You Need to Try These Unique Winter Activities in Alberta

Creativity combined with a passion for the outdoors is written into Alberta’s DNA –and winter is when those qualities shine. Winter activities for all ages and abilities are tucked around the province, so it’s never hard to find something unique, interesting and active to do with the whole family.

Crokicurl

With a name that’s as fun to say as the game is to play, Crokicurl combines the classic Canadian pastimes of crokinole and curling. It’s relatively new on the winter activity scene, having been invented and first played in 2016 in Winnipeg. Teams are made up of one or two players, and the objective is much the same as curling — to land rocks close to the centre button and rack up as many points as possible. Rocks that have landed in the button count for 20 points (and are then removed), the red circle is worth15 points, the white circle 10 points and the blue circle five points. Players try to knock their opponent’s rocks out of the game entirely, but if there is no contact the thrower’s rock is out of play. It’s common to go five full rounds before declaring a winner.

Crokicurl is available at Emerald Hills Sports Pavilion in Sherwood Park and various locations in Calgary, including Bowness Park, North Glenmore Park and Prince’s Island Park. (Hint: Bowness has a junior-sized rink with smaller rocks for younger players.)

Fat-tire biking

Fat-tire biking is an ideal way to explore Alberta in the winter. The province’s myriad bike paths are wide open and riders can enjoy exciting urban and majestic mountain views at their leisure.

Fat-tire bikes have extra-wide tires, as the name suggests. A tire width of up to four inches allows riders to glide over snow-covered trails and improved traction keeps bikes pointed in the right direction. Because of the tires’ increased size and lower air pressure, the bikes do require more energy than usual to get up to speed and keep going. Dress in layers to account for increased (or decreased) body heat and wear very warm gloves as hands are usually the first things to get cold. Protective eyewear such as ski goggles are also recommended.

Options to rent a fat-tire bike in Calgary include Bow Cycle, Ridley’s Cycle and Northstar Bicycle Co. The City of Calgary provides cycling route maps to help plan inner-city adventures and sightseeing.

River Valley Adventure Co. in Edmonton rents fat-tire bikes to explore the more than 480 km (298 mi) of trails.

Fat-tire biking in Canmore is extra-special with the opportunity to enjoy more than 16 kilometres of trails at the world-famous Nordic Centre, where several popular single-track trails for fat biking have been dedicated. Trail Sports in Canmore provides e-fat-tire bikes with electric motors to assist with pedalling (the luxury!) and bikers can even choose to take along a guide to enhance their experience and really get to know the city of the Three Sisters.

Banff just may be the capital of fat-tire biking. Banff Cycle and Sport and Chateau Mountain Sports rent regular fat-tire bikes, and Bike Banff and Bikescape provide e-fat-tire bikes along with guided tours of varying degrees of difficulty that include yummy gourmet lunches and Instagram-famous pit stops.

For those who want to get off the beaten path (literally) throughout the province, these are some of the Best Mountain Biking Trails and Bike Parks in Alberta.

Year-round disc golf

Alberta is good at pretty much everything, and disc golf is no different. Canada’s UDisc ranks the province third for disc golf, with Calgary as the number one city. It’s (usually) free to play, and courses are located in some of the cities’ most scenic spots. All that’s needed to get started is an inexpensive disc golf set. 

Similar to traditional golf, the goal of disc golf is to take the fewest number of tosses to land the final frisbee in a chained basket (the “hole”).

Places to play disc golf year-round include:

• Canmore Nordic Centre: Eight holes of the Nordic Centre’s 18-hole course are open throughout the year.
• Strathcona County: Three-hole courses in Herb Belcourt Park and Heritage Hills Park are open 365 days a year.
• St. Albert: Langholm Disc Golf Course was recently made a permanent fixture in this cozy suburb of Edmonton.
• Wetaskiwin: Located in Peace Hills Park, this 18-hole gem is maintained by the city.
• Calgary: Forest Lawn’s Disc Golf Course has 12 baskets and concrete tee pads on most holes.

Ice biking

Not everyone knows how to skate, but just about everyone can ride a bike. That’s why the City of Calgary and the City of Edmonton have provided ice bikes to allow people the thrill of being out on the open ice without having to learn a brand-new and difficult skill.

Ice bikes are available for rent at Bowness Park in Calgary and Sir Wilfred Laurier Park in Edmonton. They are basically a regular bike placed on a metal frame with the front tire replaced by blades. Helmets are mandatory for those under 18 years old, and ice bikes are very stable and easy to ride.

Ski biking

Ski biking is gaining in popularity in Alberta as an alternative to skiing and snowboarding. It’s a less strenuous way to enjoy the mountains and the learning curve is much quicker. Ski bikes are designed with skis instead of wheels, and with no pedals or gears, riders stop by using their edges. The frames are lighter than the average mountain bike, so they are easy to carry on the chair lift (following the lift operator’s instructions is key). 

Open-access ski biking is permitted at Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin, with rentals available at Electric Mountain in Banff.

Kicksledding

Kicksledding originated in Scandinavia. Also known as “sparks,” the sleds often come with a chair in the front to carry a passenger or a bag while the driver stands in the back and pushes off the snow to get going.

In Canada, kicksleds have been modified to be used as a smaller type of dog sled that doesn’t require as many animals to use. Kicksledders exercise both themselves and their pups by hooking them up to the sled with a special harness and letting them run wild. Called “urban mushing,” Alberta Mush for Fun offers learning clinics in both Calgary and Edmonton.

Skijoring

Skijoring is more of a spectator sport, and for good reason. Quite possibly the most quintessentially Albertan winter activity, skijoring brings together two iconic representations of Alberta — horses and skiing.

The first exhilarating exhibition for 2025 is scheduled for the opening weekend of Banff and Lake Louise's annual SnowDays Festival on January 18 and 19.Those wanting to experience the exhilarating sport can also check out Skijordue in downtown Calgary on February 15 and 16.

Skijor shows combine trick riding and stunt skiing, with horses towing skiers up to a mind-boggling speed of 80 km (50 mi) an hour. Athletes are called skijorlings and are taken through obstacle courses and over jumps, performing tricks and flips, with stunt riders displaying why Alberta is such a popular destination for wild west film locations. Events are streamed into local venues so everyone can have a great seat, and spectators are encouraged to get extra imaginative with their signature mountain look for SkijorStyle half-time shows.