Snowshoeing - Family-friendly, affordable, and easy!

Written by: Tanya Koob

Snowshoeing is outdoor play, plain and simple – in whatever warm outdoor gear you already have on hand.

Snowshoeing is popular because of its low learning curve and affordability. You won’t need lessons for this sport; Simply strap on a pair of snowshoes and go for your family hike as you would any other time of year. You can rent gear to try it out or easily find secondhand gear to get your family started. Kids will be able to use the same snowshoes for years, and you don’t need to buy special boots that need to be replaced every time their feet grow! Add a cheap pair of poles if you want, and you’re set with the winter clothing you already own. Snowshoeing is outdoor play, plain and simple – in whatever warm outdoor gear you already have on hand.

A great place to try snowshoeing for the day is Kananaskis Village. You can rent snowshoes from Kananaskis Outfitters inside the Village Centre. Trails start right from the village near the playground, and you can hike for minutes or hours until you get cold and want to return to warm up beside the fireplace in the Kananaskis Lodge. There’s also a coffee shop inside the Lodge – perfect for an après-hike snack.

Trails to try from Kananaskis Village:

The Little Kidd/Big Kidd Loop – Approximately 4km in distance from the Village. Can be shortened by taking the Middle Kidd connector.
Village Loop – A short 2km loop starting from the Village. Can be lengthened by adding on the Midnight Meadow Trail.
Ribbon Creek – This trail starts below the Village at the Ribbon Creek Trailhead. The first part of the trail is a dedicated snowshoe trail crossing several scenic bridges along the creek. A cross-country ski trail comes in to join further along, so please make sure to stay off the ski tracks at the point where the trail is shared. Hike as far as you want before returning. The trail is only designated for winter hiking for 4.4km one way. Also note that you cannot get to Ribbon Falls in winter due to avalanche terrain.

To extend the hike, return on the Shinrin and Studless Trails for a longer outing. The loop is approximately 8km and it starts/ends at the same parking lot.

For more information on renting snowshoes visit the Kananaskis Outfitters website at kananaskisoutfitters.com.

For detailed information on snowshoe trails at Kananaskis Village and Ribbon Creek, stop in at the Barrier Lake Visitor Information Centre on your drive out to the Village. You can also find a detailed map online by searching for the “Kananaskis Ribbon Creek Winter Map” on the Alberta Parks website.

Don’t forget to purchase your Kananaskis Conservation Day Pass if you don’t already have an annual pass. You can do this online or at the Barrier Lake Visitor Centre.

More family-friendly snowshoe trails in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Further south along Highway 40, you’ll come to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, where you’ll find scenic snowshoe trails near the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes.

Stop in at the Peter Lougheed Park Discovery & Information Centre to pick up a map and get suggestions for your family’s outing. Please note that there are many groomed cross-country ski trails in this park. Hiking is not allowed on these trails during the winter season. Dogs are also not allowed on the ski trails. Please make sure you choose your outing carefully so you don’t find yourself accidentally walking along one of the ski trails.

Recommended trails to try:

Canyon Snowshoe Trail – 1.7km one way from the Canyon Day Use Area.
Penstock Loop – 4.5km loop from the Canyon Day Use Area. You can also start from the Pocaterra Day Use Area on the Tailwater Snowshoe Trail. This trail crosses the Kananaskis Lakes Road and connects to the Penstock Loop. This adds an extra 2km each way.
Lower Lake Trail – 4km one way from the Canyon Day Use Area. Hike as far as you want and return the same way.
Elkwood Loop Snowshoe Trail – 4km loop from William Watson Lodge. You can also extend your hike on the Marsh Loop for an extra 1.3km.
The Torpor Loop – 6km loop from the Boulton Bridge Day Use Area or the Elk Pass Day Use Area.
Frozen Toad Loop – 8km loop from the Boulton Creek Campground.
Rawson Lake – This popular summer trail is also great for winter hiking as long as you turn around at the lake and don’t go any further into avalanche terrain behind the lake. The hike is 8km round-trip from the Upper Lake Day Use Area (with 320m of elevation gain).

Winter safety tips

When choosing a winter hike with kids, I always take our average summer distance and cut it in half. So, if you normally hike 5km, start with 2.5km in winter. Everything takes more time when you’re walking through snow, and you’ll find that you might not get very far once the kids start playing and jumping in big snow piles.

I also recommend starting with a warm day and bringing a large backpack for extra layers (or discarded layers if somebody gets hot). If you’re not sure how waterproof your children’s clothing is, spare clothing never hurts for the drive home (dry socks at the very least).

Tanya is a freelance writer and mom to an active teenage son. She loves hiking, camping, skiing, and all things mountain-related. She is the author of the blog Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies, rockiesfamilyadventures.com. You can find her on Instagram @MountainMomYYC.

See our related articles:

Back