Hotels in Canmore and Kananaskis

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.

Riding Herd at a Guest Ranch

Brewster's Kananaskis Guest Ranch, 30 minutes east of Banff on Highway 1 (P.O. Box 340, Exshaw, AB; tel. 800/691-5085 or 403/673-3737; www.kananaskisguestranch.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, 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 -- and backcountry campsites have newly constructed sleeping cabins.

Another old-time guest ranch with a long pedigree, Rafter Six Ranch Resort, (P.O. Box 100, Exshaw, AB; 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 in the lodge, C$125 to C$250 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 is wide. Of the major parks that comprise Kananaskis, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park has six campgrounds; Kananaskis Valley has one; Spray Valley Provincial Park has two; Highwood/Cataract Creek (farther south, near Mountain View) has five; Elbow River Valley has six; and Sheep River Valley has seven.

There's a concentration of campgrounds at Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Park, some 32km (20 miles) south of Kananaskis Village. A few campgrounds are scattered nearer to Kananaskis Village, around Barrier Lake and Ribbon Creek. For the more intrepid wilderness seekers, the Lougheed Park campgrounds feel significantly more remote, surrounded by peaks and centered on a long, gorgeous mountain lake; closer to the village, campgrounds feel more civilized -- and, therefore, usually are more crowded.

For a full-service campground with RV hook-ups, go to Mount Kidd RV Park (tel. 403/591-7700; mountkiddrv.com), just south of the Kananaskis golf course.

For comprehensive listings of all campgrounds and their specific amenities, go to www.kananaskiscountrycampgrounds.com.