If you are looking for a hike that is a little bit different; one where you can combine hiking, biking, and exploring an ice cave, then the Canyon Creek Ice Cave hike in Kananaskis is a great family friendly option.
This 13km out and back trail may sound like a long hike, but once the snow melts you can cycle 10km of that, making this a manageable hike for kids that are strong riders. Our kids absolutely loved exploring the ice cave and I reckon this hike will be a new early season hiking tradition for us to do annually as a family.
If you are interested in exploring some other similar hikes in the area, check out the following:
THE CANYON CREEK ICE CAVE HIKE OVERVIEW
To jump ahead to a certain section, click the links below:
CANYON CREEK ICE CAVE HIKE - KEY INFORMATION
Here is the key hike information:
Distance: 13km out and back trail (you can cycle 10km of this along a gravel path)
Difficulty: Moderately challenging. It is considered 'hard' on All Trails but I think this is mainly due to the distance if walking the entire way. We did this trail with our 6 and 9 year old kids and they had no real problems. There are some steep sections where you have to be mindful of loose rocks, but nothing too crazy. Our kids loved the ascent, the descent was a little more challenging.
Elevation Gain: 456m according to All Trails
Time: The trail took us around 4.5 hours with our kids (this included time exploring inside the cave and eating lunch)
When to go: While this hike can technically be done at any time, I would recommend going around the end of April as soon as the snow melts and the ice formations are looking spectacular from the constant freezing and thawing.
Kananaskis Pass - A reminder that this hike is in Kananaskis country and you need to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass.
HOW TO GET TO THE ICE CAVE
As this trail is no longer accessible by road (it was closed years ago due to accidents at the cave), you will need to either walk along the old road to the start of the trailhead, or you can opt to cycle it instead. I would definitely recommend cycling as I’d consider the hike along the road to be fairly uninteresting for Kananaskis standards.
The ride starts from the car park behind the gate, and you make your way along a well maintained gravel path that takes you to the start of the trailhead. We saw quite a few people biking to the various climbing sites along the road. The ride is a gentle climb in most places and the kids only needed to push up a few short hills. The good thing is that at the end of the hike, aside from one hill at the very start of the gravel path, it is pretty much a gentle freewheel the whole way back to the car, which is good when you are tired. The map below shows the main locations you need to look for.
Canyon Creek Ice Cave Map:
THE HIKE TO THE CANYON CREEK ICE CAVE
It’s pretty easy to find the start of the trail as it is just after a steep ish hill that curves around a corner and flattens out at the bottom. You will see an oil and gas facility just after the start of the trail (if you get there, you’ve gone too far). There are plenty of trees where you can lock your bikes up right by the trailhead (you will probably see some already there).
The hike itself is relatively short at around 1.5km to the cave, but there is some reasonable elevation gain.
The first section is a fairly easy walk through the trees. There are a few steep areas but in general this is the easy part of the hike. About halfway up the trail will start to turn a bit rocky and eventually turn to scree.
The path is clear to follow and is relatively well worn, but you do need to be aware of where you are putting your feet and watch out for loose rocks.
INSIDE THE ICE CAVE
After the short but steep scree climb, the Canyon Creek Ice Cave entrance looms! It is a lot bigger than it looks when you are hiking up there. When we visited it was a little bit muddy but I can imagine after heavy rain or snow melt it could get pretty slippery at the entrance. Be careful as you navigate the cave – there are lots of icy sections so watch where you are putting your feet.
There were some impressive ice formations near to the front of the cave, so those that don’t feel comfortable venturing too far in will still have plenty to see. But it definitely gets more interesting the further you go inside.
There is a fantastic floor to ceiling ice formation as well as a permanent ice wall at the back of the cave. If you look closely you will see lots of fossils in the rocks throughout the cave as well.
At the very back there are some smaller crevasses that you can climb through – we went a little way through but didn’t venture too far as our lights weren’t strong enough and we were relying on an iPhone light to supplement our headlamps.
As we were leaving the cave, I had to get this iconic shot looking out over the mountain!
Remember. Please be respectful and do not smash or attempt to break the ice to ensure that this can be enjoyed by everyone.
WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU
Bear spray – This hike is definitely in bear country. Make lots of noise (I’m pretty sure no bears would want anything to do with our noisy kids though!)
Good Hiking boots – This is definitely not a flip flop type of hike! Make sure the whole family has some good hiking boots as you do have to walk over quite a few rocks and scree on the way up.
Phone – Quite a bit of the trail does have signal so it’s worth bringing with you from a safety standpoint, plus you’ll probably want to take a photo or two…..
Food and Water – Bring lots of water! We recently bought both of our kids Camelbaks so that they can drink on the go and it has been a game changer! Bring plenty of snacks and gummy treats!
First Aid Kit – I always recommend bringing a basic first aid kit in your bag as a precaution.
Walking Poles – you may feel more comfortable descending through the rocky areas by using poles. We didn’t, but many people were.
Headlamps – if you want to explore inside the cave you will definitely need lighting. Headlamps are by far the safest way to do it so that you have both hands available.
ENJOY THE CANYON CREEK ICE CAVE HIKE
The Canyon Creek Ice Cave is a great hike and bike option if you are looking for something a little bit different.
As always, if you have any questions about the hike feel free to ask away in the comments section!
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