Railway Avenue, Bow Valley Trail and two side streets hold Canmore's five ski shops, Trail Sports rents cross-country gear at the Nordic Centre and Nakiska has its own counter at the base. A Banff ski day needs a Parks Canada pass, while the Nordic Centre and Nakiska lots want Alberta's Kananaskis pass instead.
Where do skiers pick up rentals in Canmore?
In town, since Canmore has no lift of its own. Canmore Sports Experts on Railway Avenue prints the lowest adult rate at $39 a day, and GearUp on Bow Valley Trail charges $54, but you can pick the skis up the evening before at no extra cost. SkiBig3's Canmore hub takes 15% off online orders. Cross-country skiers rent from Trail Sports in the Nordic Centre day lodge.
What replaces skiing in Canmore once the snow goes?
Mountain bike more than 100 km of Nordic Centre trails with no trail fee, or ride the paved Legacy Trail 26.8 km to Banff and bus back. Raft the Grade 2-3 Kananaskis River from offices downtown, float the Bow, or climb the sport routes at Cougar Creek and Grassi Lakes.
Railway Avenue to Mt Allan Drive
Sports Experts and the SkiBig3 hub are on Railway Avenue, GearUp is on Bow Valley Trail, Chateau is in the Shops of Canmore Plaza and Sports Garage is on Industrial Place. All seven counters on this page take bookings online.
| Shop | Adult ski package, per day in CAD | Adult board package, per day in CAD | Rents | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Canmore Sports Experts
1080 Railway Avenue
Cheapest printed day rate
|
$39 | $39 | Standard and high performance ($50) packages, Junior Development packages for kids up to 10, Try Before You Buy, tuning | Book online → |
GearUp Sports
1302 Bow Valley Trail
No charge for evening pickup
|
$54 | $51 | Sport and high performance ($65) skis, backcountry and splitboard packages, cross-country and light touring skis, avalanche gear, snowshoes | Book online → |
SkiBig3 Canmore Adventure Hub
104-1350 Railway Avenue, beside two grocery stores
|
Price shown when you book | Ski and snowboard rentals with 15% off online orders. Winter only, from November 13, 2026 | Book online → | |
| Shop | Adult ski package, per day in CAD | Adult board package, per day in CAD | Rents | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Chateau Mountain Sports
Shops of Canmore Plaza, 304 Old Canmore Road
|
Price shown when you book | Skis, snowboards, cross-country skis, skates, snowshoes and fat bikes; helmets $8 a day extra | Book online → | |
Sports Garage
1 Industrial Place
|
Price shown when you book | Ski and snowboard packages from adult beginner to high performance, kids' gear, skates, ice cleats, hiking poles | Book online → | |
| Shop | Adult ski package, per day in CAD | Adult board package, per day in CAD | Rents | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trail Sports
Nordic Centre day lodge
|
Price shown when you book | Cross-country ski rentals, open to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and a kids' season rental for $195 that runs until April | Book online → | |
Nakiska Alpine Sport Rental Shop
Base area, 2 Mt Allan Drive
|
Price shown when you book | Ski and snowboard rentals, a performance tuning shop, and the RCR WINGS kids' season rental with free size swaps | Book online → | |
CAD as printed on the GearUp and Sports Experts winter rate pages in late October 2026; neither names a season. The other shops show the price for your dates in their booking pages, so confirm it when you reserve.
When the snow goes, the Nordic Centre's ski trails become more than 100 km of dirt roads and single track, with a free skills park below the Bill Warren Training Centre and a 6.5 km paved roller-ski loop. There are no trail fees in summer; parking needs the Kananaskis pass.
CAMBA builds and maintains the town trails, from the Highline descent to the Montane Traverse on the sunny side of the valley. E-MTBs aren't allowed on all of them. Sports Garage (e-bikes from $60) and Chateau also rent bikes in summer.
Wide dirt roads, ski trails and single track, dirt jumps, drops and a wall ride in the free skills park, and 18-hole disc golf. The trails hosted the World 24 Hour championships in 2009.
Trail info →Mountain bike rentals, lessons and guided rides from the Nordic Centre day lodge.
Bike rentals →Giant Trance X full-suspension bikes at $100 a day or $260 for three, Legacy Trail hybrids at $70, e-bikes at $95, kids' bikes and Chariot trailers. Every rental includes a helmet.
Bike rates →From the Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centre to the Bow Valley Parkway, with only 30 m of climbing. Keep to 20 km/h and allow 2 to 3 hours there and back.
Trail details →Pedego e-bikes from $30 an hour for riders 12 and up, plus kayak, SUP and canoe rentals and guided hikes.
Their website →Kananaskis River trips run Grade 2 to 3, and the Bow River floats are gentler.
Kananaskis River rafting that starts from the downtown Canmore office, for ages 5 and up and at least 50 lb.
Their website →Whitewater trips and Bow River floats from 909A Railway Ave, with a $75 plus tax rate for locals.
Their website →Kananaskis and Bow River rafting from its riverbase on Highway 1A, for more than 40 years.
Their website →Inflatable SUP and kayak rentals, foam surfboards for the Mountain Wave on the Kananaskis, flat-water and river SUP lessons, and delivery to lakes for groups.
Their website →Bikes, e-bikes, canoes, kayaks and SUPs from Kananaskis Village, 2.5 km from Nakiska, plus tours on Barrier Lake.
Their website →Cougar Creek is the closest crag to town, with 100+ sport routes from 5.6 to 5.14. Grassi Lakes has moderate 5.10 to 5.11 sport a 300 m walk from the lot, and you need the Kananaskis pass to park. On a wet day, Elevation Place has an indoor wall from V0 to 5.13.
Guided rock climbing and mountaineering, based in Canmore at the Banff park gates.
Their website →Wild caving in Rat's Nest Cave runs all year, from the office at 129 Bow Meadows Crescent.
Their website →Trail rides, and the summer base for Snowy Owl's dog carting and kennel tours.
Their website →SUPs, camping kit and other outdoor gear for trips around Canmore and Banff.
Their website →Pick up, then drive
None of Canmore's shops stands at a lift, so downhill skiers pick up on Railway Avenue or Bow Valley Trail and carry the gear in the car. Cross-country skiers can rent at the trailhead.
Railway Avenue to each ski area
Road distance and drive time from Canmore, as SkiBig3 and Nakiska give them.
The 1988 Olympic alpine venue is the closest downhill skiing to Canmore that sits outside Banff National Park. A day there needs a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to park, and no Parks Canada pass.
Canmore to Nakiska
FlixBus also runs to Nakiska from Calgary's airport, downtown and Crowfoot.
Canmore sits on the Trans-Canada about 81 km west of Calgary, just short of the Banff National Park east gate. Two governments run the land around it, so the pass you need depends on where you park.
Daily buses link downtown Canmore and downtown Banff for $6 adult one way or $15 for a day pass, and children 12 and younger travel free. Drivers take exact cash only, or buy the fare on your phone first. The 9th Street hub is closed for construction, so use the temporary stop on 10th Street.
Pick up a car at Calgary International or book the Pursuit Banff & Canmore Airport Shuttle. Canmore is about an hour west of the city on Highway 1.
Not needed to stay or park in Canmore. For a day at Norquay, Sunshine or Lake Louise it's $12.25 per adult, $24.50 for up to seven in one vehicle, or $83.50 for an adult Discovery Pass covering the year. Park fees →
$15 a day for one vehicle or $90 a year for up to three. You need it to park at the Nordic Centre, Grassi Lakes and Nakiska, but not to drop someone off or arrive by bike or on foot. Alberta pass →
Roam's 5C to Cougar Creek, 5T to Three Sisters and 12 to Palliser are fare free and generally run 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The 8X to Lake Louise is $12.50 one way and has to be reserved.
The Spray Lakes road climbs past the Nordic Centre and turns to gravel for a long stretch. It closes for avalanche control on the Canmore hill, so check it before driving up to the dog sledding or the snowshoe trails.
Staying in Banff, or want to collect at the resorts? The Banff Avenue shops and Sunshine's on-mountain rentals are on our Banff page. Banff rentals →
Built for the 1988 Olympic Nordic events, it's home to Canada's national cross-country and biathlon teams. Alberta Parks grooms more than 65 km for classic and skate, makes snow on 20+ km, and runs the 2026/27 season from November 15 to April 30.
A 5 km loop laid on snow stored from last winter, open October 17 to November 14, 2026, with a high-performance side and a recreation side. It isn't for beginners. The public gets on after noon, and between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. you need a pass plus a Frozen Thunder bib, bought online.
A day pass is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and youth 12 to 17, and $10 for kids 6 to 11; under-6s ski free. Adults pay $240 for the season, families $400. Day passes are sold at the Day Lodge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
6.5 km of trail is lit for night skiing. The warming hut in the meadow off Banff Trail, about 3 km from the Day Lodge, stays open until 9 p.m. all ski season.
A 3 km snowshoe loop marked with orange signs (snowshoes stay off the groomed trails), a free toboggan slope by the Wax Room Building, an 8-hole winter disc golf course and two free public wax rooms.
Designated single track only, such as EKG at 4.7 km and Odyssey at 2.6 km. CAMBA grooms it and there's no trail fee.
Olympic trails inside town limits, 6.5 km under lights, and skiing on stored snow from mid-October.
The nearest lifts outside the park, though 735 m of vertical and mostly intermediate.
Three big mountains half an hour to an hour away, with a park pass to buy for each day.
How we score each for skiing from a Canmore base, out of 5.
Avalanche courses and ski touring with Canmore guides, plus dog teams out in Kananaskis, a wild cave and flights past the Three Sisters.
Group and private cross-country lessons and guided skis from the day lodge. Lessons are called off at -25 C wind chill, and canceling inside 24 hours costs a $15 fee.
Their website →AST 1 avalanche courses, backcountry skiing, ice climbing, mountaineering and wilderness first aid, taught from Canmore classrooms.
Their website →Ski touring days from $259, AST 1 from $335 a seat, crevasse rescue from $529 a seat, and the Wapta traverse from $1,100 a person.
Their website →A nonprofit in Bow Meadows renting adaptive equipment and running lessons and guided outings on snow, trails and water.
Their website →Canmore's first sled dog company, with tours in Kananaskis and around the Spray Lakes and sleds you drive yourself. The office is on 10th Street.
Their website →Dog sled tours near Canmore, with the season starting again in December.
Their website →Wild caving in Rat's Nest Cave. Adult tours are $149 or $199 plus GST, and youth $129.
Their website →Sightseeing flights from the Canmore Municipal Heliport at the foot of the Three Sisters, and heli-skiing with partner CMH.
Their website →Winter canyon and snowshoe tours, Pedego e-bikes on studded fat tires, and a dark-sky tour at Spray Lakes from $800 a group.
Their website →Main Street is written 8 Street in addresses, and most of the places below sit on it or a block off it. Canmore Brewing and BLAKE are out on Railway Avenue and Bow Valley Trail, near the rental shops.
The brewpub at 622 8 St, with Tank310 upstairs.
Restaurant and bar at 838 Main Street, best known for its patio. Opens at 11 a.m.
Small plates down an alley off Main, happy hour 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Monday, and the Bar Deja Vu speakeasy behind it.
A locally owned cocktail bar and restaurant at 626 8 St, with Sunday brunch.
Bagels and breakfast at 830 8 St, one of two shops in town from a bagel maker that says it's been called Canmore's Living Room.
Roasting since 2014, with cafes at 817 8 St and 1516 Railway Ave.
A cafe with health-focused food at 117-1001 6 Ave.
Breakfast and lunch at 718 10 St, on a patio it calls the most dog-friendly in town.
The pub at 709 9 St, known for its elk burger. Mountain Hour runs 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday to Friday.
Long-running fusion dinners at 1600 Railway Ave.
A modern Indian bistro in the same plaza as Chateau Mountain Sports.
Pizza and cocktails in Spring Creek, half price on both from 2 to 5 p.m. daily.
Sushi and Asian dishes from a gluten-free kitchen.
Taproom, patio, brewery tours and cider at 1460 Railway Ave.
Beer and spirits made on site at 810 Bow Valley Trail.
A Canmore craft brewery, with sister locations in Banff and Cochrane.
An English-style pub at 1101 Bow Valley Trail, for fish and chips.
Between laps at the Nordic Centre, the Day Lodge has a cafeteria, lockers and showers.
Passes, buses, trail rules
Most of it comes down to which pass a given day needs and how to get to Banff without a car.
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FAQ
Answers checked October 2026. Prices and rules change each season, so confirm with the operator before you go.
Contact UsTwo Canmore shops print their adult rates. Canmore Sports Experts asks $39 a day for a Standard ski or snowboard package, or $50 for its high performance gear. GearUp asks $54 for its Sport ski package, $51 for a snowboard and $65 for high performance. SkiBig3's Canmore hub, Sports Garage and Chateau show the price for your dates when you book.
Photos: Jack Borno (CC BY-SA 3.0), Thank you for visiting my page from Canada (CC BY 2.0), Gord Schindell (CC BY 3.0), Mule hollandaise (CC0)
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