- Home
- About
- Canada
- US
- Destinations
- Adventures
- Guides
- Canada
- A Guide to Biking From Banff to Jasper, Alberta
- A Guide to Biking the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia
- A Biking Guide for Quebec’s Eastern Townships
- A Guide to Biking British Columbia’s Gulf Islands
- Niagara Area Bike and Wine Tour Guide
- A Guide to Visiting and Biking the Okanagan Valley in BC
- A Guide to Biking Prince Edward County, Ontario
- Vancouver Airport Layover Guide
- A Bike and Wine Tour Guide for Victoria to the Cowichan Valley
- US
- Europe
- South America
- Canada
- Book & Gear Reviews
- Travel Resources
- Contact
Kananaskis Country Snowshoeing: West Bragg Creek Trails
Kananaskis Country can get a lot of snow so it’s perfect for snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Last week – by sheer luck – we ended up on the West Bragg Creek snowshoe trail and what a delight it was.
The mountains are beckoning on the way up to the West Bragg Creek Trailhead
Our intention had been to check out the Bragg Creek area. It’s a small community not far from Calgary and I’d heard that there was cross country skiing nearby. But that’s all I knew.
Fortunately I have a nose for finding great trails.
The start of the snowshoe trail at West Bragg Creek
The west Bragg Creek trails – which are largely for cross country skiers – can be found at the end of West Bragg Creek Road – just 8.5 kilometers from the one major shopping area in Bragg Creek itself. There’s a big parking lot though by one in the afternoon on a perfect blue sky Saturday, it was overflowing. Fortunately there is loads of parking on the road – and it’s all free.
It took us some time to find a trail that catered to the snowshoeing crowd. But we found a loop – the 5.5 kilometer Snowshoe Hare Loop. It turns out dogs are allowed on these trails without a leash, a real bonus in my mind.
In our haste to get out of the house we hadn’t brought snowshoes or skis with us – thinking we would just be on a reconnoitering mission. But there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to get out and at least hike the snowshoe trail.
And no we weren’t one of those hikers – the ones that destroy tracks and make it difficult for everybody to snowshoe or ski. The trail was so firmly packed down that it was a piece of cake to walk on and you didn’t actually need snowshoes.
Beautiful snow covered trees
Looking up through the trees
Thick stands of trees near the beginning of the trail
The trail was an utter delight – especially after the big snowfall we’d had just a few days earlier. Perhaps I should rephrase that. The trail was indeed wonderful but if you hike it in a clockwise direction, the first kilometer are two had the annoying buzz of wood chippers off in the distance. But once over the first hump, we were met with silence.
My dog is allowed on the trail – off leash
Peek a boo views at the top
Sun beams on the tree
A blast of sunshine on the forest floor
Another blast of sun in the woods
It’s dark in places
The only real open area we came across
All told the trail took less than 90 minutes to hike. The same would hold true for snowshoeing.
I look forward to another visit – this time with cross country skis in tow. As you can see from the map below, there are loads of interconnected trails. The longest one appears to be the 16.5 kilometer return Telephone Loop though there are lots of short loops to do too.
For easy access from Calgary you can’t beat the trails at West Bragg Creek.
The snowshoe trail is in pink
Have you been snowshoeing on any of the Kananaskis Country trails? Are the West Bragg Creek Trails ones you have explored? Any recommendations?
Similar posts that might be of interest:
- Snowshoeing to the Inkpots in Banff National Park
- Superb Snowshoeing to Mountain Lakes in Kananaskis Country
- A Fine Day of Cross Country Skiing in Peter Lougheed Park
Leigh McAdam
HikeBikeTravel
Facebook
Twitter
Vote for my article on WorldTravelist.com, sharing the best travel content on the web.
About Hike Bike TravelAvid world traveler. Craves adventure - & the odd wildly epic day. Gardener. Reader. Wine lover. Next big project - a book on 100 Canadian outdoor adventures.
View all posts by Hike Bike Travel →
8 Responses to Kananaskis Country Snowshoeing: West Bragg Creek Trails
Leave a Reply
About
I’ve been all over the world – to all continents but Antarctica and to a grand total of 53 countries. I’ve always got some sort of an adventure planned – even if it’s only a weekend. I thrive on change and travel provides that.
Feel free to email me at
leighmcadamtravels at gmail dot com
STAY CONNECTED
Food Recipes and Restaurants
Surprising Saskatoon: A City of Great Restaurants
Saskatoon took me aback. I figured since it was a prairie city, seemingly in the middle of nowhere – that there would be a backwoods feel to the whole food scene. But was I ever wrong. Saskatoon is a city of great restaurants. Within an hour of landing I was enjoying a fantastic lunch at Souleio’s on [...]
I’m definitely not a snowy person, but you photos make me want to try snowshoes (is that a kind of tennis racket you wear under your boots?) for real.
Italian Notes recently posted..Rain in Italy
@Mette I need to get you to Canada to show you all the truly wonderful things there are to do. And yes snowshoes look like tennis rackets though they now come in many different forms – from light weight ones meant for running to big heavy duty ones meant for carrying heavy loads through deep snow.
What a great hike! I’m not a fan of cold but I think snow is so beautiful and I love the quiet of a good trek in the snow-covered woods. Your dog looks so cute and happy, what is her/his name?
@Krista Once you’re moving it’s not cold and in fact I was so warm I had my hat and mitts off or most of the hike. My dog’s name is Torrie. She is from the island of St. Maartens in the Caribbean – hates the heat, loves the snow.
We are enjoying the Hawaiian sun and surf right now, but I agree, your photos and tale make me want to pull out the snowshoes and set forth on a winter adventure.
Jackie Smith recently posted..Tuscany’s Most Romantic? That’d be Cetona!
@Jackie I love your enthusiasm about my posts. It is always appreciated.
Glad you didn’t need snowshoes or a leash. This is just beautiful!
InsideJourneys recently posted..The Jamaica Visitors Rarely See, II
@Marcia I feel very lucky to discover the place by chance. We need another good dump of snow and then I’ll be back.