In Kananaskis Village---The lodgings in Kananaskis Village were built for the Olympics, so all are fairly new and well maintained. In fact, Kananaskis was the site of the G8 Summit in 2002, so you may well stay in a room once graced by a world leader. There's no more than a stone's throw between the hotels, and to a high degree, public facilities are shared among all the hotels.
In Canmore--About half of the hotel development in Canmore dates from the 1988 Olympics, and the rest dates from -- oh, the last 15 minutes. Canmore is presently going through an intense period of growth, with new lodgelike hotels (the pine timbered facades typically disguise standard hotel rooms inside) springing out of the forest like mushrooms. To a large degree, this is due to the restrictions on development within the national parks to the west: Hoteliers, outfitters, and other businesses designed to serve the needs of park visitors find Canmore, right on the park boundary, a much easier place to locate than Banff. As a result, Canmore is booming, and is now a destination in its own right.
The main reason to stay in Canmore is the price of hotel rooms. Rates here are between a half and a third lower than in Banff, and the small downtown area is blossoming with interesting shops and good restaurants. The hotels listed are, in relative terms, the older properties in Canmore. Built for the Olympics, they generally have more facilities than today's batch of hotels. Canmore hotels can represent especially good deals on discount hotel websites.
For a complete list of B&Bs, contact the Canmore-Bow Valley B&B Association, P.O. Box 8005, Canmore, AB T1W 2T8 (www.bbcanmore.com).
Riding Herd at a Guest Ranch--Brewster's Kananaskis Guest Ranch, 30 minutes east of Banff on Highway 1, P.O. Box 340, Exhaw, AB T0L 2C0 (tel. 800/691-5085 or 403/673-3737; www.brewsteradventures.com), the original family homestead from the 1880s, was transformed into a guest ranch in 1923. The 33 fully modern guest rooms, in chalets and cabins, have full bathrooms. Doubles are C$98 to C$114 per person (US$78-US$91), breakfast and dinner included. Activities include horseback riding, rafting, canoeing, hiking, golfing, and more. Long-distance backcountry horseback rides are a specialty -- a 2-day trip costs around C$320 (US$256) -- and backcountry campsites have newly constructed sleeping cabins.
Another old-time guest ranch with a long pedigree, Rafter Six Ranch Resort, P.O. Box 6, Seebe, AB T0L 1X0 (tel. 888/26-RANCH or 403/673-3622; www.raftersix.com), is located in a meadow right on the banks of the Kananaskis River. This full-service resort is open year-round and accommodates guests in an especially inviting old log lodge (with restaurant, barbecue deck, and lounge), in various sizes of log cabins, and in large chalets that sleep up to six and have full kitchens. All units have private bathrooms. Doubles go for C$110 to C$250 (US$79-US$180) in the lodge, C$125 to C$250 (US$100-US$200) in cabins and chalets. Casual horseback and longer pack rides are offered, as well as raft and canoe trips. Seasonal special events might include rodeos, country dances, and hay or sleigh rides.
Camping--Kananaskis is a major camping destination for families, and the choice of campgrounds in Calgary is wide. There's a concentration of campgrounds at Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes, some 32km (20 miles) south of Kananaskis Village. A few campgrounds are scattered nearer to Kananaskis Village, around Barrier Lake and Ribbon Creek. For a full-service campground with RV hookups, go to Mount Kidd RV Park (tel. 403/591-7700) just south of the Kananaskis golf course.
