Where: Chester Lake, Alberta
Total Distance: 9.5 km
Having two kids really changes the types of adventures that fills your weekends, however, we decided as a family to test our stamina with a short yet rewarding hike up to Chester Lake.
One of us is excited
The route is well marked and easy to follow. The hike is a decent ascent up to Chester Lake, where we planned to have a picnic.
The route up is a wide easy trail and offers little views until you reach the top.
Once at the top the scenery is spectacular and well worth the “climb”:
At the top is Chester Lake. We were running short of time, but there is the option to hike around. There is also a fork to head up to the elephant rocks. We did not go, but it is highly recommended and only a few hundred meters further.
We stopped for a picnic and relaxed before heading back.
Halfway was almost 4.5km, yet it took us 1 hour and 45 minutes due to the frequent stops with the little ones.
The way down has an option to branch from the main trail, it is the same distance, but provides a bit of change from the route up. Overall, it was a good hike for kids and well worth the trip. The drive back to Calgary we stopped in Canmore and had dinner before driving home.