If you're a new visitor to Banff National Park, you may find the selection of Banff hikes overwhelming until you get your bearings. Rest assured that any of the hikes described should satisfy your cravings for sublime Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery. Not all have gorgeous turquoise lakes on route, but all are worthwhile and some more so that others depending on the season. It has taken me nine years to find the time to do…
Snowshoeing in Banff National Park is a fun, invigorating way to spend time outdoors in winter. It's hard to beat rosy cheeks and the glow you get after a few hours outdoors in Mother Nature. In Banff National Park, there are loads of trails to choose from - including some that will get your heart pounding for hours at a time. Don't worry though. There are plenty of easy, family-friendly options for those of you…
It's larch season in Alberta. What that means is seemingly sane people do insane things. Take myself for example. Yesterday, I rose at 3:15 AM and was in the car driving towards Lake Louise by 3:30 AM. I had been closely monitoring the weather forecasts across three stations and was keen on picking a clear day in the mountains. Even though the forecast wasn't ideal, the weather looked to be worsening over the week so…
I discovered the Sunset Pass and Sunset Lookout hike accessed from the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park completely by chance. I was researching campgrounds to stay in that are a short hike in from the trailhead. Without looking into the details too much, the Norman Lake Campground on the way to Sunshine Pass seemed like a good choice as it is approximately 4 km from the parking lot. But to get there you have…
If you're looking for an early season backpacking trip in Banff National Park, you'd do well to choose the hike to Glacier Lake. On a scale of difficulty, it's an easy, mellow one and a great choice for families. The hike is 9 km one way with just 238 m of elevation gain. In early summer, when so many other trails are buried under a metre or two of snow, it's a real treat to…
Alberta's Goat Creek Trail offers a fun mountain bike ride that traverses the beautiful valley between Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. The trail starts above the town of Canmore at the top of the Smith Dorrien Road- Spray Lakes Road and finishes at the Spray River West trailhead, located approximately 150 m beyond the Banff Springs Hotel at the northern end of Spray Avenue in Banff. From there you can cycle through Banff to pick…
Lake Louise hikes are some of the best you'll find in Banff National Park - and even Canada. Superlative mountain and alpine lake scenery is the reward for your efforts. The downside to most but not all of the Lake Louise hikes are the sheer number of people on the popular trails - especially Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers. If you can do it, book accommodation somewhere close to Lake Louise so…
Winter in Lake Louise may be cold, but it sure is pretty. There's loads to do for skiers and non-skiers alike. A frozen lake with the most beautiful skating rink in the world set against a backdrop of truly stunning mountain scenery may be the first thing people think of when they think winter in Lake Louise. But within 25 - 30 minutes of Lake Louise Village there are an incredible number of outstanding outdoor…
One of the best hikes in Banff takes you to Fish Lakes via North Molar Pass. Very fit hikers could knock off the 29.6 km return hike to the lakes in a very long day. But my recommendation is to book a backcountry campsite (in January) and stay for a couple of nights at the Fish Lake Campground so you can truly enjoy what is truly one of the best hikes in Banff. The mountain…
