This breathtaking Alberta canyon has a waterfall & ancient pictographs

The air is crisp, the trees are bright, and in Wild Rose Country, it’s a beautiful time to hit the trails! Located in Canmore, Alberta, Grotto Canyon is one of the many worth visiting year round—but you’ll want to bring a pair of rain boots if you want to visit in the fall!

What to expect

Located 10 minutes from the mountain town, this scenic hike is incredibly popular in the winter because the stream is frozen over, but can be thoroughly explored in the fall on a warmer day, as long as you’re prepared to get your feet wet.

Along the way, you’ll see some incredible things from wildlife and Inuksuks, to the canyon itself.

Once you’ve travelled through the narrowing passageways, you’ll also reach a glistening waterfall where you’ll want to look extra close at the wall to the left.

Here, 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,” 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? Dress appropriately and take your time, but don’t touch the images.

There are not many places quite like it and it’s truly incredible.

Happy walking, be safe, and enjoy!

Grotto Canyon – Canmore, Alberta

Where: Grotto Canyon Trail Parking Lot, Bighorn No. 8, AB

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