Heading to Banff this summer (end of July/beginning of August) for the first time. Looking for recommendations on hiking, backpacking, and camping in the park. Probably will be in the park 7 - 9 days (might do some neighboring parks if we can fill 9 days of hiking in Banff). Also, if there is any ideas for a 1-2 day event (i.e. whitewater rafting, mountain biking, etc) but not so much the focus of our trip as the hiking. Any and all suggestions are apreciated.
Thanks
Try the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, 5th floor (gold floor) as it comes with own consierge, fireplace lounge, candied salmon and hot strawberries, belgium waffles all part of a massive breakfast buffet, and from 5:00pm to 7:00pm an all you can eat/drink appetizers special. Its kick-ass accomodations and it overlooks the Bow River Falls, with plenty of hiking nearby.
Heated pools, saunas and spa as well. Camping is for penney pinchers - live a little my friend!
Hike over Sentinel Pass - one side is very mellow, and the other side is pretty rough an intense. Awesome scenery
Lots of trails around Lake Louise... We rented some canoes at Lake Louise & pasddled for a few hours, which was fun.
Hike up to see Peyto Lake - the color of the water is amazing & doesn't look natural. Peyto Lake is several miles north of Lake Louise.
A fun day trip is to drive up to the Columbia Icefields & see the Athabasca glacier. We took a 4-wheel drive bus tour of the glacier which was very memorable.
Also be sure to hike around Morraine Lake - beautiful!!
Banff was one of my all-time favorite trips. Have fun!
It's hard to go wrong anywhere in the area - almost anywhere you go it's gorgeous.
I second the recommendations of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Lake Peyto. Especially in late July/August, you'll see a lot of people in those places, but that's because they are so worth seeing, and easily accessible. Also, if you drive north from Banff to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway (which passes Lake Peyto and the glacier fields), there are all sorts of other places to stop and hike.
If you're doing back-country hiking, there are some trails that require you to be in a group of at least 4 people because of grizzlies. Make sure you've got a big enough group for those trails.
The Fairmont is very expensive and unless you pay for one of the higher level rooms, the rooms are tiny. It's historic and cool, but not really a good value for your money unless staying at a historic hotel is really important to you. But definitely walk around the Fairmont and maybe have a meal there.
It's all stunning beyond belief.
Don't feed the grizzly bears, cougars or wolves.
Not much for hotels...going to be tent camping. Any suggestions for campsites?? Is it worth setting up at one place for the week? Or just camp as we go at the hiking spots? How easy is it to drive to the trailheads?
Thanks for the suggestions so far...keep them coming.
Great Hike - Egypt Lake via Healy Pass - start at Sunshine ski area.
Lots of good camping, especially when you get out of the Banff and Lake Louise townsites.
If you're there for 7 to 9 days, go up to see the Columbia Ice Fields and continue on to Jasper.
World class destinaton
Bin Der Dun Dat wrote:
Great Hike - Egypt Lake via Healy Pass - start at Sunshine ski area.
Does that loop include a pass through the inkspots? If so, I concur. We paid a outdoor store employee $20 to drive us to a tailhead and left our car at Sunshine. Great wildlife on that loop.
You can find hotels in Banff around $100 in the summer if you want to clean up after days of hiking. Like others said, you can't go wrong. Enjoy!
Here are some ideas from Parks Canada-
Banff and Jasper National Park are beautiful, but be prepared for hundreds of tourists on all the popular trails around the time of year that you're considering - particularly around Lake Louise.
I'd consider spending part of your trip in Kananaskis Country (adjacent to Banff National Park). You can camp at the Kananaskis Lakes campground, where the scenery is every bit as spectacular as anything you'll see in Banff. I'd probably plan to spend 3 days in Kananaskis Country, 3 days in the Lake Louise area, and 3 days in Jasper National Park, around the ice-fields, if this were my trip.
Some day-hikes I'd recommend in the Kananaskis area would include:
Burstall Pass
Birdwood Lakes
Chester Lake + elephant rocks(although this one can be pretty busy in the Summer)
I'd recommend Mount Sarrail, Mount Northover, Mount Chester, Mount Smutts (difficult), Fisher Peak (difficult) maybe Mount Sparrowhawk (great view) if you enjoy scrambling to the top of mountains.
Additionally, the best way to see K-Country is by backpacking. I'd highly, highly recommend the Northover Ridge to Three Isle Lake backpacking trip. You can also do a backpacking trip out to Mount Assiniboine, which for my money, is probably the most beautiful place I've ever been to, but a bit of a slog to get there. There's a lodge that you can camp at, right beside the mountain if you don't have much back-country camping gear (or don't want to lug it 30 km to the camping location). You have to book early though.
If you're in Banff National Park, I'd check out the Skoki Valley, especially if you're able to do some back-packing. In the Lake Louise area, I'd climb up to the summit of Mount Temple. It's one of the highest peaks in the Canadian Rockies and the only one of its height that is easily accessible without any kind of climbing gear.
a local's opinion wrote:
Banff and Jasper National Park are beautiful, but be prepared for hundreds of tourists on all the popular trails around the time of year that you're considering - particularly around Lake Louise.
True, but with the exception of Lake Louise and the trail to the teahouse, get 600 meters from a parking lot and you are virtually alone. We saw 6 people on one of hikes, a 30 mile 4 day hike.
Why do you care? Do you want an Anschluss with Banff?! Do you need more lebensraum?! Just stay away! Nobody wants you!
Oh, sorry. I've done it again. I thought it said "Hitler," not "Hiker." I guess I need new glasses.
You'll like Banff, it's beautiful.
Most trailheads are easy by car.
Also, Lake O'Hara
We've done Glacier, Yellowstone, and Zion during the summer and have managed the crowds at these parks...can't imagine it is worse???
Thanks for the tips, we will start by reading up on these areas/hikes first.
Climb mount rundle or chinaman's peak (both have trailheads right across the highway from each other towards Spray Lakes. Both are challenging but do-able climbs with some scrambling, and it gives you the chance to truely be on top of a mountain. Don't forget to check out Canmore!
Hiker wrote:
We've done Glacier, Yellowstone, and Zion during the summer and have managed the crowds at these parks...can't imagine it is worse???
I've been there for 10 day backpacking trips on two different occasions. With the exception of around the immediate Lake Louise area, I found Banff not even comparable to the three you mentioned in terms of crowds. Far less people is what I found compared to the U.S. parks. However, the one poster who advised to avoid crowds posted under the name of "local" so maybe they know something I don't. Either way, you can't go wrong with the Canadian Rockies. Be sure to get your backcountry permits early if going that route.
Just be on the lookout for unicorns when you are in Banff.
It's probably true that the crowds are worse in other places. From my personal experience, it can be difficult to find parking in some of the lots around the Lake Louise area if you don't get there early enough in the morning, but if you're patient, you'll get one. I was more posting with regards to my own personal preferences. When I head out to the mountains, I'm looking for a temporary escape from civilization and I find that hiking along popular trails, passing dozens, if not hundreds of fellow tourists ruins the experience for me. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a recluse though when it comes to choosing hiking/scrambling destinations.
If the OP doesn't mind crowds, then by all means the Lake Louise area is one of the most beautiful locations in the Canadian Rockies. I was just offering alternatives that were equally scenic but somewhat off of the beaten track.
Your point is taken.
I thought that is what you meant and I agree completely. I try to get options on trails with scare others prior to a trip. It sounds like you could help the OP.