Dog sledding in Canmore is an amazing winter activity and a bucket list adventure for a lot of travelers! Most tour companies in the Canmore/Kananaskis/Banff region are based in Canmore, which is why this is the perfect spot to plan your tour from. If you’re thinking about dog sledding while you’re in Canmore or the surrounding area, keep reading to find out everything you need to know.
Dog Sledding in Canmore –
First, Choose a Tour Company –
Like I just mentioned, most tour companies are based in Canmore and not Banff National Park. So, where you’re staying may influence the tour company you choose, as each of them has different policies.
Companies you can dog sled Canmore with
There are a couple of companies that offer dog sledding in Canmore. They are:
- Snowy Owl Dog Sledding
- Howling Dog Tours
- Mad Dogs & Englishmen Expeditions
I chose Howling Dog Tours to dogsled with!
Things to think about while choosing a tour company to take you dogsledding include
- Price – a lot of tours have very similar pricing, but some can be considered cheaper than others
- Shuttle/transportation – Most tours run in Spray Lakes Provincial Park, some companies require you to drive there yourself (4 wheel drive recommended), some companies have a shuttle that will pick you up from their tour office in Canmore, some will even pick you up from your hotel in Banff (for an extra charge). Keep this in mind when choosing your dogsledding tour company.
- Length of tour – Different companies offer different tours. Most offer a 2 hour experience, some offer a 30 minute experience, some offer two day experiences! It depends what you want to do and how much you want to spend.
- Availability – Some tour companies might be booked on the date you want. Make sure to book in advance to get your desired company!
- Self Driving vs Guided Sled – Some tour companies let you completely self drive the sled while your partner rides in the front. Other companies may let you ride on the back with a guide, while the other rides in the sled and you can switch off during the tour. It depends if you want complete independence or if you want to be a little more relaxed and enjoy the ride!
- Tour size – This may or may not be important to you, but some companies only run a small number of sleds per tour, some run a lot per tour
About Howling Dog Tours
I chose Howling Dog Tours for a couple of reasons. I booked a little last minute and they had space during the day and time I wanted. They also weren’t the most expensive option, I wanted a guide on my sled with me, and they offer a shuttle from Canmore to the tour site! I did not want to worry about driving to the actual site, and just felt like this would make the overall experience stress free 🙂
Booking Process
Booking with Howling Dog Tours was super simple. They have an online form you can fill out to book, or you can call the office and reserve your sled over the phone. I called as I thought it would be quicker and easier (and I was booking last minute), which turned out to be super simple!
Caring for the Dogs
Howling Dog Tours really cares for their sled dogs, and it shows! The dogs are all so happy and excited to run, they look healthy and are super athletic and well trained. They also exceed the standards set by Mush With Pride, which is an organization that sets requirements for the humane treatment of dogs.
Transportation
One of the reasons I chose Howling Dog Tours to dogsled in Canmore is because of their shuttle from Canmore. Our hotel was a 5 minute walk from the tour office, which made it really easy to get to our tour in the morning. I also hate winter driving, and the road into Spray Lakes/Kananaskis Country (where most tours start) can be nerve-wracking for people who don’t like winter driving! The shuttle was perfect for all of these reasons.
Tour Options
Howling Dog Tours has two options:
Unleash the Musher – a two hour tour starting at $240 per person. This tour is a great introduction to dogsledding, running a 10 km track through Spray Lakes with some nice views along the way. Unleash the Musher leaves at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm between December and April, depending on snow and weather. I went on the 10 am tour and I loved it!
Dog Day Afternoon – a 4 hour tour starting at $525 per person. This tour will give you a lot more time with the dogs and offers amazing views of the Canadian Rockies. Dog Day Afternoon leaves only at noon and only runs on certain days between January and March.
How much does it cost to go dog sledding in Canmore?
Prices vary slightly depending on the tour company you choose and the length of the tour. Some tours differ in price depending on the number of people in your group as well.
The following prices are based on a 2 person adult sled, for a two hour tour option:
- Snowy Owl Dogsledding: Starting at $262.50 per adult
- Howling Dog Tours: Starting at $240 per adult
- Mad Dogs & Englishmen Expeditions: Starting at $208.33 per adult
- This company is the only one that offers a tour for less than 2 hours, which starts at $158.33 per person
When to go Dog Sledding –
Most tour companies operate from December through April, when the snow is on the ground and the lakes are frozen. Weather can vary, it can be -20 C in January one week and +2 C the next. The weather will definitely start to warm up in March, but nothing is guaranteed. My advice is to go when you can get the time off from work, and just be prepared for the weather! It’s so hard to predict and changes so much in the mountains (even throughout the day).
What to Wear Dog Sledding –
Layer up! Dog sledding in Alberta’s mountains can be cold so it’s important to be prepared! You can always take layers off and put them back on if you feel hot or cold during your tour (there’s space to keep an extra sweater in the dog sled).
On my dog sledding tour, I wore:
Clothing
- Base layer top – a non-cotton long sleeve shirt
- Base layer bottom – If you have a non-cotton pair of tighter pants that would be ideal. I wore a pair of fleece lined leggings because that is the best I had!
- Mid layer top – some sort of fleece or warmer sweater
- Mid layer bottom – I didn’t have any pants other than my leggings and jeans, so I put a second pair of leggings on and was okay!
- Extra sweater – I wore a second larger sweater on top of my fleece (but I tend to get very cold)
- Jacket – You need a good jacket! The air is cold and wind while sledding can get chilly. Have some sort of warm jacket on top.
- Snowpants – Because I only had two pairs of leggings on, snowpants were my savior. They protected me from the wind, snow, and gave me a lot of extra warmth.
If you can prioritize clothing that is not cotton that would be best. Cotton does nothing for warmth and can actually make you feel cold faster! A great fabric to wear is merino wool (my favourite).
Accessories
- Mittens/gloves -I wore smaller gloves inside of a larger pair of mittens, so I could still have a small layer on while taking photos
- Toque – you have to keep those ears warm and the heat in!
- Warm socks – I have merino wool socks that kept my toes warm the whole time (avoid cotton)
- Scarf – I didn’t have a scarf and the weather was actually quite nice. Had it been colder, I would have taken a scarf with me (it can also double as a blanket 🙂 )
- Boots – our tour operator would not let us sled without boots. They did have some to rent at their office, but it’s easier if you come prepared with your own
Optional
- Sunglasses or ski goggles – it can be bright, especially with the sun reflecting off the snow
- Hot packs for your hands or toes – great if it’s super cold out
Check the information sheet your tour operator send you after booking. Some companies won’t let you sled without snow pants and boots!
What Else to Bring Dosgledding in Canmore?
The only other thing I would recommend bringing with you is your camera or phone to take pictures and videos! There is a little room in the sled to bring a small backpack or extra sweater, so don’t be afraid to bring what you think you may need 🙂
My Experience Dog Sledding in Canmore –
Going dog sledding has always been on my bucket list, but the thing that held me back from booking was always the price. After a lot of research, it seems like the cost to go dog sledding is expensive no matter where you go (Alaska, Finland, Alberta…). I decided that dogsledding would be an amazing way to celebrate my birthday and I’ve wanted to do it for years, so why not 🙂
Unleash the Musher Tour
We went on the “Unleash the Musher” tour with Howling Dog Tours. We chose the 10 am tour, which meant we had to be at the tour office by 9 am. In the morning we checked out of our hotel around 8 am and walked 8 minutes to the Rocky Mountian Bagel Co. for breakfast. There is a location just 2 minutes from the Howling Dog Tour Office, which was perfect! We ate our breakfast, I drank some coffee, and we walked over to the office for 9 am.
At the office, we had to check in and sign waivers for the tour, as well as show proof of vaccination. They then let us know what shuttle we would be on for the ride to Spray Lakes and we had about 15 minutes before leaving!
The ride to Spray Lakes is around 25 minutes and is so so sooo stunning. If you can, grab a seat in the shuttle van by a window that doesn’t have any stickers blocking the view 🙂
When we arrived at the site of the tour, we were given a quick rundown of how the tour would run and then assigned a guide. All you can hear are the dogs howling because they are just so excited to get out on the trail! This is also the last opportunity before heading out on the trail to use the toilet (porta-potty).
Our guide let us harness one of the dogs, and then I sat in the sled to keep it steady while my boyfriend held the line and the guide hooked up the rest of the dogs. Then, we were off!
For most of the tour, one of us would ride on the back of the sled with the guide while the other would ride in the sled at the front. It was so much fun!!!! The run was 5km through the forest, with periodic mountain views that were amazing. Shortly into the tour, our photo was taken while sledding, which is available for purchase after the tour (in print and digital copy for $25).
We made it to our halfway stop where we had a chance to pet our sled dogs (and the other dogs on different sleds) and take photos with them. Howling dog tours also gave us some hot chocolate and cookies to enjoy at this point! There is also the opportunity to use the bathroom as well.
After our break, we got back into the sled and took the 5km trail back (so 10 km total).
Have your camera ready throughout the whole ride because the mountains are so pretty, and so is the forest!
When we got back, our guide unhooked the dogs from the sled and gave us treats for each dog to say thank you for the ride. We also gave each dog a bowl of chicken water to rehydrate after the run 🙂
Out guides then switched the dogs for the next tour (so that the dogs that just ran can take a break) and we had some downtime waiting for the shuttle to come back and pick us up. We were able to visit the other dogs and take some photos of the mountains around Spray Lakes.
All in all, the tour was amazing and so much fun!!!
Quick Summary of My Experience Dog Sledding –
Quick facts about my dog sledding experience in Canmore:
- When did I go? My tour was on Sunday January 30, 2022 at 10 am
- What company did I book with? I chose Howling Dog Tours
- How much did it cost? We paid $240 per person ($480 total plus tax)
- What did I wear? I wore a toque, gloves, merino wool long sleeve base layer, fleece sweater, second sweater (I get cold!), winter jacket, fleece leggings as a base layer, second pair of leggings on top, snow pants, merino wool socks, and boots.
- Would you do it again? Yes!! Dogsledding on my birthday was so much fun, I would love to do it again.
Have you gone dog sledding in Canmore before? Or maybe somewhere else in the world? Let me know!
You might also like:
- 12 Things to do in Canmore in Winter
- 8 Things to do in Banff in Winter
- 12 Places to Ice Skate in Banff and The Surrounding Area
- Things to do in Jasper in Winter
- The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk – A Beautiful Winter Hike in Jasper National Park
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Hey! I’m Kat. Based in Alberta, Canada and just 4 hours from the Canadian Rocky Mountains, I love to travel to Banff and Jasper frequently and also explore new places around the world. Follow along for my tips based on my real adventures!
