The legendary Canmore wildlife driving tour

Want to see some of Alberta's incredible wildlife and scenery? We have the tour for you.

The mountains in Kananaskis Country seem a bit less imposing than those in nearby Banff National Park – not quite as high, trees farther up the slopes, but every bit as beautiful. A scenic driving loop through these front ranges of the Rockies provides ample opportunity to view wildlife from the comfort of a vehicle or while hiking, biking or riding horseback along spectacular trails.

Where to Begin

Visitors begin this journey at Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park where there are more than 100 km of trails for roller skiing, running, hiking and mountain biking with onsite equipment rentals. One of the best hikes in the park is the 1- 2 hour Grassi Lakes Interpretive Trail, which leads to views of a waterfall and two lakes. Bears, cougars, wolves, lynx, elk and other wildlife frequent the area.

Moose Meadows

The Smith-Dorrien Trail (Hwy 742) through Kananaskis Country is a well-maintained gravel highway with spectacular mountain scenery and great hiking trails. Visitors may see moose, coyotes, deer, elk and the odd bear along the way. Mount Engadine Lodge makes a refreshing stop for a hearty afternoon tea and visitors can often watch moose in the meadow while they dine.

Kananaskis Village

Highway 40 leads to Kananaskis Village and there are many great trails to explore along the way. In the village, visitors can rent mountain bikes and explore the many bike trails in the area. To experience Kananaskis on horseback, visitors can make a stop at Boundary Ranch before heading back to Canmore, west on the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1).