Gateway to the Rockies measures 65 kilometers in length, and traverses the length of the Nordic Ski Centre for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It takes a scenic approach to Fairmont Springs Hotel, following Bow River to popular visitor attraction of Bow Falls, and finishing at Banff Cave and Basin site, which is recognized as the heart of the Canadian National Park System.

This majestic trail crosses the mouth of Wind Valley, close to the mountain habitat of bear, cougar, wolf and other large animal species. It follows the lower slopes of Three Sisters Mountain, famed as a popular subject for artists and photographers alike, and is routed along a portion of rail bed that served the century-old Canmore coal mine, which was closed only recently in 1979.