15 Family Friendly Alberta Waterfall Hikes

Updated June 4, 2024

Promises of a waterfall, a creek, a canyon, and candy are the things that get my kids hiking. Here are 15 family-friendly waterfall hikes so, Mamas load up your playlist with TLC and start the car.

Jasper National Park Waterfalls

Punchbowl Falls 

A short walk from the parking lot along Miette Road.

Maligne Canyon

This popular family hike is a choose your own adventure. From a short hike; viewing the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bridge. Or for a longer less travelled route park at the sixth bridge and walk the entire canyon in reverse order to the first bridge, a 7 km return hike.

Athabasca Falls

30 km south of the Jasper townsite go early or late to miss the crowds. If you have the time walk down the stairs to the base of the Athabasca River and check out the inukshuks.

Sunwapta Falls 

55 km south of Jasper check out Upper & Lower Sunwapta Falls. Short on time, the Upper Falls are a short walk from the parking lot. The lower Sunwapta Falls is a 3.2 km return hike.

Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls

Keep driving south on the Icefields Highway (93) to hike this 3.2 km return trail. The trail initially runs parallel to the highway before turning left to follow a narrow canyon where you view a series of waterfalls before ending at Stanley Falls. A smaller version of Maligne Canyon, but with no railing so stay safe. Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls parking lot is a small pullout approximately 88 km south of Jasper on the north side of Highway 93. You may have to drive past the pullout until you can safely turn around depending on the direction you are driving.

Tangle Falls

Not a hiker? This waterfall is perfect for you! A view of the waterfalls can be had right from the parking lot, on the south side of Highway 93 96.5 km south of Jasper. A marked crosswalk allows you to walk across the highway and walk right up to the falls, be safe crossing the busy highway.

Mistaya Canyon

A short 1 km round trip walk down a hill leads you to the lesser-known just as memorable Mistaya Canyon. The parking lot is 5.2 km south of Saskatchewan River Crossing, on the south side of Highway 93.8.

David Thompson Highway & Nordegg Area Waterfalls

Siffleur Falls 

62 km west of Nordegg down the David Thompson Highway (11) this popular family hike is ~8 km return hike that includes two bridge crossings and starts at the Siffleur Falls Staging Area parking lot.

Allstones Creek

Walk through an 8m long culvert that runs under the David Thompson Highway to start the ~4km return trail which crosses several creaks until reaching a 6m waterfall, a great hike for a hot day! Park on the east side of Highway 11, just past the causeway that goes over Allstones Creek west of Nordegg.

Whitegoat Falls

A 3.4 km return trail 45 km west of Nordegg features a double punch bowl set of waterfalls. The trail starts at the Cline River Waste Transfer Station.

Crescent Falls

22 km west of Nordegg in Crescent Falls Recreation Area the popular upper and lower waterfall can be viewed a short walk from the parking lot. Another option is a ~4.9 km return hike from the trailhead at the Bighorn Canyon lookout parking lot.

The access area was completely re-done in 2023 – we can’t wait to check it out in 2024!

Banff National Park

Bow Falls

These falls are easily accessed from a large parking lot, or you can take the 1.2km trail along the Bow River from the Banff townsite, which will take you past

It’s hard to get a photo that captures the scale of these falls without a zoom lens. With a 9m drop they aren’t a tall falls, but they are quite wide and powerful.

Johnston Canyon

One of Banff’s most popular destinations, Johnston Canyon is located near the north end of Highway 1a/Bow Valley Parkway.

It’s a relatively easy 1.2km hike up to the first falls with minimal elevation change. It’s another 1.3km (total 2.5km) with 120m elevation gain to reach the more spectacular Upper Falls. You can continue on another 3.2km (total 5.7km) to the unique Ink Pots where water is bubbling up into pools from deep inside the earth. Note that all distances are one way – total hiking distance is double!

Depending on how Parks Canada has set up restrictions to the Parkway (a much nicer drive than Highway 1), you will probably have to drive up to Castle Junction and then head south to access the parking lot. You can also take Roam Transit Route 9 or bike to the trailhead.

Waterfalls in the Rest of Alberta

Hard Luck Canyon

Located close to Whitecourt off Highway 43, Hard Luck Canyon is only a short walk from the parking lot. The viewing area is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, or you can head down the stairs into the canyon and play in the glacier-fed water.

The falls aren’t always flowing here. The best time to visit for a good waterfall is in the spring or after it rains in the mountains.

Lundbreck Falls

A short detour from Highway 3 Lundbreck Falls is immediately next to the parking lot. There are stairs leading down to the base of the falls, and you can cross a bridge to see them from the other side.

The shape of the falls reminds me of Niagara Falls, but at about 1/10th the size – which is still a good sized waterfall but not overwhelming to the senses!

Discover More Waterfalls – Guidebooks

Is this not enough for you?! Be sure to check out the incredible, exhaustive list of waterfalls within 500m of a public road in Jason Walchuck’s book Stoked on Waterfalls: Volume 1.

Allison Hopkins is a tea-loving, wannabe blogger, passionate planner of adventures, and crappy house cleaner. Mother of 3.