What a hike and what a view! I was told this was easy to moderate, and if you are an avid hiker, I…read morebelieve that. If you are not, take your time, this is very much an uphill climb and a thigh/knee pain coming down! But, it is well worth it to see the view at the top.

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.

Serenity can be found here. It's right off Icefields Parkway, you can't miss it. In off peak season…read moreit isn't as crowded with people and it's a bit more peaceful. There is ample parking too.

I only spent one evening at Waterfowl Lake on the way to Jasper. What I liked about it, was that…read moreit had a "laid back" crowd. The campground was reasonably quiet and even though there were lots of people, it wasn`t packed. There were a fair number of people there, but my impression was that they were there to enjoy the space. The scenery was gorgerous. I uplaoded some pictures of the sceneary around the campground. The camp sights are surrounded by tall trees, and there are washrooms and free firewood available. The campground was a little over $20 a night and you are able to pay by credit card, which was convenient.

I really enjoyed this campground…read more The weather was less than ideal, but I was happy for sheltered and warm showers and flush toilets. Spectacular views! The campground is more of a really nice parking lot. You drive up to your spot like you're parking on the curb in front of your house. It's easy. But. If you're big on site privacy there is really not so much here. Walking distance to Banff townsite. Mostly. It depends on what kind of walking or no walking you want to do. It's a good walk through the campsite, down along the road then a set of stairs. And you're there. No worries about parking in the townsite.

Camped at: Tunnel Mountain Village I…read more Dates camped: 9/2/17-9/4/17 Price: around $70 US dollars for 2 nights (This included a fire permit to have a campfire, but there was a fire ban when we went, so they refunded me $14, so technically it cost me around $56 for 2 nights camping) Dogs allowed! Alcohol ban in effect the weekend we went as well. I think our site # was G21. I picked this campground because it had showers. The showers were free and convenient to use, but there's only 2 in each women and men's restrooms. So sometimes there was a line. They were a lil muddy, but clean enough. We just needed a place to sleep, because besides that we didn't spend too much time at the campgrounds. We were always out exploring the mountains and lakes. It's a regular national park campsite in that each campsite is right next to each other, so you will definitely be close to your neighbors. There were 2 sinks that ppl used to do dishes and get water. There were also trash cans but they were overly full. Ppl need to learn to throw their trash in the big dumpsters if they have a kitchen trash sized bag! Overall, we had a good experience camping here. No bear run ins.

Banff National Park is hands down one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful places you will ever…read moreexperience. The sheer scale of the Canadian Rockies and the surreal color of lakes like Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Lake Minnewanka truly live up to every bit of hype. A helpful reality check regarding wildlife: although you're in pristine wilderness, seeing bears or large mammals inside the busiest corridors of Banff is far from guaranteed. If your main goal is wildlife spotting, heading north toward Jasper National Park gives you much better odds. What makes Banff so special is how versatile it is, even when traveling with a toddler. Between scenic gondola rides, calm boat cruises, toddler-friendly walking trails, and fantastic dining spots throughout the town of Banff, you never feel limited in what you can do together. Our top piece of advice is to allocate a solid 5 to 6 days: spend 3 to 4 days based in Banff and reserve 2 days for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. It gives you the ideal pace to soak in everything without feeling rushed. Absolute 5-star destination!

What an amazing time I had at this park! I am a big National Park junkie back in the U.S. and was…read moreexcited to visit my first Canadian National Park. I came with my running group and they combined our runs with various activities around the park. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. It is known for its mountain peaks and turquoise glacial lakes (Lake Louise and Moraine are the two popular ones). Banff offers year-round outdoor adventures like hiking, wildlife viewing, cycling and skiing. The Town of Banff has lots of shopping and restaurants for those that aren't into the outdoor activities. Banff National Park is located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains and has several large glaciers and icefields. Nearby are Yoho, Jasper and Kootenay National Parks. The Town of Banff is at the center of the park in the Bow River Valley. The park itself has a variety of recorded mammal species. Banff National Park has been successful at reducing the number of animals killed on the roads by building wildlife crossings. We drove under a number of these while driving through the park. They are such a clever idea. My running company booked three runs in and around Banff National Park. The views were gorgeous as we did our trail runs. When I first arrived, we took a tour bus to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake (in nearby Yoho National Park). I really enjoyed the beauty of those lakes and was able to do some photography work at them. They are just as pretty in person as the pictures that you see on the internet. The huge crowds in the summer was the only downer part. For activities, we canoed down the Bow River. That was a lot of fun and we got great views of the mountain ranges while on the river. We also did the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay. It was my first time doing one of these and it was easily one of my favorite activities. On my final day, I took the Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. You can see the whole Town of Banff from there and the breathtaking mountain ranges all around. The Town of Banff has lots of retail stores, gift shops and restaurants. I ate very well on this trip. Overall, Banff was an amazing experience for me. The flight to Calgary from Arizona wasn't too long and my running company did a great job in booking all of my activities. I look forward to a trip back someday!

I did one of my trail runs with my running group here at Spray Valley Provincial Park. This was…read moredefinitely the most scenic run that I did during my trip. Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park located along the Spray River in Alberta, Canada. Spray Valley borders Banff National Park. The park features forests, alpine lakes and rugged peaks. Activities in Spray Valley include camping, hiking, canoeing and fishing. We ran on the Chester Lake Trail to beautiful Chester Lake. The views along the way were just breathtaking. At the lake, you get a glimpse of both Gusty Peak and The Fortress. The water was so clear and had a nice reflection of the surrounding mountains and clouds. I stopped at the foot of the lake to enjoy its beauty before jumping back onto the trail to finish my run. The trails in Spray Valley Provincial Park are a mix of easy, moderate and challenging trails. Spray Lakes West Campground is the main campground in Spray Valley. There are many lakes within the park with Spray Lakes Reservoir being the largest. The Smith-Dorrien Trail (also known as Spray Lakes Road) is a scenic drive on a dirt road that has incredible views of the valley and mountains. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicle parking.

A friend of mine recommended the Troll Hike in Kananaskis country so we ducked out of Banff for an…read moreafternoon of exploring the parks just outside. It was beautiful! Mountains galore and lots of great outdoorsy opportunities for winter and warmer weather alike. During our drive we happened to see a bunch of guys in a parking lot near the road loading and unloading kayaks. Most of the water we had seen had been frozen so I was curious to see what the river looked like so my husband and I pulled over. I read the little guide at the start of the trailhead and it informed us that this part of the river is rapids heavy and a well loved route for extreme kayakers, with a course mapped out with markers and everything. We took the short stroll to the water and enjoyed watching a few fellas do their thing in the raging water. The water was bright blue and SO beautiful. It was a highlight of our day and we didn't even plan on it! Check it out if you're in the area. I wish I could remember where exactly it was in the park, but follow the river and you should be able to find it!

We have started and finished our camping season here for the passed 3 years. Even in the spring…read moresnow.... Friendly staff, and very well maintained grounds and clean bathrooms. A small fee for the showers, and laundry on site, as well and a dump station. They are pet friendly, with a city run off leash area right beside the grounds. They are close to downtown Cochrane and a short drive to Calgary and Banff. Nice bike paths and the sports center is right outside the gates.

Nice, clean spacious campground, right next to the river with great walking trails and next-door to…read morethe massive sports complex and farmers market. Recently renovated bathroom with showers small shop for supplies like firewood, ice, etc. some people don't like them, but there is new Pickleball courts next-door, and town with stores and restaurants is very close almost walking distance.

Loved this campground on my first trip out for so many reasons. We're into paddle boarding, so it's…read morea fun location on a windy bit of the Little Red Deer river. There's good trails, geocaching onsite, a little mini-store at the booth, and lots of picnic spots. The sites are well maintained as are the trails, the outhouses and the signage. But what we loved most about Red Lodge was it's proximity to many other local attractions, even during this time of COVID-19. One could feasibly come out to Red Lodge and then buy most of the fresh groceries you'd need at local farms and markets. We visited Pearson's Berry Farm and picked up berry treats of all kinds, and we also visited Edgar Farms where we picked up meat and veg. The Danish-Canadian museum and cultural centre are also nearby. There's so much to do at the campsite itself, and within a 20 minute drive from Red Lodge, we're really looking forward to coming back again.

I took a Parks Canada guided hike to Walcott Quarry in Yoho national park to see the fossils! The…read morehike was very informative and fun! We covered a long distance (24km and about 900+m elevation) over 11 hours which was a good pace! There were lots of little wildlife (squirrels, pika, grouse) and the scenery was beautiful.

Even though my trip to Canada mostly cantered around Banff, my tour bus did take us into Yoho…read moreNational Park for a part of the day. Yoho is the smallest of the four contiguous national parks. The other ones are Jasper, Kootenay and Banff National Parks. Yoho is an interesting name for a National Park and comes from the Cree language. It means "awe and wonder". After a stop at Lake Louise and Moraine, we ended up finishing our day at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. One of the things that I enjoyed about this park and lake was that it was less crowded than Banff and the other two popular lakes. I ended up walking the nature trail around beautiful deep-green Emerald Lake. I enjoyed the views and came across a plaque about the fossil-bearing deposits of the Burgess Shale in the area. Sadly, Emerald Lake was the only area of Yoho National Park that I was able to explore. Hopefully I am able to see other areas like Takakkaw and Wapta Falls, Lake O'Hara and the Natural Bridge next trip.

We stayed at Redstreak in an Otentik for three nights (if you stay on a long weekend, you have to…read morestay for 3 nights consecutive). The Otentik was clean and the mattress was comfortable. The Otentik is not heated so bring lots of warm camping blankets & clothes. A small lantern is left on the table. There is a broom and dustpan and garbage can inside so you can sweep the floor. There is a food locker outside that looks like it can fit a cooler or backpack. We stored our food in the car. Like another reviewer remarked, the washrooms were really close and really clean. They were in need of a paint job though. Many people were using the washrooms to wash their dishes. Would like to see a designated area to wash dishes & dispose of dish water inside the washrooms. The Otentik experience seemed overpriced for $120.00 per night for a room with no heat, no lights, no electricity,...since a hotel room with heat, cable and some other amenties could be sought for around that cost. To have a fire, you needed a fire permit for your camp site. A fire permit was extra at $9.00 per night. I have been to Redstreak at least one other time. It is a beautiful camp. This time and last time we were here there was a bear spotted in the area. Posters by the entrance and men's and woman's washroom clearly noted the bear in the area. I was surprised that I seemed to be the only camper carrying bear spray, especially this time of year (unless it was concealed). I would not take a chance and carry it (in hands) each time I was away from the campsite especially since the place was not overly busy with campers. Even Parks Staff at the Vistor Information Centre were saying how the bears come right into Radium and try to get into the dumpsters at the grocery store & restaurants this time of year. TIP: carry your bear spray! Do not keep food in the Otentik, use the food locker outside.

Great place to camp, site are small and almost on top of each others. I wish the bathrooms were…read morecleaned more often as I often didn't have toilet paper in my stall and they were just gross overall. Still better than outhouses.