Thank you to Canada Strong Pass, not a physical pass, for…read morefree admission and enjoy while you can from June 19 till Sept 7, 2026. Five important facts to remember: 1) Birthplace of Banff National Park 2) Sacred to Piikani people 3) Endangered Banff Spring snails stay alive in thermal pools of H2S or hydrogen sulfide and low oxygen levels. 4) Only observe from the distance. No touching or dipping hands in the pools. 5) Be respectful. Guides are helpful and present to answer questions.

COME TO WHERE THE CANADA NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM STARTED…read more Every visit to Banff should start with a stop at the Cave & Basin National Historic Site. It was here that Indigenous nations came for spiritual healings and sacred rituals. In the 1880s, three railroad workers came upon the thermal springs with hopes that it would bring them wealth and fame. Soon Canada stepped in and declared the springs and the surrounding area a federal reserve that was later designated Canada's first national park. The Cave & Basin today features a stone building that houses the original hot spring. We entered the historic bathhouse and a darkened cave to see the original hot spring. The springs here are no longer open for public bathing. Outside the cave, there is a hot spring pool where we saw a critically endangered species of snails that can live only in this hot spring. The tiny popcorn kernel-sized snails live on what can be best visualized as floating muck. The Cave & Basin can be reached by taking a local Roam Transit bus that drops visitors off at the site entrance. From the Cave & Basin, you can begin a hike to Sundance Canyon. When we visited, admission was free as part of a Parks Canada summer program but admission is usually $10/adults and $8.50/seniors. We missed the free 30 minute daily tour.

Beautiful and exhilarating, the Canadian Rockies in general, and The Three Sisters in particular…read more When asked, a local tour guide said their individual names are Faith, Hope and Charity. Very nice. The second tour guide disagreed, saying their names are Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. I found this was repeated on Wikipedia ... and is there any higher authority? Why, yes, the lady at the Canadian Tourist Information Kiosk, who said the locals, the real people who live here, refer to the Three Sisters as Beebee, Ceecee and Deedee. So, what's in a name? The Three Sisters, by any name, are Beautiful and Exhilarating. Five-Stars.

As gorgeous as they are iconic - The Three Sisters stand guard over, no that's not right... The…read moreThree Sisters are all about fun, not protection. They're an icon for a town that exists for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. While The greatest cities in the world are know for and defined by their skylines, none of them even come close to Canmore's. Whether you'd prefer to enjoy them while camping, hiking, biking, or enjoying a glass of wine with a fine meal, Faith, Charity and Hope will make your experience all that much better.

We almost missed the landmark driving past because of how unassuming it was. Walking up close, the…read moresign is in need of a repaint or repair. It's surprising that the Continental Divide is so "short" by Rockies standards. Quick stop close to Banff!

As you travel along the Banff-Windereme Parkway, also known as Highway 93, you cross the BC and…read moreAlberta borders. This part of the border between the two provinces is also the Continental Divide. Where most borders, like the 39th parallel, are just arbitrary lines drawn in the sand, this one actually makes a little bit of sense. The Continental Divide is the split down the Rocky Mountains where water flows either to the Atlantic or the Pacific. All of the snow melt and precipitation that falls on the west side slope of the mountains on the divide goes to ye old Pacific Ocean, and, you guessed it, the water on the east side goes to the Atlantic. Isn't learning fun?! This little road-side area has a big sign and a pillar marking the divide, so if you want to have a little fun and stand in two different provinces at the same time you can do that here. There's also washrooms here if you need to go and don't want to find a tree. I'm not sure if Alberta got the short end of the stick here or if it was really just good planning. On the Alberta side of the rest stop you have the entrance to the parking lot and a bench. On the BC side, you have the entire parking area, the washrooms, and all of the signage and information. So did Alberta trick BC in to taking the majority of the maintenance bill for this monument? Probably not since its in a national park so the feds probably foot the bill anyway.

When British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871, it was on the condition that Prime Minister…read moreJohn A. Macdonald would build a railway to link the province to the rest of the country. Building a railway across such a large continent was a major undertaking and one of the most serious obstacles was the Rocky Mountains. Several passes were considered for the route and despite its rugged terrain, Kicking Horse Pass was chosen because of its proximity to the US border and its shorter distance to the Pacific Coast. This choice was so significant to the history of Canada that Kicking Horse Pass was designated as a National Historic Site in 1971. The steep grade in Kicking Horse Pass posed a serious challenge. The first decent allowed for a 4.5% grade and the first attempt in 1984 resulted in a derailment and the tragic death of 3 workers. Various spurs and extra engines were then tried, but more incident occurred anyway. Although the mountains were a complication for CP, they were an inspiration to the many tourists who started to arrive by train. In an effort to preserve the landscape and encourage tourism, CP prompted the creation of Mount Stephen Dominion Reserve in 1886. The park was renamed Yoho in 1901. The solution for a more gradual grade came from J.E.Schwitzer, one of the railway's Assistant Chief Engineers. He modelled the Spiral Tunnels after a system used in Switzerland. In 1909 the Spiral Tunnels were completed and after 25 years of use, the Big Hill grade was abandoned. With a gentler grade, descents became safer and slower, spur lines and rear pushers were no longer necessary, and scheduling delays and operating costs were reduced. An eastbound train leaving Field climbs a moderate hill, goes through two short, straight tunnels on Mt. Stephen, under the Trans-Canada Highway, across the Kicking Horse River and into the Lower Spiral Tunnel in Mt. Ogden. It spirals to the left up inside the mountain for 891-m and emerges 15-m higher. The train then crosses back over the Kicking Horse River, under the highway a second time and into the 991-m tunnel in Cathedral Mountain. The train spirals to the right, emerging 17-m higher and continues to the top of Kicking Horse Pass. As a Railroad buff, I make it a point to see this engineering marvel whenever I'm in the area. They truly are an engineering marvel and the trains going through them are a sight to behold. There are two viewpoints where you can safely watch the trains: - From the viewpoint 7.4-km east of Field on the Trans-Canada Highway, you can see the Lower Spiral Tunnel in Mt. Ogden. - The Upper Spiral Tunnel in Cathedral Mountain can be seen from the pull-off 2.3-km up the Yoho Valley Road.

View of upper and lower spiral tunnels are located in Yoho National Park, BC. Look carefully and…read morezoom in. We did not see trains pass through. Difference in upper and lower elevation.

This is the busy downtown shopping area. Cars can't drive through this district, on the corners…read moreoutside are bus stops. There are lots of unique and charming galleries, gift, shops, and boutiques that stay opened late until at least 10 PM. There are benches to sit on and they're great for people watching. Many restaurants were busy with filled outdoor tables and rooftop views with spectacular mountains, looming above us. Cows, ice cream shop the fudge shop and the popcorn shop had crowds out the door. There were many outdoor adventure, shops with ski, skate, racket, climbing, canoeing, camping ... equipment and clothing.

Another must-see stop in Yoho National Park! It's crazy how the Kicking Horse River has created…read morethis natural bridge through the abrasion of limestone, sand and gravel. It's absolutely stunning! There are multiple photo ops here. You can get down on the rocks and get up close, or walk across the pedestrian bridge and up on the viewpoint platform. So many angles to choose from. The parking lot is decent sized, but fills up fast. Since the nature bridge is right of the parking lot, tourists don't stay too long, so the parking lot is busy with people coming in and out. There's also restrooms available at the parking area. Overall a fulfilling stop. Would highly recommend!

One of my highlights on the two day tour we took. Each day is different but so beautiful. This…read morekicking horse river is another magical stop and I could stay here and listen to the water for hours!

We did this for our last hike of our trip to Banff. Another couple we had met told us it was pretty…read moretough so I was a little worried, but it really wasn't bad...or perhaps I was just used to it after a week of hiking. It was steep, but not nearly as steep or long as the lake agnes tea house hike. Like everything else in Banff this hike was pretty crowded, but at least i knew we were in good company if a bear decided to join us. I forgot to bring bear spray so assumed one of the other 800 people on the trail had to have it. The view from the top was gorgeous - so we sat for awhile and enjoyed it. My legs were definitely tired when I made it down, but had enough energy to walk back to the Fairmont. For those staying at the Fairmont it's an easy walk to and from tunnel mountain.

Pretty sweet area to do some outdoor activity overlooking Banff and surrounding areas. Windy…read moremountain roads and overlooks are all around this are a.

Easy and longer walk where you're able to hear the sounds of waterfalls. Calming. Able to take…read morephotos from different vantage points. Spacious area to stop and go at your own pace.

HIKE TO BOW FALLS AND BOW RIVER…read more On our first day in Banff, we joined the Bow Falls Loop Tour hosted by the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The Tour began with a hike down a paved path leading directly from the hotel to the Falls. For those driving, there is a small parking lot that is steps from the Falls. Our guide told us that the Falls can be reached via an easy and scenic walk along the Bow River from downtown Banff. Bow Falls is a beautiful yet powerful waterfall. While Bow River appeared shallow and calm, it was deep enough for scenic float boat tours that began further downstream. A paved promenade runs along the Bow River - we walked up steps for a bird's eye view of the Falls. Our tour finished with a climb up and around the Falls before hiking on a forest trail back to the hotel.

We rented a kayak here and the staff was very friendly and helpful. It was a little cold and windy…read morethe day we went. They section off the left side of the lake for canoes and kayaks and the right side is for their boat tours. It was $96 for 1 hour for the double kayak, which is reasonable compared to lake louise and moraine lake ($170-180/ hour). The lake itself is a beautiful turquoise blue like all the other glacier fed lakes.

There is nothing more beautiful than visiting a glacial lake in the middle of Banff National Park…read more This lake was one of our first stops for viewing and hiking. Lake Minnewanka is 142 meters deep (465 feet) and 21 kilometers (13 miles) long. It is the closest lake to the town of Banff and it is the largest lake in the park. The color of the lake is so striking with jewel tones of emerald, it is so clear and clean. The beautiful color comes from the glacial meltwater. Minnewanka means "Water of the Spirits" and there is a legend that when the Stoney people would travel in the neighborhood of the lake, they could hear voices of the resident spirits. The lake offers plenty of recreation opportunities such as picnicking, hiking, taking a cruise, renting a canoe or kayak, rent a motorboat, or fishing for lake trout and mountain whitefish, and relaxing lakeside. Swimming is not recommended as the water is pretty frigid. The most unique thing about this lake is the town of Minnewanka Landing. In the early 1800's, it was once a thriving resort town. When the lake was dammed in 1941 to provide power to Banff and Calgary the water rose and now all that's left is a ghost town underwater. We decided to take a trail and hike. We were there in September and we were cautiously aware that bear season was approaching. We did not hike too far just about five miles around the lake's perimeter and returned as we had no bear spray. The scenery with the surrounding mountains was absolutely stunning and gorgeous. I believe the trail was the Stewart Canyon - Aylmer Pass Junction. On our way out, we got to see a couple of big horn sheep roadside. So cute! So much to see here and a great way to start our trip in Banff National Park. Love CANADA!!

We took the Banff Gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain. It was a fun ride and there's much to…read moresee at the top! There's an observation deck, which leads to a boardwalk that has amazing panoramic views of the town of Banff, Bow Valley and six mountain ranges. The boardwalk ends at the historic cosmic ray station, which is not longer in use. There is also a couple restaurants, gift shop and an interpretive center at the summit. This is a must while visiting this area. Would highly recommend!

Going on a spontaneous, free hike, at your own risk is one of the perks after cruising observatory…read moredeck. Highest peak elevation level at 8,041 ft. Pros are getting 360 degree views and great cardiovascular exercise. Cons about hiking this area are some of the wooden steps are slightly loose and bugs at the top swarming around.