)

This might be one of those magical springs though where you can have it ALL. Fresh powder multiple times a week, little ice, no slush, fantastic conditions that rival those of February ski days, and it's still warm on the slopes (at least by noon anyway.)

It's nice planning a spring ski weekend, knowing it's not going to be -30 on the ski hill. (something we honestly did worry about in February.) You can ski multiple runs back to back without having to go inside and warm up. 

For many families, spring is the only comfortable time to go skiing (and some don't even start skiing for the season until mid March.) 

My son LOVES the terrain parks at Lake Louise

We like to spend a day at the Lake Louise Ski Resort over Spring Break and my son's highlights usually include the terrain parks spread around the lower mountain on the front side (we have figured out how to hit all of them in one run down, and spend much of the afternoon just doing laps off the Glacier Chair.)

Took a couple tries but he mastered this terrain park  feature quickly

We also love playing in Jerry's Jungle (an easy groomed glade run on the front side with tons of little paths through the trees for kids to play in)

Playing around in Jerry's Jungle 

Special Events and Promotions for Spring at Lake Louise, 2022 

• Spring Skiing for only $1099.00 + GST per family ($549.00 +GST per adult.)  (Ski as much as you want until May 8th when the hill closes)
  
  
• Cardboard Box Downhill Derby at Lake Louise - Visit lake Louise for this fun event on May 8th, closing day. Prizes will be given for the top three fastest sleds! Prizes will also be given out for the most creative designs (themed outfits encouraged.) Get your team of 1-4 people together to see if you can out-design, out-wit and out-sled the others. All ages welcome in this FREE event!

Mom and son ski day at Lake Louise

Read more about our previous experiences here: Family Guide to the Lake Louise Ski Resort.

Lake Louise is PRIME right now!

2. The cross-country ski trails are in fantastic shape!

The trail report for Lake Louise is sometimes a bit misleading. It may say that many trails are in fair to poor shape for cross-country skiing. We usually find that the trails are in fantastic shape for spring - well through early April.

Skiing across Lake Louise to the back of the lake

Trails we like to ski in spring:

Lake Louise Loop - Ski across the lake which is usually skier tracked and very easy going. As you reach the end of the lake, you can return on the trail through the trees (climb up towards the waterfall and you'll see it.)

These views! This is why you ski the Lake Louise Loop

Bow River Loop - This is a nice easy flat loop that follows along the Bow River and crosses several scenic bridges. It's great for families and is usually groomed and trackset.

Tons of fresh powder on the Bow River Loop

Upper Telemark Trail to the Great Divide and down to the Moraine Lake Road on the Tramline Trail - The Upper Telemark Trail is fun when it has a lot of fresh snow. Last time we skied it, it had so much fresh powder, it was actually hard to climb the initial hill from the lake. Once we reached the downhill section though, we realized Parks had at least come through with a snowmobile to pack the trail down (thank goodness because the descent is steep!) 

The Great Divide is regularly groomed and it's relatively flat. The Tramline Trail is also groomed often and it's a fun downhill run at a rail grade. Kids always love going down this one. 

Approaching the Great Divide on the Upper Telemark Trail

Peyto Loop with Drummond and Merlin - The Pipestone Trails are fantastic when they've been freshly groomed/trackset. They often last well into April.

No shortage of good snow on the Pipestone Trails

We also love the Fairview Loop and often ski the full Tramline Trail down to the Village.

Information on all ski trails at Lake Louise can be found here. 

And you can read about our previous spring ski adventures at Lake Louise here: Family Spring Ski Touring Weekend in Banff. 

Snowy bridge crossing on the Bow River Loop

3. You can still go ice skating on a mountain lake

I don't know too many mountain lakes that you can still skate on right now. Either they haven't been cleared  for skating and are way too snow covered, or they are melting out. Lake Louise is still very frozen and gets cleared regularly. 

For more information on skating here, visit the Chateau Lake Louise website. 

Spring Ice skating at Lake Louise 

4. There are gigantic mountains of snow for playing in around the lake

My son loves playing in big snow piles and it is sometimes hard to actually get him to the skating rink because he just wants to play in the snow. 

Plan to spend hours here while the kids play in the snow!

We have also discovered that there's an amazing sliding hill right beside the Chateau. Who knew?!

Sledding hill at Lake Louise

My son has also discovered that it is fun to try sledding down the snow piles too. Endless hours of fun.

No happier kid on the planet

5. Conditions are prime for snowshoeing and Winter Hiking 

We don't usually do any snowshoeing or hiking at Lake Louise itself but we do like hiking on the Icefields Parkway (especially when we're staying at the Mosquito Creek Wilderness Hostel.)

Read about our adventures on the Icefields Parkway here: Spring Adventure on the Icefields Parkway

There is so much magical snow in the Mosquito Creek area and at Bow Summit that you can snowshoe here well through April.

Winter hiking at Mosquito Creek on the Icefields Parkway (20 minutes from Lake Louise)

Where we Stay at Lake Louise 

We like to stay at the HI Lake Louise Alpine Centre in a private room that sleeps 5 people. The rooms have a shared bathroom right outside your door, and have access to a communal kitchen, on site restaurant, and a beautiful fireside room with a pool table.

We like staying here because it gives us ski in/ski out accommodations for cross-country skiing (ski out the door and right onto the Bow River Loop.)

We're also a very short drive away from the lake, the ski resort, and nearby trails. You can even walk to the Village for coffee in a short 5 minute trip.

HI Lake Louise Alpine Centre 

The hostel is a shared partnership between the Alpine Club of Canada and Hostelling International, so members of either group receive discounts.

There are many different kinds of private rooms along with small dorm rooms that a family of 4 or 5 would be quite comfortable in. Friends of ours recently booked a dorm room for 4 people and ended up with a private room all to themselves.

Read more about our previous experiences staying at this hostel here: Affordable Ski Weekends at the Lake Louise Alpine Centre. 

We skied out the door of the Alpine Centre onto the Bow River Loop

For more spring inspiration, check out the following story: The BEST of Spring in the Canadian Rockies

Easter at Lake Louise

Disclaimer: We have received complimentary stays at the Lake Louise Alpine Centre and lift tickets for the Lake Louise Ski Resort in the past. As always, all words and opinions are my own.