Banff National Park
National Park Of Canada (Parks Canada) / UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks · Banff, Alberta
Banff is Canada's first national park, created in 1885 after railway workers found hot springs at what is now the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. It covers over 6,600 square km of the Rockies in Alberta and is part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, listed in 1984. The town of Banff sits inside the park, with Banff Avenue, the Sulphur Mountain gondola and the Bow River below Mount Rundle. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, the Icefields Parkway, Johnston Canyon and the gondola are their own entries here; this one covers the park as a whole. It suits almost everyone, from a one-day driver to a multi-week hiker, but it is crowded in July and August, parking at the famous sites fills early, and a Parks Canada pass is required to stop. Allow at least three days; a single day only skims the town. The mountains are not overrated, but the queue for one photograph at a famous viewpoint sometimes is. Elk, bighorn sheep and grizzly bears share the valley, so confirm current rules before you go.
Banff townsite, 224 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta, T1L 1K2, Canada
The park is open all year and has no gate hours, but a valid Parks Canada pass is required for anyone who stops inside it, a daily or annual pass that is checked at gates and parking areas (free for youth; confirm current rules). Facilities follow the seasons: the Moraine Lake road is usually open only from about June to mid-October, high trails can hold snow into July, and many lifts, boat cruises and campgrounds run summer or winter only. Parts of the Bow Valley Parkway have seasonal vehicle closures to protect wildlife. Roam Transit and Parks Canada shuttles run on seasonal timetables. Summer daylight lasts past 9:30 pm, but winter days are short. Confirm roads, lifts and shuttles on the day.
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