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Canadian Rockies Family Multisport

Canadian Rockies Family Multisport

If you and your family can't decide between biking or hiking in the Rockies, now you don't have to. We've taken our best-loved activities and one of our most popular destinations and combined them into a terrific trip that's bound to be your family's new favorite. Come bike and hike in Banff and Jasper with our Trip Leaders, who are certified Mountain Parks Heritage Interpreters and know these national parks intimately. Pedal past glaciers inching their way down the faces of mighty peaks, hike to lakes in crayon-box hues of deepest blue and vibrant green, take to the water on an easygoing raft trip and explore miles and miles of Canada's breathtaking Rockies.

Days 1-2 Jasper National Park

Meet in Banff  Picnic at Waterfowl lakes with towering Mount Cephren above Get a new perspective on the landscape on a guided raft trip down the Athabasca River Adults visit Maligne Lake to see its magnificent color before a downhill and rolling ride, meanwhile kids get to try rock climbing with accredited mountain climbing guides Hike through spectacular Maligne Canyon or up to Old Fort Point  Myriad optional activities await: indulge in a massage at our hotel's full-service spa, play a round of golf or survey your surroundings on horseback.

Day 3 Bow Lake and the Icefields Parkway

Stride through pristine mountain wilderness in the Valley of Five Lakes, winding past its jade-green namesakes and through the habitats of mule deer, beavers and coyotes Revel in the view of the Athabasca Glacier and the massive Columbia Icefield Stay on the shores of brilliantly blue Bow Lake in historic hunting lodge built by Jimmy Simpson Tumbling glaciers and soaring peaks flank a long gradual ascent along the stunning Icefields Parkway to Bow Lake Keep an eye out for resident wildlife, including moose, elk, bighorn sheep and black bears.

Days 4-6 Lake Louise and Banff National Park

Walk to beautiful view of Bow Falls Scrumptious picnic a la Backroads Ride over the Continental Divide enroute to the hamlet of Lake Louise, a world-renowned turquoise beauty ringed by magificent glaciated peaks Stroll alongside the lake's shimmering shore and follow the path of the Victoria Glacier up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse A dynamic local kids' naturalist brings the landscape to life Spend time at the Post Hotel's Temple Mountain Spa Dine at the hotel's acclaimed restaurant, which showcases the cuisine of chef Hans Sauter Take time to relax amid the comforts of our Relais & Châteaux–member hotel before another exquisite dinner.Pedal a route lined with virgin forest and wildflowers toward Banff Enjoy a farewell picnic.

big map Canadian Rockies Family Multisport

SECLUDED LODGES: Premiere Inns

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (2 nights): Plentiful amenities - including a full-service spa, tennis courts and golf course—and an inviting setting help put this lodge on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List year after year.

Num-Ti-Jah Lodge (1 night): Full of authentic pioneer character, this rustic and welcoming retreat on the shores of Bow Lake was founded over a century ago by colorful outfitter Jimmy Simpson.

Post Hotel & Spa (2 nights): A prestigious Relais & Châteaux member, where regional crafts accent natural pine beams and river stone fireplaces. Kids and adults will enjoy the indoor saline swimming pool.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with little significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.

Canadian Rockies Family Multisport
Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking & Hiking
Level 1 2-3 hours 10-20 mile 2-5 miles
Level 2 2-4 hours 21-30 miles 5-7 miles
Level 3 3-5 hours 31-40 miles 7-9 miles
Level 4 4-6 hours 41-55 miles 9-11 miles
Level 5 5-7+ hours 56-75+ miles 11-13+ miles
2009 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS

Reserve early for the best available price. Prices may change during the course of the year--if they do change, the best prices are available earlier. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years

Minimum age restrictions:

General Info on Minimum Ages:

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Guest Trip Reviews

By far, the Best trip we have ever taken. The logistics, organization, quality of guides, presentation, activity selection were all done beyond perfection. You clearly have some intelligent folks masterminding this organization.
Brad Hinrichs - Menlo Park, CA

The occasion for our Backroads trip was a family reunion/golden anniversary celebration. The Canadian Rockies was a magnificent venue, and the multisport activities were fun and challenging. Our leaders were expert, friendly, knowlegeable, and very anticipatory of our needs. They helped make the entire trip memorable. Indeed, our Backroads trip will be a certain touchstone for everyone in my family. Thank you so much.
Gene Kwong - Redlands, CA

This is a great trip! The setting is absolutely beautiful. A highlight of the week was the glacier walk. The biking was just the right amount and the hills are not too hard. The kids loved the rock-climbing day and it was a good idea to have them do that instead of biking.
Maria Bloom - Glastonbury, CT