The Most Popular Hike in Banff - Without the Crowds

I've said before that there must be photos of Banff's Johnston Canyon hiking trail on billboards across the world advertising the Canadian Rockies.  Come summer, you'd be hard pressed to get a photo on this popular trail without at least two dozen tourists in the shot, and you could be parking a mile down  the road in order to get near the place.

Hike Johnston Canyon in winter, spring or fall though and you'll find solitude in abundance, you'll get your quiet moments on the trail, and you might even have the whole place to yourself as we did last winter.  (of course it was -30C at the time, but we still had the trail to ourselves.)

I don't need to write much about Banff's number one hiking trail and a quick Google search will honestly tell you absolutely everything you need to know anyway.  I just want to share some photos, show you why this hike is awesome at this time of year, and maybe encourage you to hike the canyon NOW before the tourists and crowds arrive in another few months.

Catwalks, a Cave, and the Lower Waterfalls of Johnston Canyon

 

Hiking on the Johnston Canyon Catwalks

Hiking through the canyon en route to the Lower Falls

The Cave and the Lower Falls

Popular shot for photos on the bridge in front of the Lower Falls

 

Hiking to the Upper Falls

 

Ice appears everywhere as you reach the Upper Falls

The Upper Falls and ice climbers on them (photo taken from the canyon below the trail)

The BEST Part of the hike (going off trail into the canyon before the Upper Falls)

This one needs a disclaimer:  Do not walk on thin ice, do not go try to climb the falls without proper equipment, stick to official or at least unofficial trails that take you into the canyon, etc.  We found a lovely little side trail that took us down into the canyon right before the Upper Falls.  We played for a bit, enjoyed the view, and left again on the main trail.  We did not try to descend or hike down the canyon because that would be too dangerous (and dumb.)

Down in the canyon near the Upper Falls

The kids had a lot of fun playing down in the canyon

I love the Upper Falls as seen from down in the canyon

This was as far as we descended in the canyon - before returning on the main trail

This part of the trail was the highlight for us

The Hike Out

Another disclaimer:  Bring ice cleats or something for grip.  You'll notice them on our feet in the photo above.  I swear by micro spikes but my son wears yak trax which are much cheaper.  A small pair of yak trax is supposed to fit ladies with feet sized 6.5 - 10, but my son fits them and he isn't even a size 1 yet.   XS micro spikes are designed for kids with feet size 1 and bigger and that will be what my son gets for next winter.

This is what the trail looks like in spring when it's icy

This is how you'll descend the trail if you don't have ice cleats (be warned)

Looking down on the Lower Falls and the cave

And a fun video to end things off

 

For more information:

Visit the Town of Banff's website for detailed information on the trail.   It is 2.7 km one way to the Upper Falls but much shorter to the Lower Falls.  Most children aged 3+ should be able to make it to at least the Lower Falls and the cave with no difficulty.  

The Top 10 Spring Family Hikes in Kananaskis

I got the following email message a couple weeks ago:

"I am a mom of 4 kids. I really want to start family hiking - but am a complete novice.  Scared I might be eaten by a bear or fall into ice!!!  Have you written a post about getting kids and families started - best hikes to start with?"

Then last week I received this following message:

"I would like to take my 18 month old daughter out to the mountains this weekend and was hoping that you might have a trail suggestion or two.  Ideally within 1 hour or hour and a half drive."

While I did respond to both moms, I figure there are at least a few more of you with the same questions.  And since it's spring in the Rockies, I'm going to start with Spring Hiking.  I'm also going to focus on Kananaskis because it's close to Calgary with trails that lose their snow quickly in the warm spring sun.

Spring Hiking in the Bow Valley on the Flowing Water Trail

The Top Ten Spring Family Hikes in Kananaskis 

The First Five Hikes for Young Children

In my story, Spring Hiking with your Family in Kananaskis, I write about the following five hikes that are awesome for families with young children.

• Beaver Flats Interpretive Trail, Elbow Valley
  
  
• Paddy's Flat Interpretive Trail, Elbow Valley
  
  
• Troll Falls, Kananaskis Valley 
  
  
• Heart Creek, Kananaskis Valley
  
  
• Widow Maker Trail, Kananaskis Valley 

Information on  those the trails can be found in the story above.

Playing on the Beaver Flats Trail, Elbow Valley

More Hikes in the Elbow Valley

The Fullerton Loop is the next little hike that comes to mind and it's the perfect next step for children that are able to hike a 5km loop.  The trailhead has a brand new start post-flood so if you've done this one before, you'll find the new trail starts across the highway from the Allen Bill Day Use Area.  Also, there is no more pond at this day use area.  The river has reclaimed the whole area.  It's still a fun little spot though for the kids to play by the river and for the family to have a picnic.

Resting on the Fullerton Loop, Elbow Valley

 
The next hike in the Elbow Valley that I LOVE in spring is the Prairie Mountain trail.  This one is great for the older kids because you'll be climbing 700 m to get to the summit.  There's no cute little creek on this one but the feeling of reaching a summit is incomparable.

Note the trail always has a lot of snow on the upper part of it until mid-May so be prepared with ice cleats if going early season.

Standing on the summit of Prairie Mountain, March 8th

For more information on this trail, please read the story I wrote last September, More First Summits:  Prairie Mountain, Kananaskis.   

Hiking down the summit ridge on Prairie Mountain

Hikes in the Bow Valley

I've written a lot about spring hiking and biking in the Bow Valley on the Flowing Water Interpretive Trail and the Many Springs Interpretive Trail.  Therefore, I refer you to those stories:

• The Best Spring Bike Rides in Kananaskis
  
  
• Spring in Bow Valley Provincial Park
  
  
• The Bow Valley Biker Gang

Hiking on the Many Springs Trail, Bow Valley Provincial Park

Biking the closed campground roads of Bow Valley Provincial Park in April

The final hike - Prairie View Trail, Kananaskis

This one isn't last for any reason other than that the link below leads you to many other hikes you can do with your family this spring.  You may not have noticed, but there is an entire page on my blog devoted to the topic of Spring/Fall Hiking. It's at the top of the website beside other tabs on best hikes, day trips, picnic sites, and city hikes.

Read more on this hike: First Summits - Yates Mountain and the Barrier Lake Lookout, Kananaskis

Barrier Lake from the Prairie View Trail, Kananaskis Valley

I hope I've given you tons of suggestions now.  There is life beyond Elbow Falls!  I promise.  So get out there and explore.  Happy Hiking!!

Rest Break on the Heart Creek Trail

Shadow Lake Family-friendly Backcountry Ski Lodge

Shadow Lake is one of the most beautiful destinations in backcountry Banff National Park that is easily reached year round on the Redearth Creek Trail.  We set out a couple weeks ago to see just how "easy" it would be to get to this magical spot with a six year old child in winter.

Beautiful Shadow Lake, Backcountry Banff National Park

The photo above shows why we wanted to get here as a family for a weekend.  Scenery like this isn't found on any old  stroll or ski trip.  BUT, we worked our butts off to get these views.

Note: this story is out of date. Enjoy the photos, but please visit my new and updated stories below:

Read: Ski, Hike, or Bike into Shadow Lake Backcountry Lodge

Read: Backcountry Glamping at Shadow Lake Lodge

Read: Autumn Larch Hiking at Shadow Lake Lodge

Read: The Ultimate Group Backcountry Ski Weekend at Shadow Lake Lodge

It took us over 5 hours to get to this destination on foot

The Journey to Shadow Lake

I've written a few stories now on the theme of "raising tough kids" and this trip definitely falls under the category of pushing children to new limits, out of their comfort zones, and setting out to see just how far they can go.

In order to get to Shadow Lake, and to the backcountry lodge where we'd spend the weekend, we first had to ski or hike 14 km (9 miles) on a moderate trail abundant in big hills.   And while I'm sure many older kids could do this, my son had never skied more than 7 km.  And he's only 6 years old.

Hiking up the Redearth Creek Trail to Shadow Lake

How we managed to get to Shadow Lake:

1. We hiked the first part of the Redearth Creek Trail that was the steepest while carrying skis and pulling ski boots in a sled (next time we'd carry all extra boots as the sled was a huge pain in the butt to pull.) We were also carrying snowshoes that we could use on our free day at the lodge for exploring around the lake.
   
   
2. We skied the next 8 km while pulling our son with a tow rope. 
   
   
3. Finally, we hiked the last 3 km from the junction to Shadow Lake Lodge at the end of the Redearth Creek Trail.  This section was not track set or even skier tracked and started off with a very steep icy hill.  We figured we might as well just switch back into hiking mode and allow our son to use different muscles for a bit.

Skiing along the Redearth Creek Trail en route to Shadow Lake

How other families get to Shadow Lake:

There are three basic options:  Ski, hike, or pull the kids in a chariot or pulk sled.  You do what works best for your family.  And in summer you can bike if the children are strong enough to do the hills on the way in.  We used our son's balance bike last September when we went in and he had a super fun ride out.

Nearing Shadow Lake Lodge after a very long ski and hike

On the way out from Shadow Lake, we basically repeated our steps from the way in.  We walked the top part, skied the middle, and walked the bottom part again.  Our son skied more on his own on the way out but he was still towed a lot too.  For the biggest hills, he had to ski between his dad's legs since he hasn't quite figured out how to do a snow plough on cross country skis yet.

Skiing around Shadow Lake on our free day at the lodge

Skiing out from Shadow Lake Lodge

Staying Overnight at Shadow Lake Lodge as a Family

I could easily post a dozen gorgeous photos of Shadow Lake and leave it at that.  However, there's more to Shadow Lake Lodge than scenery.


BIG Reasons for Families to LOVE Shadow Lake Lodge

Individual cabins - Each couple or family gets their own cabin to sleep in.  No other backcountry ski lodge offers this unless you pay extra (a lot extra.)  At Shadow Lake though, everybody gets a cabin rather than sharing a crowded lodge.

Cabins at Shadow Lake Lodge

Decadent food - The food at Shadow Lake Lodge is great (pork tenderloin, chicken, fresh vegetables, hearty soups, and breakfasts so big you'll be full most of the day.) 

Note the food may feel a bit "fancy" for some kids, so I would advise packing some emergency staples (even a small jar of PB and a package of wraps or bagels) if you have a picky eater. 

You can also make dietary requests when you book your stay, so don't feel shy to request basic chicken and beef or pork if you feel your child would reject seafood or other kinds of meat.

The Kitchen and the Fireside Cabins

The staff like kids - This is important.  You want kitchen staff that will help and go out of their way to make your child's stay happy.  At Shadow Lake, our son was able to get cookies any time he wanted instead of the more adult-focused desserts and he was always given a fresh glass of lemonade or juice.

We were also placed at a table with another family for the communal meals which we appreciated.

Little boys need lots of cookies after playing in the snow

Heated bathrooms with showers - I know it's backcountry and all but there's some comfort in knowing there is running water and showers - just in case. Evening bathroom runs are also more pleasant when the bathrooms have heat and lights.

The heated washrooms are right beside the kitchen cabin

The trail is well maintained and easy to follow - You'd be seriously hard pressed to get lost going into Shadow Lake Lodge.  It would be quite the challenge to get off the main snowmobile tracked trail.

I dare you to get lost on this well maintained trail

There's a lot of easy exploring to do from the lodge - We stayed at another backcountry ski lodge years ago as a family that was super easy to get to, but there was nothing to do once we arrived at the lodge.  No trails to explore, nowhere to really go.  

At Shadow Lake Lodge, it's a short hike or ski to the lake, and then you can cross the length of the lake in a very easy family-friendly outing. We brought snowshoes and winter boots with us, but it's an easy ski across the lake.

When we finished snowshoeing on the lake we came back to the lodge, played in the meadow and enjoyed afternoon tea.

Hiking along the creek from Shadow Lake Lodge

Taking a rest on the summer bridge at Shadow Lake

The lodge has snowshoes for guests to borrow - Families will want to bring small snowshoes for the kids but the lodge has a dozen or so pairs of adult snowshoes so that you can hike around on your rest day.  We appreciated this and it saved us bringing in three pairs of snowshoes.  Just remember to bring winter boots with you.

Snowshoeing across Shadow Lake, Banff National Park

Not many kids get to snowshoe in paradise like this

Daddy tracks, Mommy tracks, and Baby tracks

Want to visit Shadow Lake or stay at Shadow Lake Lodge?

All information on Shadow Lake Lodge can be found on their website at Shadow Lake Lodge.  

To be inspired for summer season at Shadow Lake, read the story I wrote here:  Backcountry Glamping at Shadow Lake Lodge

And read about autumn larch hiking here: Autumn Larch Hiking at Shadow Lake Backcountry Lodge.

Special thanks to Shadow Lake Lodge for supporting and arranging our stay at this amazing lodge.

Shadow Lake, the most beautiful lake in backcountry Banff

How to Get the Best Campsite this Summer

The first long weekend of the camping season is fast approaching and provincial park campgrounds in Alberta are already taking reservations. Now is the time to grab your calendar and start that summer planning you’ve been putting off. Follow these tips below and you’ll be camping in some of the best sites this summer.

Ten tips to get the best campsite this summer

1. Book an entire campground or group use area

Many provincial parks in Alberta offer group camping and you’ll only need to find a group of five families for most of the campgrounds.  A lot of these group use areas are completely private and set apart from other campgrounds in the park. (Read: private campground for you and your best friends!)

Big Tip:  Try this for a long weekend and avoid the madness in the normal campground. Can’t get the group site you want? Try booking a double site, available at many campgrounds. This still allows you to share a large communal site with one to two other families. 

Read more about group camping here on the Alberta Parks Site.

Know that the "units" refers to the number of tents or trailers you can have for this site. Each campground will also indicate the minimum number of units you'll need to pay for. Most are just 5, but some are 10. (And while you can certainly have less than that number, you'll just be paying for that many families - even if you show up with less.)

Private  Group Campground at Twin Lakes, Alberta

2. Know when to camp

The quietest times to camp are in the spring and the fall. Campsites will also be quieter mid-week.

And something we've noticed: nobody goes camping the weekend before or after the May long weekend! These are golden weekends for solitude.

The busiest times to camp are long weekends and pretty much anytime the kids are on summer vacation.  

Best Tips: If you must camp on a long weekend, hike or paddle into a backcountry campground or hut, try walk-in camping, or book a group site away from regular campsites.

Read about backcountry cabins and huts here. 

Camping is very peaceful when you choose spring or fall weekends 

3. Know how to choose a quiet campsite

Does loud music bother you when camping? Hate generators?  Love solitude?

Check out these tips for choosing a quiet campsite:

• Camp in the National Parks.  These campgrounds are always quieter than provincial park campgrounds
  
  
• Choose a site in a power loop of the campground (even if you are tenting.)   Nobody will need to run a generator to power their microwave or coffee maker.
  
  
• Choose a walk-in site if you want a real taste of natural camping without being walled in by large RVs.
  
  
• Don’t camp next to playgrounds, bathrooms, day use areas or busy pathways unless you are ok with people running through and around your site well past dark.
  
  

Peaceful camping along the Bow River in Bow Valley Provincial Park

4. Choose campgrounds with amenities that are important to you

Depending on your interests or camping style, you’ll want to look for campgrounds that have bike paths, hiking trails, a beach, a playground or bathrooms with showers and electricity.  

Big Tip:  If camping in a national park, make sure you reserve a campsite with a fire pit.  Not all sites have one!  

Campgrounds with a beach are always a win with kids

5. Know what you’re booking

Look at campground maps and photos of the site you want to reserve before you make your booking.  Both Alberta Parks and Parks Canada have photos of the site you’ll be reserving so you can take a peak for “dangers signs.” 

Possible dangers:

• bathrooms right beside or behind your site
  
  
• a public pathway or hiking trail behind your site
  
  
• busy roads or highways nearby
  
  
• train tracks!! - trust me, watch for this one if you're tenting! (google maps will help here)
  
  
• group use areas or double sites near your campsite (they are often quite noisy)
  
  
• communal fire pits nearby
  
  
• day use areas, a beach, or a playground in the proximity of your site (honestly, they are a double edged sword. Great for the kids, but very noisy.)
  

These factors above will all decrease the amount of privacy you have and could make your site noisy.

You'll have happy kids if you camp beside the playground (you won't have solitude)

6. Know your reservation dates! 

Provincial campground sites can be booked 90 days in advance of your first night of camping.  Mark your booking dates on a calendar and make sure you are on line or on the phone first thing in the morning.  

BC Provincial park sites can be booked 4 months in advance.

Campsites in the national parks on the other hand can be booked in January - for the entire season.

Read more here: 2019 Campground Reservation Guide for Alberta and BC 

I booked this site in January for three separate trips in the 2019 summer camping season

7. Do your research

Talk to friends and find out what their favourite campgrounds are, read reviews, and ask around.

To read all of my personal campground reviews and see where I recommend going, check out my Camping Super Guide. 

I also recommend joining online camping groups where you can ask questions, make friends, and get practical advice. One great group in Alberta is the Alberta Happy Campers Group on Facebook. 

Discover hidden gems when you ask around, talk to friends, and join camping groups

8. Thursday is your friend

Planning on camping for the weekend at a non-reservable campground?  Take Friday off work and head out to the campsite on Thursday.  Your odds are much more favorable for finding a site!  

Big Tip:  You’ll find it easier to reserve a campsite too if you are able to go on Thursday and beat the rush by a day. 

Get the best campsites by leaving Thursday instead of Friday

9. Master the art of reconnaissance

Scout out future campgrounds you’d like to stay at when travelling.  Drive around campgrounds, write down the sites you’d like to stay in, or even get a map from the campground office and circle the best sites.  

Big Tip:  I keep all my maps from previous camping trips and they have my favourite sites marked down so I remember for next time. I also walk around every campground and circle new sites I'd like to try in the future.

When you find a site like this, you write it down!

10. Paddle your way to camp

There are some lovely backcountry campgrounds in Kananaskis and Banff that are accessible by water.  Rent a canoe for the weekend, load it up with your camping gear, and head out for a quiet camping trip where you’ll wake up to the sound of loons calling and fall asleep listening to waves lapping on the shore.  

In Kananaskis, check out Jewel Bay on Barrier Lake or the Point Campground on Upper Kananaskis Lake.  In Banff, check out LM8 on Lake Minnewanka.

Camping at the Point backcountry campground in Kananaskis