There’s no place quite like Wild Rose Country! Here, the trees are green, the air is fresh and the hikes are magical – especially if taken in Canmore.
Located 10 minutes from the magical Alberta town, Grotto Canyon is an action-packed trail through the mountains with some incredible sights.
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To kick off your adventure, tighten the laces on your most comfortable shoes and head to the Grotto Mountain day-use parking lot.
You’ll have to walk about a kilometre to get to the narrow-walled creek bed, but it’ll all be worth it for the twists and turns!
In addition to the smooth limestone walls which will get steeper and steeper along the way, you’ll also see wildlife, Inuksuks and an enchanting waterfall -but you’ll want to look extra close at the wall to the left!
Just before the falls at eye level, hikers will see Hopi Pictographs which were painted between 500 and 1,000 years ago, according to Explore Canmore.
“Around the town of Canmore, there are three relatively easy-to-access sites home to ancient pictographs, which are paintings that have been made on rock with a mixture of red ochre and grease – not to be confused with petroglyphs, which are etchings made in the rock,” local tour company Canmore Cave Tour writes.
“While the pictographs have faded over time (and unfortunately also due to vandalism) it is still possible to see the original paintings at Grassi Lakes, Grotto Canyon, and Rats Nest Cave.”
Our advice? Enjoy yourselves and check it out when it’s warm enough to really appreciate all that there is to see! This is a detailed trail and you won’t want to miss it.
Happy walking and enjoy!
Grotto Canyon, Alberta
Where: Grotto Canyon Trail Parking Lot, Bighorn No. 8, AB
