by Alan K. Lee
Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies is flat out gorgeous, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. My wife and I made our first visit a couple of decades ago and loved it. But it took us twenty years to get back. We finally made it back to Banff in August 2019 as part of a long road trip from our home in the Portland, Oregon area.
It was a long drive. It’s more than 700 miles from Portland to Banff by the shortest route, even farther by the route we took. We took our time, though, and stopped in a number of places in southern British Columbia on the way. (Banff is a long ways from pretty much everywhere. If you don’t want to make the long drive, another option is to fly to Calgary and rent a car. Banff is less than a two hour drive west of Calgary.)
Besides being incredibly scenic, Banff is also significant in that it is part of one of the largest protected areas in North America. The park borders three other Canadian national parks, Kootenai, Yoho, and Jasper. The four national parks in turn border more than half a dozen provincial parks and prtoected areas. Altogether, the contiguous protected area totals more than 12,000 square miles (31,500 square kilometers). That’s almost four times the size of Yellowstone National Park, for comparison.
On our 2019 trip, we rented a house in Canmore, just outside the park, since it was more affordable than staying in the park itself. Canmore turned out to be a pretty interesting place in its own right. It has a compact and very walkable downtown area with plenty of cafes and restaurants, brew pubs (try Canmore Brewing), interesting art galleries (don’t miss the Jeff Walker Gallery), and some interesting historical sites. There’s also a nice walking trail along Policeman’s Creek. And Canmore is only about a five minute drive from the southern entrance to Banff National Park.
The town of Banff, although crowded and touristy, is charming enough to warrant at least a few hours of your time. The Banff Springs Hotel is also worth a visit, even if you’re not staying there. If you’re a hiker, try the Tunnel Mountain Trail. We didn’t hike all the way to the top, but still got some great views of the town and the surrounding mountains, and a good workout.
One of the best hikes you’ll find anywhere is the Johnston Canyon Trail, a few miles north of Banff. Here Johnston Creek cascades through a narrow gorge with many small waterfalls and two larger ones. Parts of the canyon are so narrow that the creek fills the canyon floor from wall to wall. Here you’re hiking directly above the creek on a catwalk bolted to the side of the gorge. It’s an incredible hike, not to be missed. It’s also very, very popular and can be incredibly crowded, so go early. The parking lot is likely to be full by 9:00.
The trail is an easy hike, with relatively little elevation gain. In 0.7 mile (1.2 km) you come to the100 foot (30 metres) Lower Falls. Here you can walk through a short tunnel that emerges just feet from the falling water. Just be prepared to get wet.
The trail continues for another 0.9 mile (1.4 km) to Upper Falls.There the trail branches, with a side trail going to a viewpoint near the base of the falls and the main trail climbing 130 feet (40 metres) to the top of the falls. We turned around at that point, but the trail continues another 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the Ink Pots, a group of beautiful ponds in a mountain meadow.
Another must see destination in Banff National Park is Moraine Lake. The turquoise blue water and soaring peaks surrounding the lake make it one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It’s an easy walk up to a stunning viewpoint from the parking lot, and there is a trail along the shoreline that gives you more incredible views of this beautiful lake and the high peaks above it. You can also rent a canoe there and get out on the water for more spectacular views. And again, go early. Parking at the lake is limited and traffic on the road to the lake may be restricted if the parking lot is full.
You can avoid the parking hassles and the crowds, at least in the morning or evening, by booking a room at the Moraine Lake Lodge. It’s expensive, but if you can afford it, it might be worth it.
Lake Louise is justifiably famous, but fame brings people. Lots of people. There’s a lot more parking here than at Moraine Lake, but even though we were there early, we still had to park in one of the lower lots and walk up to the lake. And honestly, Moraine Lake is even prettier and less crowded. But if you’ve never been there, seeing Lake Louise is worth fighting the crowds. Rent a canoe and get out on the water, or take a hike along the shore to get away from the crowds. And, like the Banff Springs Hotel, Chateau Lake Louise is a destination in itself.
The portion of Banff National Park north of Lake Louise has a lot of attractions that many visitors never see. This part of the park was new to me. On our first trip we were among the many that didn’t venture north of Lake Louise. On this trrip we did, though. Our journey took us on into Jasper National Park on the Icefields Parkway.
Drive a few miles north from Lake Louise on the Trans Canada Highway, turn onto the Icefields Parkway, and you’re in a different world. The crowds thin out and the country becomes wilder, more open, and more removed from civilization.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to really explore that part of the park. We made a quick stop at Hector Lake viewpoint, only a few miles from Lake Louise, and stopped for a little longer at Bow Lake before motoring on into Jasper National Park. (Click here to go to our post on Jasper.)
There’s much more to Banff than I have described here, of course. It’s a big park, and you could easily spend a couple of weeks there without running out of things to do, longer if you also visit some of the surrounding parks. But it’s worth the effort to get there at least once in your life, even if you can only spend a few days there.
Posted December 26, 2022
All photos © Alan K. Lee