“come explore Canada's oldest national park!”
In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains. From that humble beginning was born Banff National Park, Canada's first national park and the world's third. Spanning 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world's premier destination spots. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 km (68–110 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 km2 (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley. The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. In the early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by war internees, and through Great Depression-era public works projects. Since the 1960s, park accommodations have been open all year, with annual tourism visits to Banff increasing to over 5 million in the 1990s. Millions more pass through the park on the Trans-Canada Highway. As Banff is one of the world's most visited national parks, the health of its ecosystem has been threatened. In the mid-1990s, Parks Canada responded by initiating a two-year study, which resulted in management recommendations, and new policies that aim to preserve ecological integrity. Archaeological evidence found at Vermilion Lakes radiocarbon dates the first human activity in Banff to 10,300 B.P. Prior to European contact, aboriginals, including the Stoneys, Kootenay, Tsuu T'ina, Kainai, Peigans, and Siksika, were common in the region where they hunted bison and other game.With the admission of British Columbia to Canada on 20 July 1871, Canada agreed to build a transcontinental railroad. Construction of the railroad began in 1875, with Kicking Horse Pass chosen, over the more northerly Yellowhead Pass, as the route through the Canadian Rockies.Ten years later, the last spike was driven in Craigellachie, British Columbia.
Banff should definitely be at the top of anyone's National Park bucket list, because it's arguably the most beautiful park in North America. Spectacular views no matter where you look; lakes, glaciers, forests, rivers, and all the diverse wildlife that comes with it. The Icefields Parkway is a must visit, as are the Hot Springs.
If you're planning on spending a few days in the park, know that the Inns at Banff are much like your standard hotel, but don't let that fool you. If you're smart, you won't be spending much time in the hotel anyway - you're really paying a reasonable price to be so close to everything.
A few tips - the summer months can be pretty unpredictable, so *always* be prepared for rain. It can disappear just as quickly as it arrives, so just be ready for it - it won't ruin your trip.
If you're a skier, your best bet is to show up between Easter and June when the crowds (and prices) are low.
Banff is a MUST stop in Canada. You can't say you've seen Canada until you've seen the Rockies, Jasper, and the IceField Parkway. Plus Banff has so much culture and great nightlife.
Check out our video of just one week between Jasper and Banff and all the wildlife we encountered. :)
Rangy dogs — huskies and husky mixes – loll about, stretch, bark, nip, and tussle. This is what you’ve been waiting for; a dog sledding experience in Banff National Park. And the dogs are as eager to go as you.
Beautiful
Banff was an incredible experience and I would recommend it to everyone! I went in early September and it was absolutely beautiful. Top sites - Lake Louise/Lake Agnes Tea House, Mistaya Canyon, and Icefields Parkway. Way a very relaxing trip of driving, sight seeing and hiking. It was like nothing else. I would definitely recommend renting a car to have the ease of rearranging plans and stopping at a moments notice to look at elk or an off road attraction.
There is a ton of things to do here. Plan ahead and find what certain site's operating hours are. Lots of things to do in and around town.
I thought this was one of the most beautiful places I was able to visit, extremely beautiful!
So much to see, so little time. If you love the outdoors, this is a paradise!
I grew up in Calgary, Alberta and, from about the age of seven (in the early 1960s), I went to Banff to go skiing every winter. I moved to Southern California in the mid-1980s, but I really miss Banff.
Everything good that you hear about Banff and the surrounding Rocky Mountains is probably true. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
The town of Banff has changed over the decades. It used to be more rustic and quaint, and I preferred that — especially the Banff Springs Hotel — which underwent a major remodel a couple of decades ago, which changed the main entrance from being an L-shaped, drive-up area at the rear of the stone-covered hotel exterior, to a badly out-of-place brass-&-glass, modern entrance at the front of the hotel. They should never have made that change.
Back in the 1960s, as I recall, the hotel was winterized so that people could stay there in the winter. The rooms had old-fashioned metal radiators for heating, and there were no televisions in the guest rooms. To watch television, guests had to go downstairs to a large room on the main floor, where we could share the one black & white TV with whoever else was down there at the time. Agreeing on what to watch was not as hard as you might expect — there were only three channels (from Calgary, which was about 1-1/2 hours away from Banff by car). As I recall, they were the CBC network channel, the CTV network channel and CHCT-T.V. channel 2, Calgary's "Rocking Deuce — an independent).
Jan Wagner
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Banff National Park
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- Sun - Sat: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
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