SHORT 4.5K

Grotto Canyon out-and-back 175 m elevation gain

1 Grotto Canyon is a fun place to run and sees plenty of visitors in all seasons. This out-and-back run takes you up to a small waterfall in the canyon. The route begins through the forest before jumping into the rocky, more adventurous path up to the turnaround.

Start from the Grotto Pond Day Use parking lot, 10K east of downtown Canmore on Bow Valley Trail (H1A). From the parking lot, begin heading west on the narrow path by the trailhead sign that leads through the forest. The trail takes you past Baymag’s Plant 2 before a right turn (flagged by tape) takes you deeper into the forest and out into the eroded bed of Grotto Creek.

A few trail options are evident, in the middle of the creek bed and parallel to it. All options head up creek. Depending on the water level, you may be crossing the creek, jumping over streams or treading over dry stones. The final few hundred metres brings you to the end, where there’s a small trickle coming out of the rock. In winter, this produces a massive, climbable, ice pillar. If you search to the right, you can find the small Grotto Falls, which are hidden away from initial view. Return to the parking lot by the same route.

Grotto Canyon is a favourite for exploring. You can spot pictographs on the canyon walls that were painted by Hopi visitors between 500 and 1,300 years ago. Not much remains of the drawings but there is enough to spot them and have fun trying to distinguish what they could represent.