Canmore Guide (20 Mins from Banff): Three Sisters Viewpoint, Grassi Lakes and Ha Ling Peak

Located just 24 kilometres (18 minutes down the highway or 25 minutes on Roam Transit Regional Route 3) east of Banff Town, literally five minutes outside the eastern entrance gate of Banff National Park, sits the lively mountain town of Canmore. Framed by the landmark trio of 2,900-metre peaks known as the Three Sisters (Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister, Faith, Charity and Hope), Canmore has grown from an 1880s coal-mining town and 1988 Winter Olympic Nordic host into a acclaimed hiking and dining destination in its own right.

1. Three Must-Do Experiences in Canmore

1. The Grassi Lakes Trail (4 km Round-Trip, 1.5 Hours, Easy/Moderate, Open Late Spring to Autumn): just 10 minutes' drive above downtown Canmore along the Smith-Dorrien Spray Trail (note that in Canmore/Kananaskis Country, vehicles need a separate ~standard fare daily Kananaskis Conservation Pass registered online by license plate), two trails climb past a roaring waterfall to two miniature spring-fed lakes that glow the clearest, brightest emerald-green and peacock-blue in the Rockies. Because the water comes from an underground karst spring rather than muddy surface runoff, you can see every sunken log on the bottom 10 metres down.
2. The Famous 'Three Sisters Viewpoint' & Policeman's Creek Boardwalk (Free, 10 Mins from Main Street): for the most famous photograph in Canmore, park at the Off-Leash Dog Park on Bow Valley Trail, walk under the pedestrian railway underpass, and follow the riverside path for 5 minutes to a calm beaver pond that mirrors all three summits of the Three Sisters. Back in town, stroll the raised timber boardwalk of Policeman's Creek Trail right into pedestrianized 8th Street (Main Street).
3. Ha Ling Peak (For Experienced Scramblers, 7.2 km Round-Trip, 740m Vertical Gain): rising sheer above Goat Creek above Grassi Lakes, climbing the stepped wooden ladders and switchbacks to the 2,407-metre cliff edge of Ha Ling Peak rewards strong hikers with a jaw-dropping view straight down over Canmore and the Spray Lakes reservoir.

2. Cycling the 22-Kilometre 'Legacy Trail' Between Canmore & Banff

Rent an e-bike or road bike in either Canmore or Banff to ride the Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail: a dedicated, paved, car-free 22-kilometre cycleway running through the Bow Valley meadows right between the two towns.