Taking hikers to more than half a dozen frozen waterfalls, the Green Monster is a popular winter hiking destination in Kananaskis. It's our favourite winter hike (so far) and we look forward to doing it again next year.
Category: Hiking
Plain of Six Glaciers
Amazing scenery, an relatively easy trail and a teahouse make this a very popular trail in Banff National Park. If you're willing to forego the teahouse, it's also a great shoulder season hike, at least before any significant snowfall creates avalanche risk along the route.
Yamnuska Scramble and West Col Descent
Trail upgrades in 2021 improved scramble conditions to the summit of Yamnuska. But this is still a challenging half-day adventure, especially daunting for those with any fear of heights/exposure.
The Onion
This one is a long day, especially if you spend any time exploring the geology of The Onion or searching for "ice caves" along the edge of the Wapta icefield. It fits the definition of a Class 1 scramble. The toughest bits are getting up and over the chokestone and then going up the rock ledges above Bow Hut, to The Onion. The views from the summit are well worth the effort.
South Bow Valley Provincial Park Winter Hiking
The fairly extensive network of trails in the lesser-known south part of Bow Valley Provincial Park is a solid option for maintaining conditioning over the winter months, family picnics, fall colours, bird spotting and more.