Kananaskis Country and Mount Engadine Lodge

The first part of our Canadian Rockies hiking trip was spent in Kananaskis country. It is well known by most Canadians, but most folks from south of the (Canadian) border haven't heard of it. We have always stayed at the Mount Engadine Lodge, half an hour south of Canmore and away from the beaten path of the Kananaskis Country resorts with their golf courses and ski runs. It's a great base for hiking in a region that's not overrun with tourists, and has good accommodations and wonderful dining. The lodge overlooks a meadow with a stream, with a mud wallow just below the deck of the lodge. What smacks each new visitor is the wildlife, preeminently, the moose. Virtually every evening one or several moose come to the wallow to sink up to their knees (and sometimes their chest) in the mud and slurp up the mineral-laden water. The swamp may also be visited by elk and deer; beaver can be occasionally seen in the creek; coyote and cougar have been seen in the area (and there's plenty of bear sign on some of the hikes).

Here's a section of the creek:

 

And here's a portion of the wallow:

And one day, the moose left via the parking lot of the lodge:

 

Highly recommended! And here's a photo from last year, taken from the rental car window while driving up to the lodge: