17 Incredible Winter Road Trips from Edmonton to Take with Your Kids

Family road trips aren’t just for summer! There are so many magical places to explore during the winter months in Edmonton, with kids. You can visit winter festivals, stroll near frozen waterfalls, and walk into the depths of a canyon that you’ve only seen from above during the winter months.

Here are 17 road trips from Edmonton you can explore this Winter

Explore a Close to Home Mini Canyon
Hard Luck Canyon is an easy, and short was through the winter months. A five minute walk from the parking lot, it’s a popular place in the summer that is barely explored during the winter month. There are stairs to get down into the canyon during the winter months, so make sure you’re aware of that - but it’s a magical winter wonderland during the colder season, covered in snow!
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Experience the Jasper in January Festival
Visit Jasper in January this year to find magic in the mountains. It’s an incredible way to see every activity that Jasper has to offer families during the winter months. During the festival, you can celebrate the season with everything that makes the frostiest months also our most memorable. Your nose might be chilly but your heart has never been warmer.
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Maligne Canyon Ice Walk
You’ve probably seen Maligne Canyon from above, but the Ice Walk gives you an entirely different view of the canyon, allowing you to traverse deep in the canyon, over the ice. This one is suitable for families, with kids 6+ to take part in. Although you could traverse the canyon on your own, the guided tour is the best way to stay safe on the ice, especially when you’re adventuring with small children!
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Ice Bubbles at Abraham Lake
Make the trek to Abraham Lake in search of the magical ice bubbles that appear every winter. It’s a fun place to spend an afternoon with the kids to search for bubbles, but there are also plenty of areas to skate, make a fire and roast s’mores or find a frozen waterfall on a hike.
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Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival
Skate in an ice castle and see ice sculptors create pieces of art from around the globe at the Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival. You can visit during the festival to see the carving in action or take in the festival the day after it has closed, when you can see see the castle on the ice, but the crowds have started to disappear.
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Explore Grotto Canyon in Canmore
Grotto Canyon is a must-do winter hike with kids in Alberta. The canyon is a great option for families because of the interested scenery, the fact that you can go as far on the trail as your kids will tolerate, and because it’s generally a flat hike. Your kids are going to love exploring, walking along the ice of the trail - just make sure that everyone has ice cleats to make the hike as easy as possible.
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Take an Ice Walk at Johnston Canyon
Grab a pair of ice cleats and head to Johnson Canyon for an Ice Walk. You don’t need to take a guided tour for this experience, you can simply do the walk yourselves, with kids. The path is slippery through, incredibly slippery, during the winter months, so you in the name of safety, make sure everyone in your family is wearing ice cleats to complete the trail. The lower and upper trail will take you about two hours to complete during the winter - maybe a little longer depending on the age of the kids you’re travelling with.
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Staycation: Experience the Igloo-themed Room at Fantasy Land Hotel
Visit a cold destination without bundling up! Visit the Fantasyland Hotel Igloo themed room this holiday season for a cool-themed staycation that won’t require you to bundle up to get there. The waterpark, Galaxyland and browsing the mall make for a winter staycation that’s really, really cool, without having to leave the city.
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Roast S’mores at Elk Island National Park
Grab a s’more kit and some firewood and head out to Elk Island Park on a mild afternoon. There are multiple areas where you can light a fire to roast s’mores, hot dogs and snacks. If you’re interested in getting outside for a guided program, you can check out the ‘Gateway to the Stars’ program at night at Elk Island, it’s a guided program where you can learn more about the stars from a local guide, and warm up around the fire. The price for the programming is very reasonable, and everyone in the family will enjoy the experience.
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Visit the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary
Have you ever wanted to learn more about wolf dogs or see wolf dogs up close and personal? Visit the Yamnuska Wolfdog sanctuary and do just that, this winter. You can walk through a self-guided experience with the sanctuary walk, try the interactive program or even learn more during an introductory tour at the Wolfdog Sanctuary.
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Warm up at the Banff Hot Springs
Hit the hot pool and warm up from your winter adventures this year. The Banff Hot Springs are open throughout the season and an incredible place to warm up after a cold winter hike. The hot springs are a great planned stop, but if you find yourself in the area and haven’t planned ahead, you can even rent swimsuits from the Banff Hot Springs, on site.
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Try Dogsledding in Canmore
Hit the trail this season - but try something new. Dogsledding. You can choose from two or four hour excursions near Kananasksis, or something close to home, with Dogsledding near Banff between December and April for families with children as young as two years old. Dogsledding is one of the most talked about winter experiences that we’ve had with our own kids - just make sure you’re bundled up with face coverings for this one! You’re going faster than you think against that winter air!
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Go Tubing at a Mountain Resort
We’re fortunate in Alberta there are so many ski resorts we can choose from when it comes to winter experiences with the kids. Here in Edmonton we have access to Edmonton Ski Club, Rabbit Hill and Sunridge Ski Resort. You could also head out of town and visit one of the mountain tubing hills - just make sure to check the age limits for the experience before you book your visit, if you’re visiting with younger children.
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Find a Magical Christmas Experience at the top of Banff Gondola
Banff Gondola has a magical Christmas experience atop the mountain that you’re not going to want to miss.
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