Canyon Creek Ice Cave, also known as Moose Mountain Ice Cave, is a large limestone cave near Bragg Creek that features cool ice formations during the winter and early spring.
With a large cave full of cool ice formations, Canyon Creek Ice Cave is a good bike and hike in late winter or early spring. On a bike, you can reach the trailhead within half and hour, allowing more time to explore the cave! We went on a sunny day in April with mountain bikes.
Table of Contents
Canyon Creek Ice Cave Route Description
The first part of the road is fairly non-descript, but the scenery gets better as you approach the creek. If you’re lucky, you’ll see marmots, deer, or bighorn sheep along the way. Pass the pumping station, cross a bridge at 3.1 km, and continue to a fork in the road at 5.4 kilometres.
At the junction of Canyon Creek Road and Range Road 64A, stay left to stay on Canyon Creek Road, then look for a trailhead on the right about 100 metres past the junction. If you pass the Shell building and heli-pad, you’ve gone too far. Lock your bike to a tree and hit the trail!
From here, you can see the cave on the slope above you. Although it looks far away, it’s less than a kilometre to the cave; it’s a good climb though! You’ll gain about 125 metres of elevation in 800 metres. When you need a breather, look for fossils (that’s my excuse for moving slowly here).
Put your rock helmet (or bike helmet) on BEFORE hiking up the scree slope. There have been some serious rockfall accidents on this slope and at the cave’s mouth.
Freezing and thawing has gradually made the cave entrance larger. Basically, when water seeps into cracks in the limestone and freezes, the cracks get bigger and bigger until chunks of rock break off. You can reduce the risk by hiking quickly through this section and not hanging out right at the mouth of the cave.
Canyon Creek Ice Cave is the largest accessible cave near Calgary, about 150 metres long and 5-15 metres wide. From its lofty entrance, you get a great view of the valley and Prairie Mountain. Keep your helmet on! The rock near the entrance is smooth where it has been polished by many boots, and further in the cave, the cave floor is uneven and is littered with large rocks. Moving slowly and carefully is recommended so you don’t slip and fall or smash your noggin’ on the cave walls.
As you move towards the back of the cave, it gets colder and darker. In fact, the back of the cave has an ice wall that never melts! Visit in February and March when the ice formations are at their peak and you’ll spot ice pillars that stretch to the top of the cave, and weird and wonderful stalagmites.
For a unique experience, sit down and turn off your headlamps at the back of the cave. The darkness makes your hearing more acute, and you might hear the dripping of water or echoes of others’ footsteps. We tried this in Rat’s Nest Cave below Grotto Mountain and were surprised at how it affects your concept of time! (Read about our experience in this story: Go Underground with Canmore Cave Tours.)
After exploring the cave, return the way you came. The trail is a lot easier and safer than the scree slope.
Cave History
While local indigenous people knew about this cave on Moose Mountain for hundreds of years, Stanley Fullerton is credited with “discovering” the cave in 1905. He was only 13 years old at the time!
Know Before You Go
There have been serious accidents including one fatality at Canyon Creek Ice Cave (why the road was closed to the public in 2000), so go at your own risk! We do NOT recommend this trail for young children, and advise staying in the main cavern so you don’t get lost/stuck in narrow passages.
The final approach to the cave is on a slide path, and there is risk of rock fall from above the cave’s mouth, so wear a rock helmet and be prepared for loose rock. Shout “Rock!” if you dislodge a rock. Also, do not hang out at the cave entrance! Last, but not least, there is also avalanche danger if the slope has a lot of snow on it.
Inside the cave, hazards include: falling rock and ice, slips and falls on ice, bumping your head on the cave walls, and getting stuck in smaller caverns.
The cave is cool year round, so bring an extra layer if you plan on staying a while.
A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park in Kananaskis. Purchase your pass online at https://www.alberta.ca/kananaskis-conservation-pass.aspx.
Did you know bears only “hibernate” from mid-late December until March? Cougars and wolves do not hibernate, so you should carry bear spray year round. Read my bear safety tips here.
Canyon Creek Ice Cave Trail at a Glance
- Distance: 12.4 km round trip
- Elevation: 275 metres
- Nearest Washrooms: Ing’s Mine Day Use
- Sports stroller friendly? No
- When to go: Canyon Creek Ice Cave is accessible almost year round, but if you want to see ice formations, February and March are the best times to go.
- Map: Gemtrek Waterproof Topographic Map for Bragg Creek and Sheep Valley.
AVOID THIS TRAIL AFTER A HEAVY SNOWFALL OR IF THERE IS A LOT OF SNOW ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MOOSE MOUNTAIN. The cave is on a slide path and has avalanche danger.
Getting Here
The parking for Canyon Creek Ice Cave is at Ing’s Mine, on the right side of Highway 66 when heading southwest from Bragg Creek. It’s just past Paddy’s Flats on the right-hand side. Get Google Maps directions here.
What to Bring – Hiking Essentials
Disclosure: This section includes affiliate links through which I earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Waterproof mid-height hiking boots, a down hoody or fleece, toque, gloves, and windproof/waterproof shell are recommended year round. Trekking poles are useful for long hikes, steep descents, or when you’re carrying a fully-loaded backpack (or are babywearing). You should also carry The Ten Essentials including: water, extra food, extra clothes, a first aid kit, headlamp, GPS / compass / Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator* and map of the area, mineral sunscreen, bug spray (this DEET-free insect repellent contains 20% icaridin and will repel ticks), and bear spray. Carry bear spray in a Bear Spray Holster or Scat Griz Bear Spray Running Belt.
*A Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator is highly recommended for contacting Search & Rescue and emergency contacts in the event of an emergency, or communicating with friends and family when you are out of cell phone range. You can send text messages and your GPS coordinates via satellite, but a monthly service plan is required.
For the scree slope below the cave and exploring inside the cave, you will also need a rock helmet, headlamp, and traction devices such as Kahtoola Microspikes (Available from Amazon and Valhalla Pure Outfitters), or Hillsound Trail Crampons (Available at Valhalla Pure Outfitters and Sport Chek).
What to Bring – Biking Essentials
Bring a full water bottle (plus an extra one in your backpack) or hydration backpack, snacks, midlayer, waterproof/windproof layer, thermal cycling gloves, first aid kit, bike tube, bike tools, and portable bike pump. A bike pannier rack and pannier bags are handy if you don’t want to carry a backpack. Don’t forget a bike lock so you can lock up your bike!
We recommend keeping bear spray in a Kodiak Singletrack 225 g Bear Spray Holder (fits in your bike’s water bottle holder), or Scat Belt.
Have fun exploring the cave and stay safe!
More Caves Near Calgary
- Bow Valley Bunker aka Heart Creek Bunker (manmade caverns)
- Fish Creek Provincial Park Ice Falls and Ice Caves
- Exploring Grotto Canyon: A Beautiful Canyon Ice Walk Near Canmore
- Go Underground with Canmore Cave Tours
- Jura Creek Ice Walk
