Mount Swansea

A loop of roughly 6 km up to the tower, with wide views over the Columbia Valley, Invermere itself and across to the Purcells. It is also a popular mountain-bike area, so listen for riders and give way where the trail is narrow.

Lake Enid

Family-friendly, close to town, and reachable via the Horsethief Canyon loop. A good option with young children or on a day when the weather is uncertain.

Johnson Junior Loop

About 6 km through mostly forested ground with several lookouts over the valley. It sits in a dense web of intersecting hiking and biking trails near Lillian Lake, so navigation is genuinely fiddly — download the map before you set off rather than relying on signs.

Pedley Pass

Roughly 7.5 km out and back, east of Invermere, climbing through forest to a small lake and then up to Pedley Ridge for alpine meadows and big peaks. The catch is the access road: it is rough, and you want a high-clearance 4x4 to reach the trailhead.

Further afield

For a bigger day, Lake of the Hanging Glacier and Chalice Creek take you into proper backcountry. These are full-day objectives — go prepared, and tell someone where you are going.

Bears

This is bear country, black and grizzly both. Carry spray, make noise on blind corners, and keep food packed away. Ask us if you are unsure about conditions on a particular trail — we live here.