Canmore, AB

[Crowe]

Can anyone tell me what Canmore, AB is like? We are looking at going to Banff and Jasper (no RV) and the hotel rates in Banff are very high. Canmore seems to offer a lot at less money, but what is the town like? Safe? Restaurants? Things to do? Thanks.

[Crowe]

Link below is to a short movie from our stop in Canmore.

Meant to say thanks earlier-how stunning! Can't wait!

[flyfishing48]

Link below is to a short movie from our stop in Canmore.

Click

[trigley]

Crowe wrote:
Trigley, it looks really gorgeous and the price can't be beat! It will certainly go on the short list. The other two places we are looking at (Mystic Chalets and Silver Creek Lodge) are also not truly within walking distance of town. My concern about those two properties are their proximity to the highway. I'm very noise sensitive and sometimes that type of noise because it's inconsistent is a problem.

This is far enough off the highway & railway that noise.should not be an issue. The owners know the area well and enjoy sharing their knowledge.

[Crowe]

Trigley, it looks really gorgeous and the price can't be beat! It will certainly go on the short list. The other two places we are looking at (Mystic Chalets and Silver Creek Lodge) are also not truly within walking distance of town. My concern about those two properties are their proximity to the highway. I'm very noise sensitive and sometimes that type of noise because it's inconsistent is a problem.

[trigley]

We have stayed at this B&B a few times several years ago. Nice set up. The owners live upstairs so you have separation. The main floor consists of 2 bedrooms and a common area. Built as a B&B about 15 years ago. Nice walking nearby but would need to drive to the commercial areas.

[Timberdog]

All of Canada is safe with the exception being Saskatchewan when their place kicker misses a field goal in the playoffs...lol.

[sbstryker]

Canmore is stunning. I prefer it over Banff. Although you can take the gondola up Sulphur Mountain in Banff which is cool to do so you must do that if you get the chance. The town has been fixed up since the Bow flooded. I have close friends who live in Canmore who have kept me updated.

[paulj]

If it is right over the border it would be Field, British Columbia, the only town in Yoho. According Chowhounds The Truffle Bigs Bistro is supposed to be good. I stopped in town one afternoon but did not eat. Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls (with real switchbacks) are the real sights in the area. Kicking Horse campground is popular and nice, though it gets plenty of train noise (the twin loop tunnels are overhead).

[Crowe]

Late to this thread.

Not at all. We aren't going until August/2016 so there's plenty of time. Field looks quite interesting. It may be a tad quiet for us-even if we are active all day we still enjoy going out after dinner, sometimes for a quick stop at a pub or lounge and other times just for a walk. I'm definitely going to investigate the town further. Thanks!

[retiredtravele1]

Late to this thread. Another place to consider (or maybe not, depending on what you want). DW and I have been going up to the Canadian Rockies every few years for 40 years now.
If you want something less expensive, but in a town with nothing to do, look at Field Alberta. It's right over the border, about 20 minute drive from Lake Louise, 15 minutes from edge of Icefields Parkway.
What they have are people renting portions of their homes, including kitchens. We've stayed in one and two bedroom places (when not camping). You'll have your own kitchen and entrance, you're not sharing.
It's a nothing town, right down the road from Yoho NP and about 15 minutes to Emerald Lake. There is only one bar in town and two restaurants. THere is a small visitor center.
May not be anything you would want, but we like staying in places where we can cook our own meals and our evening activity usually is a constitutional around part of Emerald Lake. We hike all day, so we're not into night life of any kind on these trips.

[Crowe]

My only suggestion is either book something before you get there or look for a hotel room early in the day.

We've decided to go at the end of August next year and are now trying to pick between two properties. I'm a bit obsessive so the hotel will be booked within the next couple of weeks as they have a very liberal cancellation policy (48 hours prior with no penalty).

I am extremely impressed with the number, quality and suitability of the hotels there. With an adult son we need a 2-br property which is usually difficult and expensive. I have found two hotels that not only suit our needs but get great reviews on TripAdvisor and won't break the bank.

[marieb]

We stayed in Canmore and got up early the next morning heading to Banff. Canmore was much cheaper and was very close to Banff.As others have said it's a really pretty town and easy to walk everywhere. My only suggestion is either book something before you get there or look for a hotel room early in the day. All the hotels and motels were all booked. we got lucky and got a room in small motel.

[paulj]

Have they pretty well cleaned up from the floods - what was that, 2 or 3 years ago? Water from a stream on the north side of town washed out a section the TransCanada Hwy. We tracked the damage and main repairs on this forum.

[Islandman]

We just got back from spending most of a week in Canmore, a really nice town and definitely safe to walk around in at night or whenever. Restaurants are good, we enjoyed several of them, prices are reasonable too.