Best Calgary Winter Activities
- December 23, 2012
- By Cody Battershill
Best Calgary Winter Activities
Winter is officially here! Winter a season full of fun-filled activities that are otherwise unavailable during warmer seasons of the year, so what are you waiting for? Time is limited!
Calgary is full of things to do and places to go during winter, so don’t let the cold prevent you from participating in some of these best Calgary winter activities!
Mt. Norquay Snow Tubes
Picture sliding down the slopes at insane speeds in a huge inflated tube with your friends and family this winter at Mt. Norquay, less than an hour from Calgary's city limits. This is the only of its kind in the Banff area and is definitely one of the top new winter activities around!
This year there is a children's snow tube area plus a kids play area, so even the little ones can get involved!
- More information and pricing at www.banffnorquay.com/tubing/
Calgary Winter Festival
Experience some of the best Calgary winter activities in 2013 at Winterfest! This event commemorates the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics and celebrates the fun of winter with live music and entertainment, competitions and much more!
- Live Performances
- Dance
- Carnivals
- Prizes
- Games and Crafts
- Storytelling
Calgary Winter Festival is an awesome family oriented event for children of all ages. It truly is a great way to celebrate and have some fun during the inevitable cold winter we experience here in Calgary. Winterfest is held for 11 days in February.
Calgary Hitmen
If you are looking for some action packed hockey to watch this 2012/2013 season, check out a Calgary Hitmen game at the Scotiabank Saddledome!
Most often than not Calgary Hitmen games are more action packed than a NHL game because every player is looking to make it to the next level. Every game counts at this level as a junior hockey player, so be entertained and astonished at the intensity levels of these young athletes!
More information at www.hitmenhockey.com
Tobogganing
What better way to enjoy a winter’s day than heading to your local tobogganing hill with the kids! If tobogganing is a winter activity you are going to participate in, make sure you check with www.calgary.ca to see which parks and hills have been permitted as a safe place to do so.
Remember to protect yourself! Helmets for sure and extra padding if necessary!
Cross Country Skiing
Cross Country Skiing is an exhilarating way to stay fit while enjoying some of Calgary’s beautiful winter scenery. There are several tracks available for cross-country skiers in Calgary including
- Canada Olympic Park
- Maple Ridge Golf Course
- Shaganappi Point Golf Course
- Confederation Golf Course
- Fish Creek Provincial Park
- Bowness Park
- Weaselhead Natural Area
- Edworthy Park
- North Glenmore Park and South Glenmore Park
- Plus many more!
Visit www.calgary.ca for a full list of cross-country skiing areas inside and outside of Calgary!
Outdoor Rink Skating
Lace up the skates with friends and family this winter at your local outdoor skating rink! Most communities in Calgary have a public outdoor skating rink open for use during winter. They are great for getting a local shinny hockey game or for just a plain old leisurely skate!
The City of Calgary has set up an “Adopt a Rink” program where outstanding members of the community tend the ice surface, while others are maintained by the city.
Outdoor ice can be very rough so protect yourself from any preventable injury with a few pieces of safety equipment!
If you aren’t sure if your neighbourhood has one or not, you can check at www.calgarycommunities.com
Skating at Bowness
Find some of the best Calgary outdoor activities in Bowness Park year round! During winter there is public outdoor ice skating on the lagoon, plus skate rentals and sharpening available beside the skating area at the Park Side Cafe.
- Open from 9:00am to 10:00pm – December to usually sometime in March
- Contact Park Side Cafe today for more information on rentals at 403-286-8668
Skating at Olympic Oval
Located at the University of Calgary, the Olympic Oval is a great place to go this winter for some of the best indoor public skating in the city. Every month there is more than 50 public skating sessions on the Olympic sized, 450 metre oval ice track.
For more information, visit - www.oval.ucalgary.ca/publicskating
Skating at Prince’s Island Park
Head to Prince’s Island Park in downtown Calgary for some public skating on the closed off lagoon section of the Bow River. This riverside lagoon is complimented well by the wide range of amenities and services (especially hot drinks beverages) at Eau Claire Market.
- Open from 5:00am to 11:00pm daily
Olympic Plaza
Located in downtown Calgary the Olympic Plaza is a great place for families to enjoy some outdoor skating in Calgary. It is one of the only refrigerated outdoor skating rinks in all of Calgary and has the best quality of outdoor skating surface I have ever seen in the city!
Public skating is free of charge, so what are you waiting for! Remember to bring your safety equipment if you can!
- Open November until March or as long as the weather permits
- Hours – 10:00am to 9:00pm daily
Dog Sledding
Are you looking to have a winter experience this year like you never have before? Go dog sledding!
Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours Inc. offers a wide range of dog sledding for all ages. Established in 1983, they are the most long-standing and experienced dog-sledding company in the Bow Valley area.
Offered are quite a few different tour options including short runs, moonlight tours and even overnight! Amazing! Experience some of the best Calgary winter activities this year in Canmore, AB with Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours Inc.
- Address – 104, 602 Bow Valley Trail, Canmore, AB
- Phone Number – 403-678-4369
- www.snowyowltours.com
Ski-doo
Conquer the Rockies this year on a ski-doo! Navigate through thick snow in the beautiful back country of the Rocky Mountains this year with Discover Banff Tours. It's quite a different way to experience the beautiful natural setting of the snow covered Rockies!
Paradise Basin Full Day Tour - Approximately 9 hours in length, the Paradise Basin takes riders up to an elevation of 8000 feet to a century old silver mine. Be amazed by breathtaking views and have a chance to play in the untouched powder along the way!
Kicking Horse Full Day Tour– About 8 hours long, the Kicking Horse tour takes riders on a trip through different mountain elevation with some spectacular scenery along the way. Stop over at a trapper’s cabin for a warm lunch then continue your exploration of the winding trails along a valley edge!
- Contact Discover Banff Tours today at 403-760-5007
- www.banfftours.com
Ice Climbing
Alberta’s Rocky Mountains offer fantastic opportunities for ice climbers of all skill levels to participate in the extreme sport. If you are new to ice climbing, not to worry, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures will take good care of you.
For more than 30 years Yamnuska has guided thousands of ice climbers on safe and successful tours in the Rockies. They offer programs for all levels of climbers; from beginners to advanced. Ice climbing season is usually from December to March, so what are you waiting for! Conquer mother nature’s ice like never before!
- Address – Suite 200 – Summit Centre – 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore, AB
- Phone Number – 403-678-4164
Family Leisure
Sometimes the best Calgary winter activities are those spent with your family. Whether its making a massive snowman in the backyard, tobogganing on a nearby hill or simply having a nice warm glass of hot mocha after getting home, its always a best winter activity when you do it with your loved ones and friends.
Skiing 
Is there anything more exhilarating than skiing down a ski hill while the fresh mountain wind blows in your hair? Skiing is the ultimate form of escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Skiing at Canada Olympic Park
During the busy winter months when most people are going to school or working hard, it can be difficult to fit in a mountain skiing trip with your friends and family. Not to worry, we have an awesome ski hill located here in Calgary along the Trans Canada Highway on the west end of the city.
Canada Olympic Park offers runs for all skill levels; from first timers to well experienced skiers, there is a little bit of something for everything at COP.
Snowboarders, Calgary hasn’t forgotten about you! Visit Canada Olympic Park for an amazing half pipe and snowboarder trick hill with jumps, rails and more!
- Address - 88 Canada Olympic Road SW, Calgary, AB
- Monday to Friday – 9:00am to 9:00pm
- Saturday, Sunday, Holidays – 9:00am to 5:00pm
Skiing in the Alberta Rockies
Is Canada Olympic Park lacking the variety of ski runs you were looking for? Head west to the Rocky Mountains! There are a number of mountain ski resorts found within a few hours or so from Calgary...
Mt. Norquay
Found less than 10 minutes away from Banff and about an hour from Calgary, Mt. Norquay is one of the closest Rocky Mountain ski hills there is. Mt. Norquay is a fun-filled winter activity with a little bit of something for everyone, including...
- 36 ski runs
- Snow tubing park
- Kids Zone for youth activities
- Sightseeing tours
- Offers hourly ski rates
- Terrain park including jumps, rails, boxes and more
Mt. Norquay is an affordable ski hill with fun winter activities for all! Call Mt. Norquay today at 403-762-4421 – www.banffnorquay.com
Nakiska
Nakiska joins Mt. Norquay as the closest Rocky Mountain ski hills to Calgary. Found approximately 50 minutes from Calgary’s city limits, Nakiska is the ski hill of choice for many looking to get away from the city for a full day of skiing while still having the ability to get home later on in the night at a reasonable time.
Many of Nakiska’s ski runs are wide open spaces with little or no trees making it a preferred ski hill for many families in Alberta.
- 64 ski runs
- New monster glades (tree filled) ski area packed with powder
- Reputed as a world-class ski hill with high-speed lifts and state-of-the-art snow making technology
Find some of the best Calgary winter activities at Nakiska Ski Hill and Resort in Kananaskis. Call Nakiska today at 403-591-7777 – www.skinakiska.com
Sunshine Village
The next closest Rocky Mountain ski hill to Calgary is Sunshine Village. Found about an hour and a half from Calgary or 15 minutes from Banff, Sunshine is preferred by many looking for a larger variety of runs.
This place is one of my favourites. When skiing at Sunshine Village you really feel like you are on an adventure of epic proportions. Three massive mountain faces give you a large variety of ski runs to choose from. Boredom is ruled out of the equation completely at Sunshine!
- 109 ski runs
- 3,300 acres of skiing area
- Massive 15 acre terrain park with everything an extreme sport athlete could dream of!
Sunshine is one of the ultimate winter playgrounds in the Alberta Rockies! Find some of the best Calgary winter activities less than two hours away at Sunshine Village in Banff National Park. Call Sunshine Village today at 403-370-6500 – www.skibanff.com
Lake Louise
This winter ski one of the largest ski resorts in North America! Found less than two hours west of Calgary, Lake Louise is a world-class ski resort with awe inspiring views, well varied ski terrain good for all skier levels and a vast number of on hill amenities.
Lake Louise is one of the best ski resorts in the Alberta Rockies, simply put!
- 139 ski runs
- 4,200 acres of skiing area
- 9 on-hill restaurants
If you are looking to experience some of the best Calgary winter activities this year, then visit Lake Louise in Banff National Park! Call Lake Louise today at 403-522-3555 – www.skilouise.com
Marmot Basin
Marmot Basin is one of the furthest away Rocky Mountain ski hills from Calgary, but it is well worth the visit! Located in the beautiful and pristine landscape of Jasper National Park, Marmot Basin is close to the Columbia Icefield Glacier and a wide variety of lakes, hiking trails and other outdoor spectacles.
- 86 ski runs
- 1,675 acres of ski area
- 3000ft elevation makes Marmot Basin the highest of all Alberta Rocky Mountain ski hills
Experience Jasper National Park this winter and visit Marmot Basin, with a possible stop at the Columbia Icefield Glacier and Jasper for a full Canadian Rocky Mountain experience! Call Marmot Basin today at 780-852-3816 – www.skimarmot.com
Best Calgary Winter Activities
What is the absolute best Calgary winter activity? It’s hard to say! Calgary has such a wide range of awesome winter activities to choose from, many more that we haven't listed here, so please let us know what your favourite winter activity is in Calgary below!