There are many ways to experience Rat's Nest Cave. Whether it's by squeezing through the Challenge Squeeze on the Adventure Tour, listening to some great music at an unEarthed Concert, or enjoying the serenity of the cave on a private Solitude tour, our mission is the same - to help you have an experience you will never forget.
This Canadian Signature Experience is our longest cave tour. It includes an 18m rappel and plenty of time to explore passages like the Laundry Chute.
If you know this is the tour for you simply find your date and start time below and make your reservation now. If you'd like some more information about the tour Click Here
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The Explorer Tour may be our shortest cave tour, but it is by no means short on fun and excitement.
You will spend approximately 2 hours underground exploring this amazing playground, passing ancient bones and cave formations along the way!
If you know this is the tour for you simply find your date and start time below and make your reservation now. If you'd like some more information about the tour Click Here
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When you book any Adventure cave tour with us now until February 28th, 2019 we will treat you to one of our favourite Canmore activities - a Smuggler's Blues game with Mystery Towns.
The Smugglers Blues game from Mystery Towns is the perfect way to see the hidden gems of Canmore even the locals don't know!
Regular Price: $49/group(2-4 players)
Available: Year-Round
Provided by Mystery Towns
Per group of up to 4 people
A quick and FUN way to see Canmore! This short Mystery Towns Adventure can be taken any day at any time - showing you Canmore's mountain views, riverside trails and fascinating history at your convenience. Work together to solve clues & puzzles that arrive by App - whether you race or relax is up to you!
How it works
When: You can begin your adventure any day at any time (we recommend daylight hours)
Walking Distance: Your adventure involves approximately 3.5km of leisurely walking
Average Time: Most groups take 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the adventure, plus any breaks.
Contact Us or visit Mystery Towns for more information.
When you book any cave tour with us now until February 28th, 2019 we will treat you to one of our favourite post-caving activities - a tour of Canmore's Wild Life Distillery (yes, samples included!).
Wild Life Distillery is one of Canmore's first craft distilleries and, located just a block away from our office, it makes for the perfect wind-down after a day of caving.
Regular Price: $10.00
Available: Year-Round
We work with an amazing group of partner companies to bring you a selection of some of the best experiences in the Bow Valley. Visit our Adventure Hub page to see what else we have to offer, or Contact Us and we'd be happy to make some recommendations and reservations for you!
Some of these offers require us to make reservations on your behalf with our Adventure Hub partners, and while we will do our best to reserve the dates requested they are of course subject to availability. Always best to give us as much lead time as possible!
Contact UsBack by popular demand! Watch the cult-classic cave horror movie - in a cave! It doesn't get creepier than this!
The Adventure Tour is a total of 6 hours long, 4 hours of which are spent underground. The Explorer Tour spends 2.5 of its total 4.5 hours underground. The main difference between the two is that the Adventure Tour includes an 18m rappel (no experience necessary) and the extra time allows us to explore more of the cave. Both tours are similar in difficulty and require a moderate level of fitness.
The minimum age for the Explorer Tour is 10 years.
The minimum age for the Adventure Tour is 12 years.
Generally speaking, fitness is more of a concern than size. However, all participants must wear a safety harness which has a maximum waist size of 46" (116 cm) and a maximum leg size of 33" (84 cm). If you have any concerns about size please don't hesitate to contact us.
For the Explorer Tour we can accommodate up to 48 people in a single group. Usually we will break this group up into smaller groups as we travel through the cave or along the trail, but you will all be in the cave together. On the Adventure Tour the most we can accomodate at a single time is 16 people. Our specialty programs will list the maximum group size for that particular activity.
Despite these general restrictions we will always endeavour to make something work for you. We are limited by the number of staff we have available on a particular day, but we are willing to get very creative with logistics if you are! Give us a call to discuss your ideas and if we can, we will make something work: contact us.
Groups of eight (8) or larger are eligible for our group rate discount. We also have special rates available for non-profit groups like schools, community groups, teams, etc.
We provide all of the necessary caving equipment including coveralls, kneepads, gloves, helmet & headlamp, harness & safety ropes, and a backpack. The backpack will be shared by two people and will not go into the cave.
You will need to bring good footwear, warm clothing, a bottle of water, a snack that you can carry through the cave in your pocket and (optional) a camera. Also, if you will require medication during the tour it is a good idea to bring 2x what you would expect to use, just in case.
Footwear must be closed-toe and should have a sturdy tread. Hiking boots or shoes are best, but a sturdy running shoe will also work. Other options include rubber boots or winter boots (in the winter).
The cave is 5 degrees celsius, so warm clothing is recommended. Imagine what you would wear if you had to spend a few hours in a refrigerator. We recommend long pants, long sleeves, a warm sweater, hoodie or non bulky jacket. Synthetic fabrics are best as they will keep you warm even if you get wet.
Any cameras going into the cave will need to fit into your pocket. We do not allow backpacks in the cave. Small point-and-shoot cameras or smart phones are welcome but please keep in mind that the cave environment is not particularly friendly towards electronics. High humidity and dust can damage equipment, and screens can break if you accidentally sit on it! Electronics are brought into the cave at your own risk.
No, transportation is not provided. If you do not have your own vehicle we can arrange a taxi to the cave for you at an additional cost. You can use Canmore's free public transit to get to our office - Roam transit.
The hike to the cave takes approximately 30-40 minutes and is uphill the whole way on a mountain trail. Most of our guests find this to be the hardest part of the day, but we do take lots of stops along the way to enjoy the scenery.
Once in the cave the pace is quite slow as we maneuver through the passages. This is not a flat walking tour. There are no handrails, walkways or fixed lighting. We climb, crawl, slide and wiggle our way around the cave so it is best to have a moderate level of fitness.Even more important though is your sense of adventure!
Rat's Nest Cave is named after the nests of Bushy-tailed Wood Rats found in the entrance. This species of super-cute rodents is native to the area and they use the cave as a home due to it's constantly warm temperatures and protection from predators. We rarely see the rats, and if we do there is usually just one.
Bat's are rarely seen at Rat's Nest Cave. The cave is not a hibernaculum (a place where bats hibernate through the winter). We usually only see the occasional bat in the summer as they are passing through the area.
Please make sure the inform us if you are expecting. We are happy to speak discretely with you about it if it hasn't been made public knowledge, but for your sake and the child's it is important that your guide is aware of the situation.
Participation on the Adventure and Explorer Tours is limited to first trimester (12 weeks) only. The Discovery Tour has no restrictions as long as this level of activity does not dramatically exceed that to which you are accustomed. Feel free to Contact Us if you'd like more information.
It is always adviseable to consult with your physician before participating in an activity like caving while pregnant.
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