Family Fun in the Canadian Rockies

by Andrew Hempstead, author of Moon Canadian Rockies

The focus of your vacation in the Canadian Rockies should be the outdoors, even with children. Mix up the places you think the children should see with places you know they will enjoy. If you’re traveling to the Canadian Rockies as a family, renting a vehicle will make your holiday more enjoyable—upgrade to a minivan for everyone’s sanity. With those tips in mind, here are some favorite family-friendly places and activities.

Maligne Lake, (c) Helena Bilkova| Dreamstime.com

Banff National Park

Banff Park Museum: Learn about local wildlife at this downtown museum
Louise Lakeshore Trail: A walking path for all ages along one of the world’s most beautiful lakes.
Lake Agnes Trail: Families with active children can take this hike to a historic teahouse and reward themselves with sweet treats

Canmore

Elevation Place: This indoor playground for adventurous kids is the perfect place for children to swim and climb

Kananaskis Country

Mount Lorette Ponds trail, (c) Lisa Bourgeault

Mount Lorette Ponds: Try fishing at these shallow ponds, which are stocked with rainbow trout.

Kootenay National Park

Radium Hot Springs: Take a soak in these outdoor mineral pools.

Golden

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort: Ride this gondola for sweeping views only mountaineers usually enjoy.

Jasper National Park

Columbia Icefield, (c) Riekefoto | Dreamstime.com

Columbia Icefield: Just riding in an oversized Ice Explorer will excite most children, but the real fun is in bumping along over a glacier.
Maligne Lake: A safe, enjoyable way to experience this beautiful lake is to jump aboard a tour boat.

Calgary

Telus Spark Science Centre: It’s easy to spend a full day in this modern kid-oriented facility.

Andrew Hempstead

About the Author

Kayaking around Bowen Island, enjoying a powder day at Whistler Blackcomb, chowing down on pancakes at the Elbow Room, joining the mid-day crowd at Butchart Gardens, and surfing on the west coast – Andrew Hempstead has done all of this and more. He’s out there not because it’s part of compiling a guidebook, but because he loves Vancouver and Victoria. These diverse experiences, coupled with a deep respect for nature and an interest in local history, have been essential in his creation of Moon Victoria & Vancouver Island.

Andrew spends as much time as possible out on the road, and rather than having an itinerary laid out for him by local tourism offices, he travels incognito so he can experience the many and varied delights of Vancouver and Victoria the same way his readers do.

Since the early 1990s, Andrew has authored and updated over 60 guidebooks, contributed to dozens of major magazines, supplied content for online clients like Expedia and KLM, and been employed as a corporate writer for Parks Canada. His photography has appeared in a wide variety of media ranging from international golf magazines to a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. Andrew has spoken on guidebook writing to national audiences, and he has contributed to a university-level travel writing textbook.

Andrew and his wife Dianne own Summerthought Publishing, a regional publisher of nonfiction books. He and his family live in Banff, Alberta.

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