Cougar Creek is the closest climbing crag to Canmore and offers a full range of routes from 5.7 up to 5.14s. Route descriptions can be found in Bow Valley Sport Climbs.
From the TransCanada highway, take the second exit into Canmore (from either direction), and head uphill on Elk Run Boulevard. At the top of the hill, across from the Iron Goat restaurant, there is a three way intersection, head right across the bridge and take an immediate left into the parking lot.
The walk to the crags is between 15 - 30 minutes depending on which area you are heading for.
The trail wanders through the broken gravel, up the canyon for a fair ways. Many people use this area for family hikes, walking their dogs, and pleasant strolls.
There is little to now elevation change, so it's an easy approach.
Once there you have a whole host of areas to choose from. House of Cards crag is one of the most popular. It's also not a bad place to start. Many people like to go further back, and then walk back, stopping at each section, slowly heading back out of the canyon.