Travel for Kids: Canadian Rockies



Canada		\| Alberta

		Canadian Rockies



		The Rocky Mountain area of Canada stretches from Jasper in Alberta into BC and down across the U.S. border. While not the highest mountains in Canada, the Rockies offer spectacular scenery (the most photographed wilderness in Canada) and adventures of every kind for kids – canoeing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, river rafting, camping, swimming, fishing, dog sledding and skiing.

Canmore – Canmore is the gateway to travels along the Rockies going north from Calgary, it's worth a stop if only for the Grotto Mountain cave tour! You may not want to see your kids rappelling or doing the more thrilling caver experiences, but a half-hour hike through water etched passages into caverns filled with mineral formations is possible for even smaller kids. Make sure you wear warm casual clothes and good shoes: you'll be outfitted with helmets and lamps.

The road from Canmore to Banff is quite beautiful so give yourself enough time to really enjoy the drive: both the scenery and for "spot the wildlife" games. Although there are bridges built just for wild life to get from one side of the highway to the other, you're likely to see lots of elk and possibly a few bear along the side or even on the road. Pulling over to take pictures is fine but keep in mind that even a smallish bear is stronger than a very big man: keep a respectful distance and use a zoom lens for close-up shots.



			The scenery in Banff and Jasper National Parks will knock your socks off, it's so spectacular, but don't think you need to rough it. Here's a family tour that combine canoeing and lakeside walks with guided wildlife spotting and hikes on the glacier:

			Classic Journeys



			Does your family want to bike, hike, rock climb, or go rafting? Camping looks like fun too, but you can also choose to stay in comfortable inns. Book a tour that specializes in multi-sport trips for families, they'll provide everything you'll need for a great trip:

			Backroads

Free Horse (Mustang Mountain # 7)
Sharon Siamon

Teenage Meg has a way with horses, and would like nothing better than to spend her summer at Mustang Mountain, but she's stuck with a pesky ten-year old and her friend Thomas is out in the wilderness, trying to save the wild horses. A super horse story, set in the Canadian Rockies. (Chapter book)

For more adventures of Meg, Becky, and Alison with phantom horses, rodeos, and wild mustangs, check out: Night Horse, Rodeo Horse, Brave Horse.

Bears
Deborah Hodge

Before you spot a bear up close, find out about the habits of black bears and grizzlies – what they eat (honey and fruit, plants and leaves, fish, deer), how fast they can run (up to 30mph), natural predators (none). (Picture book)

Deer, Moose, Elk & Caribou
Deborah Hodge

Fun facts about these fascinating animals. A moose is really just the largest deer, elk make lots of squealing and grunting noises, mule deer hop with stiff legs like a rabbit. Also, how to identify moose, mule deer, caribou and elk tracks. (Picture book)

(More children's books on other Alberta pages)

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