Hiking in Kananaskis Country

Canmore is surrounded by mountains and, being on the doorstep of Kananaskis Country, it's an ideal base from which to explore the many, many hiking trails to be found here. You can set out for days or just a few hours, depending on your level of ambition. Canadian Rockies Adventure Centre (701 Bow Valley Trail; tel. 877/226-7625 or 403/678-6535; www.canadianrockies.ca) or Inside Out Experience (tel. 888/999-7238; www.insideoutexperience.com) can help set you on your way, with maps and/or guides, as you prefer; so can Canmore's Tourism Office (907 7th Ave., Canmore; tel. 403/678-1295; www.tourismcanmore.com).

A number of tour operators are happy to take you on interpretive hikes in the area. Mahikan Trails (tel. 403/609-2489; www.mahikan.ca) leads half- and full-day hikes into the mountains all year long, through significant Aboriginal sites with a mind to teaching guests about the natural history of the area and its first peoples.

The Grassi Lakes hiking trail is one of the region's signature hikes. Rated as a moderately difficult hike, it's 3.8km (2.4 miles) round trip -- a half-day outing. You reach it by driving up the Spray Lakes Road past the Nordic Centre; the trail head is just beyond where the pavement turns to gravel.

Spray Lakes in Kananaskis Country also offers some of the most iconic scenery to be found in the Rockies. Some of the best include Burstall Pass, Rummel Lake, and Chester Lake. All trails are accessed from the Smith Dorrien Trail/Spray Lakes Road. The road climbs sharply south of Canmore and turns to gravel not far past the Nordic Centre. You'll see trail heads every 10 minutes or so. These are the access points to genuine alpine terrain, many of them leading to alpine meadows and mountain lakes.

As you get deeper into Kananaskis Country, you'll find yourself at Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, which is centered around the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes, about 30km (19 miles) south of town along Route 742, the Spray Lakes Parkway. This is as gorgeous as Kananaskis gets. There's almost no end to trails in and around the lakes to be found here for hiking, biking, and horseback riding; try the Kananaskis Canyon interpretive hike at the north end of the lower lake or the Upper Kananaskis Lake circuit, about 10km (6 1/4 miles) that takes you around this gorgeous mountain lake. Those seeking altitude might choose the Rawson Lake Trail, a fast 4km (2.5-mile) climb up to a lovely lake beneath the cliffs of Mt. Sarrail.