Ice Walk – Grotto Canyon Winter Adventure

Fifteen minutes east of Canmore, a creek that runs all summer freezes into a walkable floor of ice. Grotto Canyon is the Bow Valley’s most accessible canyon — a flat 4 km return walk with no climbing and no experience needed — and in winter it becomes something you can’t see anywhere else in the Rockies without a rope. Through October and November it’s a spectacular autumn canyon walk as the first ice forms; from late December to March, the floor is solid and this is the full ice walk.

What to Expect:

• ~2.5-hour guided walk from the trailhead into the canyon and back
• Cleat and pole fitting with a short safety briefing before you set off
• A flat approach trail leading into a narrow limestone canyon
• Walking the frozen creek bed past a series of waterfalls locked in ice
• A stop at centuries-old pictographs, with the story of the people who left them
• Hot chocolate at the turnaround and a good chance of bighorn sheep on the slopes above the trailhead

Group Size:

2 – 10 Participants (minimum 2 people to run the tour)

What’s Included:

• Local professional guide, wilderness first aid certified
• Ice cleats and trekking poles
• Hot drink and snack
• Small group experience — never more than 11 guests

Trip Details:

• Duration: ~2.5 hours total
• Departures: 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m.
• Location: Grotto Canyon trailhead, Hwy 1A, 15 km east of Canmore. Link to location.
• Parking: Your vehicle needs a Kananaskis Conservation Pass ($15/day). Buy it online before you leave — there is no cell service at the trailhead.
• Transportation from Canmore: Available on request — call or email us when you book.
• Difficulty: Easy (flat terrain, ~2 hours on your feet on uneven ice).