panecott

I have 11 days in the area in late September. First and last nights in Banff, and 4 nights each in Lake Louise and Jasper. I love the outdoors, hiking, scenic drives, photography, boat rides, etc.

So what do I do with the extra night - Lake Louise or Jasper - and why?

TIA for any suggestions.

cmcfong

That's a tough one, panecott. I love Jasper, it has a real small town feel. there is some spectacular scenery there and we enjoyed a number of hikes in the area (Mt. Robson a must). You could also do a boat ride on Maligne Lake. This last trip we did not go to Jasper, just because I felt like it was so much time in the car. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice, but please do Lake Eiffel hike in the Moraine Lake region. It is beautiful!
Have a wonderful trip.

Borealis

Lake Louise. From that location you could easily visit attractions in both Banff National Park as well as Yoho National Park.

panecott

Thanks for the replies - and I'm still undecided.

But I had a feeling either choice would be wonderful.

LindainOhio

What about skipping the first night in Banff and heading straight to Lake Louise. It's only another half hour.
then you could do
5 nts Lake Louise
5 nts Jasper
1 nt Banff

or spend 2 nts in Banff at the end. Be sure to check hotel rates on www.kayak.com if you have reservation with a liberal cancellation policy. About a week or two before our visit in Sept. 2008, we found many special last minute offers on lodging. And we found lodging to be quite expensive in this area.

panecott

Thanks for the info, Linda. The place I booked in Lake Louise - Paradise Lodge cabins - actually has a significant early booking discount.

Unfortunately I think I'll have to cancel the vacation b/c I have a severely sprained ankle and the doctor said it's probably not a good idea to plan on hiking in 3 weeks. So I have a few more days to decide, but I'll probably cancel.

So, maybe next year.