Canmore is usually only seen as a stopping point on the way to Banff, or as a cheaper place to stay when exploring Banff National Park. However, there is so much to love about this little town nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Canmore is well known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation activities. There is also a thriving arts and foodie scene.
The town of Canmore began as a small coal mining community in the 1880s. However, the last mine closed in 1979 and the town has since reinvented itself. Nowadays, it is home to a bustling tourism and recreation based economy. The population of the town exploded after the Nordic events of the Calgary Olympics were held here in 1988. It was grown to become a lively tourist center for those looking to enjoy all the recreational activities the mountains have to offer. The population of Canmore is roughly 10000 on the weekdays and doubles in size to nearly 20000 on the weekends and during the summer months due to tourists.
Check out my recommendations for wheelchair accessible activities below or check out my video summary of some of my favourites!
There is a huge network of trails and pathways in and around the town. Many are paved and are excellent for wheelchair accessibility. The pavement is smooth and the paths are nice and wide. The path network connects to all the major attractions in town, and there are many clean, accessible washrooms available throughout.
There is also a vibrant art community and lots of cool public art pieces on display to check out. I was thoroughly impressed with all of the local restaurants food and drink options. We stayed at the Canmore Downtown Hostel, in the private barrier free accessible room. I was very impressed with the wheelchair accessibility, location and cleanliness of the facility ( for my in depth review check out this blog post).
There is some of the best geology in the world to be seen in the surrounding mountains and road cuts along the way! In addition, there are several archeological sites dating back thousands of years to the first nation tribes who inhabited the land after the last ice age. All in all, there is a ton of history and educational opportunities in addition to recreational activities.
On the Way There:
Canmore is roughly 300 km from Edmonton, and the drive took around 4 hours or so. For a rest stop along the way I would highly recommend the Dickson-Stevenson Stopping House. They have accessible flush toilets and a very nice and clean facility. There is also a cool diorama of Alberta you can check out. The rest stop is about 2.5 hours from Edmonton, and there are accessible parking spaces and powered door buttons. It is luxury bathroom compared to the other pit style toilets along the way!
The drive to Canmore is relatively uneventful for the first 3 hours, once you pass through Calgary the mountains become visible in the distance and the last half hour or so of the drive is beautiful. It almost feels like the mountains appear out of nowhere and surround you on all sides.
Accessible Accommodations:
There are a lot of accessible accommodation options when staying in Canmore. There are several hotels with accessible rooms available in Canmore: these include the Coast Hotel (accessible queen room, or accessible double queen room available); and the Super 8 Hotel (accessible king room). For our trip we stayed in the accessible private room at the Canmore Downtown Hostel, and were very impressed with it. There was a large private accessible bathroom with a roll in shower, and roll under sink. With bunk bed style beds and lots of space to maneuver within the room. There was an elevator that accessed the hostel and there was an underground parkade available as well. The location of the hostel was excellent, and there is a kitchen and laundry room available for use as well.
Food and Drinks:
There are plenty of fantastic restaurants and bars to check out in Canmore, for an in depth list of my favourites check out this post. I would highly recommend the Bears Paw Pub, Blake, and Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. We also heard great things about Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co and Spice Hut, but didn’t end up checking them out this time around. All in all, I was super impressed with all of the meals I had!
Things to Do:
Spray Lakes Road Drive: If you dislike narrow-ish, winding mountain roads, this isn’t for you.. but the drive up the Spray Lakes Road, also known as the Smith Dorrien Road (Highway 25291), offers a great view of the town from above and allows you to enjoy the scenery and nature from your vehicle. The road is gravel and a bit bumpy in some areas, so it may not be suitable for a low cars, but it is a beautiful drive that takes you along the edge of mountain lakes and forest. It leads to the Spray Lakes reservoir which provides drinking water to the town of Canmore, you can continue along the road and find lots of spots to pull-over and stop for a scenic picnic to enjoy the views. Scope out the road on google maps here.
Quarry Lake Trail Loop: Quarry Lake is located at the beginning of Spray Lakes Road, and we stopped here on the way back down from the drive. It is a beautiful area and there is an accessible packed gravel pathway around the lake. There is free parking available if you have a placard, and there is an accessible pit style washroom facility located on site as well. The views are stunning and I would highly recommend the 1.1km loop trail. Some parts are a tiny bit steep and may require assistance, but definitely doable. There is also an area with picnic tables available and would be a nice place to enjoy lunch or a snack. For more info about Quarry Lake park check out their website. Or check out my video here.
Farmers Market at Elevation Place: The Farmers Market is held on Thursdays from 10am-6pm and there are lots of cool stuff to check out. From handmade jewelry, clothing, fresh fruits and veggies, local distilleries, and some stalls cooking up tasty snacks. There is also live music and entertainment throughout the day. All the paths are nice and smooth, and there are accessible restrooms inside of Elevation Place Recreation Centre.
Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk: This trail follows along the edge of the Policeman’s Creek and winds its way through the town, so you can check out different portions of it. Some areas are wooden boardwalk, while some areas are packed gravel and dirt paths. Accessibility was fairly good, except one portion of the boardwalk had stairs at the end of it. Luckily a passerby was able to help lift me up the stairs, and saved us from backtracking to the start of the pathway. I used my front-wheel attachment and it made going over the boardwalk a breeze, but without it, it may have been a bumpy ride, and my front caster wheels may have gotten stuck in the cracks between the boards. Check out the trail map of Canmore here. Or check out my video here.
Big Head Statue: There is a lot of cool art around Canmore, the most striking was the giant head statue. It is located along 8th street, the main drag in Canmore, and can be used as a literal trail head to access the Policeman’s Creek Trail. The sculpture was made by Alan Henderson, and it pays homage to the town’s name, which comes from the anglicized version of the Gaelic “Ceann Mór,” which translates into big head. It is carved from blue granite, and has become a symbol of the town since its installment in 2008. It is dressed for the seasons, and can be seen wearing a warm hat during the winter months, and sometimes even sports a pirate outfit during the summer.
Canadian Rockies Earth Science Resource Centre: It was a bit rainy when we were exploring Canmore, so it was nice to find some indoor activities. I am probably biased since my background is in geology, but the Geoscience Resource Centre provides an excellent overview of the geology of the Rocky Mountains and the surrounding the Canmore area. There is a huge collection of rocks , minerals and fossils to check out, as well as maps and detailed history of the area. The displays were all wheelchair accessible, except for one narrow area where I had to backtrack, but all of the rocks and fossils were in wheelchair friendly height pull out drawers, and I was really impressed by some of the specimens. My favourites were the marine dinosaur fossil, the fish fossils with scales visible, and the intact crinoid fossil. There is also a wheelchair accessible washroom located in the museum. They are generally open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm (however it is best to call ahead, as they may be away for geological training). For more information check out their website.
Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre: Double geology museums in one day, it was my lucky day! This museum focuses more on the coal mining history of the town of Canmore and how the town has developed throughout the years. One cool feature was the VR experience to see what it was like in the coal mines back in the day. The museum is located within the Canmore Civic Centre building. In addition to the museum there is also lots of cool public art on display, and accessible washrooms available as well. The museum is open from Thursday to Monday (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). It is open from 10am-4pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and free for children/youth under 17. For more information check out their website.
Banff Legacy Trail: We didn’t do the full 23km of trial that connects Canmore to Banff, but rolled a portion of it that connects to other paths within Canmore. The path is nice and smooth, and wide. It is great to see that they have a paved pathway through the beautiful mountain landscape to make it accessible for all! I will definitely check out more of this path next time I am back! Check out the full trail map here.
Bow River Loop Trail: This is a beautiful trail minutes away from downtown Canmore. Just follow 8 ave towards 5st and the trail starts and ends at the bridge. It is a 2.1km pathway that is primarily crushed gravel and pavement. Once on Bridge Road follow the trail to the right along the Higashikawa path along the river and over to the Canmore Engine Bridge. The path will follow along the opposite edge of the river and loop back to the starting point. The trail is nice and flat, but the rocky terrain may be a challenge and require some extra pushing assistance. But it is well worth it for the views! Check out my video of the trail here.
Rocky Mountain Adaptive Equipment Rentals: They have hand-bikes, trail-riders, wheelchair accessible paddleboards, and kayaks, and much more! Lessons and orientations must be booked when using a piece of equipment the first time. They make the mountains accessible to all, and will drop off and pick up equipment at any site you want to use it at in Canmore and the surrounding area! Rates are super reasonable, and punch passes can be purchased that never expire, so you can try out all the different winter and summer sport options! For more information check out their website. I got to try out their Onit Ability Wheelchair Accessible Paddleboard and took a 3 hour beginner Bowhead Reach adaptive mountain bike lesson.
Wheelchair Paddleboarding at the Rundle Forebay Reservoir: The paddleboard was dropped off at the reservoir. It comes with large outriggers that provide stability on the water. A special wheelchair is used that locks onto the board. So in the extremely unlikely even of a tip the wheelchair will stay mounted to the board. The Onit Ability Paddleboard also allows for an extra person to stand on the back of the paddleboard to help paddle if need be. It is a tricky transfer to do independently, so I had my friend lift me into the chair, but once I was in and pushed out I was able to paddle and maneuver independently. It felt amazing to be back on the water. It was very relaxing and a good workout (thanks to the wind) at the same time! Check out my video from the afternoon here.
Adaptive Mountain Biking with the Bowhead Reach: The other lesson and equipment rental I tried out thanks to Rocky Mountain Adaptive was the Bowhead Reach electric adaptive mountain bike. It is an amazing piece of equipment, and really gives a sense of freedom back to explore and be in nature. The lesson took place at the Canmore Nordic Centre. I learned the basics: throttle control, breaking, leaning into the turns and keeping shoulders parallel to the slope when traversing a hill. From there we went for a cruise along the beginner level mountain bike trails and put my new skills to the test. It was a lot of fun and a good workout as well to maintain proper control of the bike. Check out some video highlights here.
Accessible Transportation:
For our trip we either rolled/walked around town or drove to further destinations. However, I did notice that the buses in Canmore had wheelchair accessible symbols on them, so this is another option for getting around town as well. For more info on the Roam Public Transit bus service routes and fares check out their website.
In Summary:
There is a lot to do and explore while in Canmore, there are nice wide, smooth paved paths throughout the town and tons of great places to eat and drink. There is a ton of accessible parking spaces located throughout town, and curb cuts to all of the sidewalks. It was rainy, or else we would have checked out the Bow Valley Loop Trail and the trails around the Canmore Nordic Centre, but we will save these for next time. Wildlife wise, we only saw some squirrels and the cute domesticated, turned wild rabbits. However, bears, lynx and other animals are common in the area, so bear spray is a good thing to have on hand in case of an emergency. All in all, I was very impressed with the overall wheelchair accessibility of Canmore and will definitely be back for more adventures in the Rocky Mountains!
