Located 4 hours South of Edmonton, AB Canada
A review from a family of 4 with young children including our 5 year old son who has accessibility needs aka is a wheelchair user. Now I call it camping but it truly was glamping in our 3 bedroom accessible cabin! They are beautiful! Freshly renovated and so modern. We loved being nestled right in the woods with wildlife at our front door. There is accessible RV camping right around the corner also, for those who prefer more of a camping style. We followed the paved paths all around the campground and cabins, past various picnic table lookouts where you could see the Lower Kananaskis Lake in the distance. (We did not venture far enough to access the water this trip, however I do believe some longer trails would take you there) An accessible playground and community fire pit were all within a short walking distance from our C5 cabin. We also appreciated that the Main Lodge was very close to all cabins, incase of emergency a host is on the grounds 24/7 as there is no wifi or cell service otherwise.
We stayed in a 3 bedroom cabin
Our 3 bedroom cabin had plenty of space for our son to wheel around, he took great pleasure wheeling in and out to the patio where the BBQ was. This experience was really enjoyable for all of us as Vincent just learnt how to wheel himself in the last few months, so this opportunity to explore a new space for the long weekend was great! I was happy to see one bedroom had a queen bed, as I wasn’t sure how my 6’7″ husband would feel on a twin but all other rooms had 2 twin beds with lots of free space. We set up safe-sleep spaces on the floor with ‘tent’ beds for ours kiddos and used the mattress’s from the beds. Bring sheets, pillows and bedding! We did find the vinyl covered foam mattresses quite hard and warm (understanding these are vinyl covered for a reason) for a longer stay I’d maybe bring additional foam padding or a pillow topper.
(amazon link here: Amazon Tent Bed – Safe sleep space)
What to Know and What to Pack! (link here: Printable List )
Review #2 from an adventurous family with teens
We had such an amazing time at William Watson Lodge! We booked in at the end of August for 2 nights since it was our first time going. We’re a family of 4 including 2 teens, one of whom has disabilities. While Amber is mobile and able to walk, she uses a variety of mobility aids for longer distances. My parents ended up coming with us, too, which wasn’t the plan when we initially booked, and turned out to be wonderful. We weren’t sure what to expect so when we arrived we were shocked at the spaciousness of the cabin with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one of which was fully accessible), a large living room, dining room and kitchen area, plus an outdoor patio . At first, we were wary of no reception at the cabin, but it turned out to be wonderful! My parents took one room, my husband and I another, and my daughter the 3rd. My son in the end decided he wanted the couch even though there was a bed for him!
The fully loaded cabin was soooo spacious and stunning. Even though it was still summer, the evenings were cool and we took advantage of the fireplace. We ate at the cabin in the morning and for dinner, and often pre-packed our lunches. We did accidentally set off the fire alarm thanks to over-cooking bacon, and the firefighters came to check it out and make sure all was ok!
The trails were wonderful! Every day we walked down to the lake (about a 5 minute walk) with our accessible stroller. We went both early in the morning and later in the day and it was always quiet and stunning. We took a few different trails through the woods – I was so amazed at how everything was so .. EASY. Being able to not worry about whether a trail was passable with a stroller was something I didn’t take for granted. The trails varied in length and you could walk for hours. They’re clearly marked for ease, and some trails include information throughout. One evening my husband went out for a walk on his own and came running back in to get us. We all sprinted out the door while he grabbed the stroller and proceeded to walk/run about 5 minutes when we came to a large clearing with a juvenile moose! We stood and watched for a while and were joined by others, all while keeping a respectable distance from the animal.
As avid kayakers, having Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes within a few minute drive. While you can walk to Lower Kananskis Lake, I don’t know that I’d carry a kayak down the steep paths and it wouldn’t be a smooth entry spot either. We did go to both lakes to kayak and they were equally beautiful albeit different. A few of us went into Canmore one day and biked the Legacy Trail to Banff and back with rental e-bikes. Returning to the cabin that night was wonderful – being able to take a hot shower and then relax in the living room together was just what we needed!
Amber loved (as did all of us) that she could participate in all the walks around the grounds. Being near the water, and in the mountains, is just about her favourite place to be, so the location was ideal. We played games, read books, and spent as much time as we could outdoors.
We had booked to go over New Year’s but unfortunately one of the kids got a nasty cold and we had to cancel. We were looking forward to snowshoeing around the grounds and are hopeful we’ll get to go another time in the winter! Until then, we hope to go again in the summer!
