Located in the Alberta province of Canada and surrounded by many amazing national parks and scenic locations, Canmore is a premier outdoor destination. This mountain town is bordered by iconic locations such as Banff and Calgary, offering visitors and residents alike many opportunities for exploration.
If you are staying at one of our many Canmore properties you may be wondering what activities are there to do while I stay in the area? Here are the most notable locations near Canmore, including their distance from Canmore and how the various travel options to arrive at these locations:
Distance from Canmore to Banff
Banff is located 26.1 km (16.2 mi) from Canmore. By vehicle, it takes roughly 24 minutes to drive from Canmore to Banff via the Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W.
You can also reach Banff from Canmore via Roam Transit, starting at the Benchlands Trail Overpass stop on the transit route. This takes you to the Banff High School Transit Hub, which is roughly a 2-minute walk to the town of Banff. The cost of this ticket is CA$6.00 and takes around 29 minutes total.
Banff can also be reached from Canmore by way of the scenic Banff Legacy Trail. This trail route is 25 km in length and takes around 1 hour 24 minutes to complete.
The town of Banff is located within the Banff National Park, which features the two peaks of the Rocky Mountains – Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade. Banff is located within the Alberta province of Canada.
Distance from Canmore to Lake Louise
Lake Louise is 80.1 km (49.7 mi) from Canmore. Driving from Canmore to Lake Louise takes around 53 minutes total via the Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W.
To reach Lake Louise via Roam Transit, you will need to start at the Benchlands Trail Overpass to the Banff High School Transit Hub. Once at the Banff High School Transit Hun, you will then need to hop about the transit to Lake Louise Village North. Lake Louise is within a 1 minute’s walk from this stop. In total, this trip takes roughly 1 hour 50 minutes.
Biking from Canmore to Lake Louise is not recommended unless you intend to make a day’s trip out of the activity, as it takes 4 hours and 36 minutes to complete in one direction.
Lake Louise is a glacial lake located within the Banff National Park. This lake is most well-known for its iconic turquoise-colored waters and freezing-cold temperatures that stay cold all year round.
Distance from Canmore to Calgary
Calgary is located 102 km east of Canmore. To drive to Calgary from Canmore takes around 1 hour 5 minutes via the Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 E.
To take the transit route to Calgary, you will need to first make your way to the Canmore stop, boarding the Vancouver-Calgary transit to Calgary Westbrook – information on this transit schedule can be found on Rider Express.
Once at Calgary Westbrook, you will take a 6-minute walk to Westbrook Station, where you will take the 202 Blue Line Saddletowne route. Ride this to the EB 6 Street SW Station, where you will then be a 4-minute walk away from Calgary. Find more information about this route on the Calgary Transit site.
There currently is not a bicycle-friendly trail from Canmore to Calgary – though one may be in development as part of the Trans Canada Trail.
Calgary is a city within the Alberta province with many popular landmarks and destinations including the Calgary Tower, the Heritage Park Historical Village, and the Calgary Stampede.
Distance from Canmore to Jasper
Driving from Canmore to Jasper takes around 3 hours 46 minutes, covering a distance of 311 km (193.2 mi). This driven route takes you along AB-93 N and includes tolls. There are unfortunately no driving routes to avoid these tolls.
The main transit route from Canmore to Jasper takes roughly 5 hours and 5 minutes with multiple stops along the way. To take this transit route, you will take the Benchlands Trail Overpass in Canmore to the Banff High School Transit Hub. From here, you will take the Jasper-Lake Louise-Banff-Calgary Connector to Jasper.
The first part of this route is through Roam Transit, while the second is through Sundog Transportation and Tours.
Jasper is home to Mount Columbia, the tallest mountain in the Alberta province, as well as the Jasper National Park. This park is the largest in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Distance from Canmore to Edmonton
There are two main routes to choose between to drive from Canmore to Edmonton. The fastest route is via AB-2 N and takes 3 hours 51 minutes to complete (391 km). The alternate route is via AB-22 and AB-2 N, taking 4 hours 33 minutes to complete (418 km).
In terms of traveling via transit, there are not many great options for traveling from Canmore to Edmonton – with each of these transit options taking 14+ hours and multiple stops to complete. If you need to take the transit system from Canmore to Edmonton, you will first need to travel to Calgary and then use the Red Arrow Motorcoach transportation service to reach Edmonton.
It is also possible to fly from Canmore to Edmonton, starting at the Calgary (YYC) Airport and traveling to the Edmonton (YEG) International Airport. This flight can vary in time but takes roughly 55 minutes.
Edmonton is the capital of the Alberta province and home to a wide variety of attractions, including the West Edmonton Mall – one of the world’s largest shopping malls complete with theme parks, theatres, and hotels. The city is located along the North Saskatchewan River.
Distance from Canmore to Golden
Traveling from Canmore, AB to Golden, BC by way of driving takes 1 hour 54 minutes (162 km) via the Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W and Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 W.
Rider Express offers a transit route from Canmore to Golden that takes around 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete. From the Golden transit stop, it will take you around 33 minutes to walk to the heart of Golden. Visit the Rider Express website to learn more about this route and how to book a ticket.
Golden, BC is known for its outdoors attractions and is surrounded by six of Canada’s National Parks – Banff, Glacier, Yoho, Jasper, Kootenay, and Mount Revelstoke. There are many popular resorts and lodges located in Golden, making it the ideal getaway for outdoors lovers of all kinds.
Distance from Canmore to Revelstoke
To reach Revelstoke, BC from Canmore, AB by car, you will need to take Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W and Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 W. This driving trip takes 3 hours 36 minutes and is 306 km (190 mi) in length. Traveling to Revelstoke will also put you in a different time zone – Revelstoke is in the Pacific Daylight Time Zone, while Canmore is in the Mountain Daylight Time Zone.
When traveling via transit, you will need to take the Rider Express route from Canmore to Revelstoke. This trip takes around 3 hours 30 minutes total and includes 3 stops along the way. Once you reach the Revelstoke stop, it will take you a 33-minute walk to reach the heart of Revelstoke.
Revelstoke, BC is known around the world as a hub for skiing and winter sports – with one of its most popular destinations being the Revelstoke Mountain Resort. This mountain town is also home to Mount Revelstoke National Park which offers many hiking trails and natural sight-seeing destinations.
Distance from Canmore to Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake is located in Banff National Park and can be a bit tricky to navigate to if you are unfamiliar with the area. Your first step is to travel to Lake Louise from Canmore (see Distance from Canmore to Lake Louise above).
Once you are in the village of Lake Louise, you will need to take Lake Louise Drive until you reach Moraine Lake Road on the left. The distance of this drive is roughly 13 km (8 mi). The distance from Canmore to Moraine Lake is estimated to be around 94 km (58.4 mi) or 1 hour 10 minutes.
The Lake Louise Summer Shuttle also runs from late spring to mid-fall, originating in the village of Lake Louise and offering shuttles to both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. More information on the summer shuttle can be found on the Banff & Lake Louise website, and shuttle reservations can be made on the Parks Canada Reservation Service website.
Moraine Lake is located within the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Like Lake Louise, this lake is well-known for its turquoise waters and stunning scenery.
Distance from Canmore to Sunshine Village
Sunshine Village is a ski resort located in Banff. To reach Sunshine Village, you will first need to travel from Canmore to Banff (see Distance from Canmore to Banff above). Sunshine Village is around 15 km to the southwest of the town of Banff.
Once in Banff – if you are driving – you will need to enter Banff National Park by purchasing a park pass for your vehicle. After continuing through the park gates you will drive west on the main highway for roughly 15 minutes, or until your reach the Sunshine Village exit on the right. Follow this road until you reach the base area of Sunshine Village.
There is also a shuttle bus that runs from Banff to Sunshine Village. You can read the daily bus schedule on the official Banff Sunshine website.
Sunshine Village is an incredible ski resort with highly diverse terrain that includes ski slopes, the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, and retail shopping. It is along the Alberta and British Columbia border.
Distance from Canmore to Vancouver
The trip from Canmore to Vancouver is a hefty one, taking approximately 10 hours 9 minutes by car. The route to get to Vancouver from Canmore is via the Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 W and is 871 km (541.2 mi) in length. You will change time zones when you travel to Canada to the Pacific Daylight Time Zone.
Rider Express’s Vancouver-Calgary route offers transit from Canmore to Vancouver – though it takes around 11 hours 30 minutes and 14 stops to complete. Flying offers much greater speed, with the trip from the Calgary (YYC) International Airport to Vancouver (YVR) International Airport taking approximately 1 hour 30 minutes on average.
Vancouver is located in British Columbia and is a large city with many destinations and attractions to explore. Some of the top attractions include the Capilano Suspension Bridge, the Grouse Mountain Skyride, and the Museum of Anthropology. Visit Destination Vancouver for more information.
Distance from Canmore to Fairmont
Fairmont Banff Springs is a luxury hotel located in Banff. It is 28 minutes (27.9 km) from Canmore via Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W.
You can also reach this location via Roam Transit, starting at the Benchlands Trail Overpass by taking the Banff route and then switching to the Tunnel Mountain route at the Banff High School Transit Hub stop. Find more information on this route on the Roam Transit website.
Fairmont Banff Springs is located within Banff National Park at the base of Rundle Mountain. This luxury hotel offers an 18-hole golf course, 12 acclaimed restaurants, and a day spa. The resort also offers a variety of activities including sunrise hikes and brewery tours.
Distance from Canmore to Takakkaw Falls
To reach Takakkaw Falls from Canmore, you will first need to travel to Banff (see Distance from Canmore to Banff above).
In order to access Takakkaw Falls, you will need to first travel on Yoho Valley Road which is connected to the Trans-Canada Hwy. You will drive approximately 15 km along this road before reaching the Takakkaw Falls parking lot, located at the end of the road.
Alternatively, you can take the transit route from Benchlands Trail Overpass to Banff High School Transit Hub, and then from Banff High School Transit Hub to Lake Louise Village North. Once in Lake Louise Village, you can hire a taxi to take you to Takakkaw Falls. This entire trip takes around 1 hour 25 minutes.
Takakkaw Falls is a beautiful, scenic location. From the parking lot, you can see the base of the waterfall and access a 1.4 km round-trip hiking trail. Keep in mind that Yoho Valley Road – the only road leading into the falls – closes during the winter months, so you will need to plan accordingly if you hope to travel to this destination.
Distance from Canmore to Dead Man’s Flats
Dead Man’s Flats – also called Pigeon Mountain – is located roughly 7 km (4.3 mi) southeast of Canmore, right off the Trans-Canada Hwy. This is approximately a 7 to 10-minute drive from Canmore.
You can also reach Dead Man’s Flats on a bicycle via the Three Sisters Pathway. This ride is 18.3 km in length, which takes an average total time of 1 hour 22 minutes.
At Dead Man’s Flats, you can find a variety of hiking trails and scenic views. There are also many nearby resorts for those traveling from far away.
Distance from Canmore to Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs is a small village in British Columbia that can be driven to via Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 and BC-93 S. This village is located 159 km from Canmore and the drive takes approximately 1 hour 54 minutes.
Currently, there are no transit routes from Canmore to Radium Hot Springs. Biking from Canmore to Radium Hot Springs takes roughly 8 hours 33 minutes via the Banff-Windermere Hwy.
Radium Hot Springs is located 1.5 hours west of Banff National Park between the Canadian Rockies and Purcell Mountains. It offers many outdoor activities, as well as hot springs pools and spas.
Distance from Canmore to Columbia Icefields
Columbia Icefields is located at the Athabasca Glacier. To reach this destination from Canmore, you will need to travel by car along Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W and AB-93 N. This route is 208 km (129.2 mi) in length and takes approximately 2 hours 32 minutes. There are also tolls along this route.
Currently, there are no transit routes available from Canmore to Columbia Icefields. However, this destination is located in Jasper, AB, so you can travel via transit from Canmore to Jasper (see Distance from Canmore to Jasper above) and then navigate to the Icefields from there.
Located along the Alberta-British Columbia border, the Columbia Icefields offer you the opportunity to go glacier and ice walking.
