The Grotto Canyon Trail, just outside of Canmore, is becoming increasingly popular in winter and for good factor. On the Grotto Canyon Trail, you can anticipate to be wowed by remarkable canyons, frozen waterfalls, an icy creek bed and ancient pictographs. The Grotto Canyon Trail is super easy to find. As you head along the Grotto Canyon trail, the canyon walls increase in size. It took three attempts hiking the Grotto Canyon trail to find the popular pictographs.
The Grotto Canyon Trail, simply beyond Canmore, is ending up being progressively popular in winter season and for great factor. Its easy and a lot of fun– plus its one of those rare walkings that is best for any ages. Ease of access is exceptional with the trailhead about an hours drive from Calgary. The downside is that parking on winter season weekends tends to be at a premium unless you visit late or early in the day.
On the Grotto Canyon Trail, you can expect to be wowed by outstanding canyons, frozen waterfalls, an icy creek bed and ancient pictographs. You may even catch ice climbers scaling the frozen falls, or kids sliding down what looks like a river of ice. You require a number of hours to do this path justice..
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Near the end of the Grotto Canyon path with the icefalls in view.
Discovering the Grotto Canyon Trail.
The Grotto Canyon Trail is very easy to find. Simply drive Highway 1A from either west or east and look for signs along the highway. From the intersection of Benchlands Trail and the Trans-Canada Highway in Canmore, its a 12-minute, 12.8-kilometre drive. From downtown Calgary, its a about an hours drive by means of the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 1X and Highway 1A. The parking is beside Grotto Canyon Pond.
Keep in mind that it is prohibited to park on the highway, and you will be ticketed. I suggest parking as near to the highway as possible if youre visiting at a busy time. That way you wont be caught behind a long line of cars and trucks when youre ready to leave.
Ought to you get to the parking lot, and the crowds are nuts, turn around and go east about 5 minutes and do the Jura Creek trek rather..
Before you go: Always check the path report simply in case there are any closures
. Grotto Canyon trek details.
Distance: Approximately 4.2 km
return. Elevation gain: 115 metres (some websites report greater numbers however there is no place near 260 metres of elevation gain which is frequently reported.). Ranking: Easy. Time required: 2– 2.5 hours so you have time for stops.
Best time to do it: Wait until early January when there have been tough freezes and the waterfalls are larger. The later you enter winter season, the much better the Grotto Canyon ice walk will be. Pet dogs: Allowed on a leash. Restrooms: There are outhouses at the trailhead.
Do not forget: Microspikes
are a need if you wish to avoid a fall. Buy quality. They should not be able to slip off quickly. If you have kids, they must also have a pair, although they do not have as far to fall. Check out these ones. Map: Gem Trek Canmore and Kananaskis. Tours: Although the Grotto Canyon ice walk is simple to do on your own, a trip will offer a pick up from Banff, ice cleats, a hiking pole, hot chocolate, and an expert guide so you will not miss the pictographs. Needed: You will require a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to park your cars and truck without getting ticketed.
The area along the Grotto Canyon Trail remains in Bow Valley and as such fulfill Alberta Parks requirements for passes. Purchase one online here, either for a day or a year. Food after the walking: I extremely advise heading to Valbella, Communitea, Rocky Mountain Bagel Company or Harvest Café.
Grotto Canyon Trail description. The start of the Grotto Canyon Trail is not the most beautiful– and its noisy. As you head along the Grotto Canyon trail, the canyon walls increase in size.
In no time youll reach the ice falls– where you may need to wait in line to get a shot! To their right, youll also see a river of ice that was a surreal colour of blue in 2022. Follow it up– if you are well equipped with microspikes that bite into the ice, to reach another icefall. Possibly youll capture some ice climbers in action here. The descent on the narrow trail back to the ice falls can be challenging. Some people were on their backs for short section but getting soaked because of a thin layer of water on top. There is a rocky path that you can utilize to the side of this river of ice. When youve had your fill, retrace your steps. Then return and see how different the Grotto Canyon trail looks in summer. Youll discover signs where you require it. Enjoy this view towards
Canmore prior to going into Grotto Canyon; there is a bench here too. As soon as you reach Grotto Canyon there is the option to take a high water route
— useful in spring and summer season.
Fun section on the Grotto Canyon path. When we arrived, quite the river of ice this year; there were ice climbers on these frozen falls. We did take our dog and she had no issue on the ice. The icefalls were far bluer this year than last. Walking out on the Grotto Canyon trail. Overshadowed by the canyon walls in places. It would have been fun to skate a few small areas– a good warm up to get in the Crashed Ice contest.
Back out to the open area and the noise from Baymag.
Trying to find a longer hike?
From the icefalls there is an apparent path to the left( if youre looking at them straight on) through another canyon that continues for at the majority of a few more kilometres. Walk through the canyon for about five minutes to reach a wide-open location. This is well worth doing as its really pretty. From there you can hike along a stream bed, passing a large hoodoo with a cavern– that I would not recommend going to. Keep in mind, its constantly more difficult to come down a high slope than it is to increase. From the hoodoo, we as soon as walked for maybe another 15– 20 minutes. It does not get any more intriguing– and in reality in short order youre into the trees. Many people turn back long before this point. Many individuals turn around at the first set of icefalls– however at the very least hike up the short canyon simply past them. From the icefalls go left through a shorter canyon to an open location. Reach an open area. Theres a cavern some people check out but its a high climb and a hard descent. Checking out the side canyon to the icefall. A different viewpoint when youre out of the side canyon.
Grotto Canyon Pictographs. It took 3 attempts treking the Grotto Canyon path to find the popular pictographs. Theyre easy to miss, partly due to the fact that theyre rather faded. Youve missed them if youve gotten here at the icefalls. The pictographs are located near the end of Grotto Canyon prior to the falls.
As youre heading up the canyon
there is one last turn to the left before the icefalls. They are on the narrow pinch point at eye level. The pictographs are believed to go back to somewhere in between 500 and 1300 years earlier
. There are several popular images and numerous that are faded. The clearest one shown listed below is of a guy with a two-horned head holding a personnel. Apparently near the base of the outcrop( which I overlooked )there is” a grouping of three figures with triangular bodies and some kind of headdress.”. Many figures cant be spotted by the naked eye. According to the Mountain Nature Podcast “over the centuries, a thin, clear veneer of calcite has actually gradually been covering the face making them more difficult to spot, and the simple truth of time has actually likewise deteriorated a few of the images.”. According to researchers, these
pictographs do not resemble other rock art in the region. They have actually been traced to the Hopi individuals who resided in the Four Corners region of the US (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah ). One image– the fluteplayer( called Kokopelli), looks like pictographs found just in Hopi Country.
Animal fat and ochre, potentially sourced from the Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park, is the main active ingredient to the pictographs. For a really comprehensive explanation check out the short article entitled Grotto Canyon Pictographs and Life with Less Snow. Pictographs in Grotto Canyon. If youre heading back to the parking lot youll discover the pictographs on the right and around the corner from this image. More enjoyable winter season walkings you might take pleasure in. Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
