Mount Nester Viewpoint Tour

Navigate an exciting trail and enjoy a campfire lunch!

Enjoy an exhilarating dog sled ride with breathtaking views of the Spray Valley. This trail takes you out over the frozen lake then up into the trees to navigate an exciting trail around Mt Nestor to our back country campsite.

Our Half day tours begin the same with an approx. 30 min of orientation on dog sledding, dog handling, and equipment. After you assist the guides with harnessing the dogs and setting up the teams, you will head out on to the trail for approx. 3 hours!

At our backcountry campsite, a hot campfire lunch will be served. Here you will have a chance to warm up by the fire and learn a little about the history of dog sledding in the Bow Valley area and discuss dog sledding as a sport itself before heading back down the lake.

  • Availability

    Available days may vary, check calendar

    Tours run at 10:30 am each day

    Pricing

    • Prices quoted are per sled
      Prices range from $1250 to $1295 (CAD) + gst per sled depending on configuration. ($625.00- $647.50 per person)

    • See Sled Loading Document for details of configuration and weights - Please inquire about group programs for 10 or more guests.

    This tour is weather dependant.

    • 30 min orientation on dog sledding, dog handling, & equipment

    • Approx 3 hours out on the trail with photo stops along the way

    • Delicious hot lunch served around a roaring campfire

    • Ample time for some great photos of the dogs and the beautiful Rocky Mountains

    Tour duration is approx 3.0-3.5 hours including orientation, dogsledding, and a campfire lunch

  • The only way to get to the Spray Lakes is to drive yourself. There is no public transportation available into this area. As it is a secondary gravel road to the trailhead, we ask that vehicles have a min of front wheel drive and good all-season tires. It will take approx 2.25 hrs from Calgary, 35 min from Canmore, and 1.25 hours from Banff. See our "Map Page" for more info.

  • There are a number of dog sledding companies in the Canadian Rockies to choose from. At Mad Dogs & Englishmen Expeditions, we believe in providing an authentic experience, with small group sizes, usually with a maximum of 5 sleds unless more are required for larger groups. By choosing us, you will experience a more personable, relaxed, real adventure... Experience what mushing is really like!

  • We run our tours with the following configuration:
    Guide-Driven Sled + Client-Driven Sled + Guide-Driven Sled and so on...

    • For sled configuration purposes, children 10 yrs and up will be considered as an adult. This tour is not suitable for children under 10 years of age

    • Please call or email our office if booking a group of 10 or more participants. We do offer group discounts and may be able to move sleds around if it appears that we do not have availability for your tour of choice.

    • If your party does not fit in these outlined parameters or you are unsure, please call or email our office. We will be happy to look at your specific needs.

Spray Lakes Provincial Park

Spray Valley Provincial Park is located in Kananaskis Country Approximately 45 minutes drive south of Canmore. Tucked away behind the Goat Mountain Range to the East of Banff National Park, Spray Lakes presents us with some of the wildest areas in the Rocky Mountains.

The pristine wilderness area spans 24 km and offers incredible mountain vistas.

This is our playground.

Directions

  • From Canmore, follow the signs to the Canmore Nordic Centre, then continue on highway 742 south (Spray Lakes Road/Smith Dorrien Highway) to the north end of Spray Lake (Trans Alta Dam).

  • When you get to the end of the lake, where the Trans Alta Dam is, make sure you continue straight on highway 742. Do not go across the Dam.

  • As you continue down the east side of the lake, you will pass the Driftwood boat launch which is marked with a big blue sign. Exactly 2.5 km past the blue Driftwood sign, you will see the pull out/parking area on the right hand side of the road. It is marked with a small signpost.

  • It is not a large sign unfortunately, as parks will not let us put a large sign out, but if you start looking for it after you pass the West Winds trailhead (visible on the left hand side), you should see the sign and then dog trucks parked down a bit on the access road going from the pull out towards the lake.

  • Park into the pull out as close as possible to the trucks ensuring you are off the main road (there is no road parking allowed on highway 742). Get dressed in your warm gear, then walk down towards the dog trucks. The guides will be there waiting for you.