Canmore is in a town in the Alberta Rockies, Canada.
Understand
Being only 80km from Calgary, at the south east entrance to Banff National Park and the north-west edge of Kananaskis Country is a popular starting point for exploring the Canadian Rockies.
Get in
From Calgary, take the Trans-Canada Highway (Route 1) West. From British Columbia, take Highway 1 East from Golden until you reach the East gate of Banff National Park. There are three exits into Canmore most popular being the second exit (When going to the town center).
There are a number of airport shuttle providers from the Calgary Airport to Canmore it is about an hour and a half from the airport.
- Banff Airporter Inc. offers 10 shuttles daily or private charter shuttles in needed.
- Brewster Airporter & Resort Connector offers shuttle service from both the Calgary & Edmonton Airports.
Get around
The Canmore town center is small, and you can walk just about anywhere you want to go. Taxis within the city limits will range in price from around $5. Walking is quick, easy and allows for random adventures down to the Bow River, through the forests, up the mountains. All of Canmore's activities are within a 10-20 minute walking distance. Biking around town is popular too. There are several shops to rent bicycles if you are interested in either mountain biking, quick travel downtown or trail riding on many locations. Canmore is filled with biking and hiking trails that take you through forested areas, along streams and waterfalls, and ultimately lead to incredible lake and mountain views.
See
The Canadian Rockies offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It may seem a daunting task to try and see it all in a limited amount of time.
Fortunately there are a host of companies available that eliminate the hassle, giving you the opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy the view. The friendly guides offer fun and informative sightseeing tours in and around the Banff area in comfortable vehicles.
Do
Canmore is a Rocky Mountain playground. Golf, hike, dine, party, ski, snowshoe, dog sled, spa, a tour of main street, etc. — it's all here.
- 1 SilverTip Golf Resort, 1000 Silvertip Trail, toll-free: +1-877-877-5444. $105-175/round, depending on date and time of day.
- 2 Stewart Creek Golf Club, 4100 Stewart Creek Drive, toll-free: +1-877-993-GOLF (4653), fax: +1 403 609-6085. $85-195/round, depending on date and time of day.
- 3 Nordic Centre, 1988 Olympic Way, ☏ +1 403-678-2400. Great for x-country skiing.
- 4 Grassi Lakes Trail. Hike up to the lake from the car park just out of town, a famous and short hike in the region.
- 5 Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours, 104-602 Bow Valley Trail, toll-free: +1-888-311-6874. Winter/Summer. Summer Tours: $35-90, Winter Tours: starting at $149.
- 6 Canadian Rockies Rafting and Adventure Centre, 701 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-6535.
Buy
Enjoy strolling alongside locals and world-travellers as you discover a cosmopolitan collection of galleries, boutiques and cafés. Shops range from unique furniture, florists, gifts, to independently-owned establishments.
Eat
Canmore offers a wide variety of dining options all within easy walking distance of each other. Main Street /8th Street is the heart of downtown and is filled with everything from upscale dining rooms to corner cafes, from brew pubs to casual bistros. Being small does have it's advantages. You could restaurant hop and try appetizers in one, entrees in another, and finish the evening with dessert and after dinner drinks at a third.
- 1 Miner's Lamp pub (Georgetown Inn), 1101 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-3439. Excellent British style meals, Yorkshire pudding, fish and chip, ....
- 2 La Belle Patate, 102 Boulder Crescent, ☏ +1 403-678-0077. Poutine
- 3 Rustica Steakhouse, 2000 Silvertip Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-1600.
- 4 The Summit Cafe, 1001 Cougar Creek Dr. 6:30am - 2:30pm.
Drink
- 1 Iron Goat Pub & Grill, 703 Benchlands Trail, ☏ +1 403-609-0222.
- 2 Murrieta's Bar & Grill, 737 8 Street, ☏ +1 403-609-9500.
- 3 The Grizzly Paw, 622 8 Street, ☏ +1 403-678-9983.
- 4 Rose & Crown, 749 Railway Avenue, ☏ +1 403-678-5168.
- 5 Stoney's Bar & Grill, 2000 Silvertip Trail, ☏ +1 403-609-6599.
- 6 The Drake Pub, 909 Railway Avenue, ☏ +1 403-678-5131.
- 7 The Wood, 838 8 Street, ☏ +1 403-678-3404.
- 8 Zona's Bistro, 710 9 St, ☏ +1 403 609-2000.
- 9 The Canmore Hotel, 738 8 Street, ☏ +1 403-678-5181.
- 10 The Hostel Bear Bar & Lounge, 1002 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-1000.
Sleep
Budget
- 1 Bow Valley Motel, 610 Main Street, ☏ +1 403 678-5085. Clean, comfortable accommodations.
- 2 The Hostel Bear, 1002 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-1000, toll-free: +1-888-678-1008. Shared and private rooms, laundry, bar, kitchen, showers, vending machine and free parking.
Mid-range
- 3 Holiday Inn Canmore, 1 Silvertip Trail, ☏ +1 403-609-4422, toll-free: +1-888-609-4422. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 12:00 noon. Breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains from every room.
- Banff Boundary Lodge, 1000 Harvie Heights Road, Harvie Heights, toll-free: +1-877-678-9555. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Just outside the Banff Park Gates, it offers 1 and 2 bedroom chalets with gas fireplaces. $84-239.
- 4 Canadian Rockies Chalets, 1206 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-3799, toll-free: +1-800-386-7248. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Condominium style accommodations. $89-279.
- 5 The Georgetown Inn, 1101 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-3439. Cozy hotel with extremely helpful staff. The fireplaces in the rooms are a great touch! The only downside is that it can be difficult to find the place in the dark as the sign is on the smaller side, on the ground, and not lit very well.
- 6 Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge, 1711 Bow Valley Trail, ☏ +1 403-678-5445, toll-free: +1-800-665-6111. Right next to "downtown" so you can leave your vehicle for the entire duration of the stay if you wish - everything is within the walking distance (for Nordic Centre you'd have to walk a bit longer though).
Splurge
- 7 Fire Mountain Lodge, 121 Kananaskis Way, ☏ +1 403-609-9949. Comes with full kitchens, living rooms, etc.
- 8 The Lodges at Canmore, 107 Montane Road, ☏ +1 866 678-9350. Comes with full kitchens, living rooms, etc.
- 9 Mystic Springs Chalets & Hot Pools, 140 Kananaskis Way, ☏ +1 866 446-9784. Comes with full kitchens, living rooms, etc.
- 10 Blackstone, 170 Kananaskis Way, ☏ +1 403-609-8098. Comes with full kitchens, living rooms, etc.
- 11 Copperstone Resort, 250 2nd Avenue, Dead Man's Flats, ☏ +1 403 678-0303, info@copperstoneresorthotel.com. Condo style suites, full kitchen, in suite laundry (washer/dryer), satellite television, balcony, hot tub, pet friendly rooms available
Go next
Routes through Canmore |
Kamloops ← Banff (in Banff NP) ← | W E | → Calgary → Regina |
END ← | W E | → Cochrane → Calgary |