Need Help with Banff/LL/Jasper Itinerary

Old Nov 15th, 2016, 06:27 PM
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Need Help with Banff/LL/Jasper Itinerary

Hi Folks,

We are a couple with 4 children (between ages 18-6) flying out from Washington on August 6th Sunday to Calgary and returning on August 19th Saturday. I have family in Calgary and will spend the first three nights with them. Just so you know us a little bit more, we enjoy: Nice lodging, sightseeing, hiking under 2 miles a day, spending time and enjoying one good place rather than running around and completing a "checklist." Things like Nightlife, Shopping, malls, museums, special restaurants/cuisines don't matter to us on vacations.

This is our plan thus far. Have not booked tickets or hotels yet.

August 6, 7, 8 - Spend with family
August 9th, 10th, 11th (Wed, Thu, Fri,) – Stay in Banff
August 12, 13th (Sat, Sun) – Stay around Lake Louise
August 14, 15, 16, 17 (Mon, Tue, wed, Thu) – Stay in Jasper.
August 18, 19th – Spend with family in Calgary and fly back

I would deeply appreciate your help with the following questions:

1. Is the time/date/day distribution ok or should it be changed/improved?
2. What is "not to miss" in each stay segment?
3. Should we choose a hotel like Best Western Suites in Jasper or a home accommodation from AirBnB etc?
4. Is Mountaineer lodge a good option at LL or you suggest somewhere else for a family of 6?
5. I am willing to move things around as long as the general August 6-20 time frame is maintained.

Thank you so much!

JonahG
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 10:14 PM
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It will be interesting to travel to the mountain parks next year - it's Canada's sesquicentennial (150 years) and entrance to all national parks is free for all of 2017. Even this year there were crowds in the summertime, so much so that I think they had shuttles to transport tourists to Lake Louise (the actual lake, not the village). I expect that the crowds will be even bigger next summer.

There is accommodation in Lake Louise village, which is NOT next to the lake, and at Chateau Lake Louise, which IS by the lake.
Our favourite place to stay is actually a few miles away from Lake Louise (about a 10 minute drive on the Bow Valley Parkway) called Baker Creek Chalets (accommodation in cabins and in a lodge). You could actually stay at this one location for exploring both the Banff town area as well as Lake Louise, and even some of Yoho National Park.

By the way, Banff and Jasper are both in Alberta, not in BC (British Columbia), however, Yoho is in BC (west of Banff National Park).

Your family in Calgary most likely will be able to provide you with lots of personalized information about travel to the mountains.

Don't forget to include travel days in your itinerary. Jasper to Calgary is about a 5 hour drive, and since it is one of the most scenic drives anywhere, may take you longer as you stop to take in the views or to take photos etc.
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 09:26 AM
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1. Looks about right. Be aware that Monday August 7 is a holiday, and that weekend will likely be the busiest of the summer. Good idea to spend it with family - not a time you want to be making day trips to the mountains.

Also a good idea to do Jasper during the week - likely to be the hardest place to find accommodation. With 6 people, I would book as soon as you can. Be aware that due to regulations in the national parks forbidding rentals of whole flats/apartments/houses to non-locals, there are no true AirBnB rentals in the townsites. This includes Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise. Any legal places on AirBnB will be private home accommodations or hotels - and you're best booking those direct with the owners/operators. Given then very high demand for places, most places are unlikely to list on third party sites like AirBnB which charge a fee - and if they do, they're likely to charge a higher rate to cover the fee. Almost all private home accommodations (PHAs) will be listed at stayinjasper.com I suspect a PHA will make the most sense since you'd need at least two hotel rooms or a big suite for 6 people - and expect $250+ for a single hotel room for two people. But not all PHAs will be able house that many people - I'd start sending out inquiries now - some may not be taking bookings yet, but for four nights, you might find some that are willing to take a booking. Otherwise start very early in January. Other options, budget permitting, could be a place like Alpine Village, which has units that accommodate larger families.

4. Should be fine. I'd also look at Lake Louise Inn and Paradise Lodges. The latter is within walking distance of the lake, which could be key on the weekends when the parking will likely fill up before 9am. Deer Lodge is also within walking distance of the lake, but probably not going to work for a family of 6. Baker Creek Chalets are nice, but isolated - it will require a drive to get to any shops/markets or other dining options. Works for some, not for others.

As mentioned, you don't need to stay at Lake Louise - fine to commute from Banff. The only way staying in Lake Louise is likely to be an advantage is if you either stay within walking distance of the lake so you don't have to work about traffic issues (but still would to get to Moraine Lake) or it allows you to get an earlier start before traffic issues build up. To be honest though, I'd probably do Lake Louise and Moraine Lake during the week when crowds will be a bit less. By Wednesday the worst of the holiday weekend crowds should be away. Trying to do those areas on a weekend if you have any choice is not suggested.

Last summer was a bit of gong show in re getting to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. The issue has been that Parks Canada has continued to set a goal of increasing tourism to the parks every year without any real thought as to how to handle the increased numbers. And last year, the numbers exceeded what those roads could safely bare. There have been some rumblings about public transport to/from Banff and more shuttles, but the recent Parks Canada announcement doesn't make any promises - the only concrete plans so far are for attendants and suggestions of other places to visit (same as last year). http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...ffic-1.3853083
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 09:01 PM
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Thank you @Borealis. Baker Creek is already booked. Appreciate the tip about the free park entrance.

And thank you @kgsneds - Me staying with family on August 7th and choosing weekdays in Jasper didn't happen by luck; I just read your other posts carefully Good tips.

The thing is that we are really looking for a deep nature (yet comfortable)type of lodging in LL/Banff. The idea of a full parking lot in the morning really tempts me to cancel the whole thing I want to hike, walk, sit on the edge of the lake for hours, be lazy and not have to get stuck in traffic or do window shopping.

Q: Is there a central enough location around Banff/LL where we could just spend the first 5 days? Stay in one place and then drive around to Lakes and other sites? Looking for a place that can accommodate 6 people. Not a fan of two hotel rooms.

Appreciate all the help folks.
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Old Nov 17th, 2016, 11:04 AM
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Hmmm....

Baker Creek is booked? So you'd only need 3 more nights. Or were you considering cancelling Baker Creek?

The challenge is - because of strict regulations about development in the national parks - almost all accommodation is within one of the townsites, or just on the outskirts. Almost nothing that would qualify as being "deep nature" unless you are going to hike to a backcountry hut or stay in a rustic wilderness hostel.

Unfortunately, for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (or Emerald Lake) - there's not going to be any place you can sit for hours without having hundreds (thousands?) of other people around you. They will be really really busy.

The good news is that most folks never go far from the parking lots, so you can quickly escape the hustle & bustle by hiking up the trails. The most popular trails will be busier, but even at busy times, you can escape 95% of people by going on less hiked trail - i.e. head up the Big Beehive above Lake Agnes, or along the parkway, go farther into Wilcox Pass rather than on the first bit of the trail which is very popular.

For Banff and Lake Louise, there really aren't any other good options - the few lodges outside the townsites tend to be in locations that are either going to be really busy during daylight hours and/or add a lot of driving on to your day. Baker Creek might be the quietest as it's not on any major trail or tourist attraction, but it's a drive to Banff or other things to do.

Moraine Lake Lodge at Moraine Lake is pretty, but pricey (not sure about options for 6 people) and you'd be driving down that long (20-25 minutes) hill just to get anywhere else. And still have thousands of bus tourists there from dawn to dusk.

Emerald Lake Lodge is other option, but two rooms will be the only option for 6 people (possibly three rooms as I think the only allow three per room if the kids are under 18 or under 16). Still going to be very busy during the day. And I hesitate to suggest driving from over in BC because of the extensive construction on the TransCanada. Would be the same for Cathedral Mountain Lodge. Storm Mountain Lodge is down on 93S as I remember - more off the beaten path, but that's going to add driving time as well.

Canmore is another option - it's about 20 minutes east of Banff. Less touristy than Banff, but it would mean having to go through the park gates each day, and even with admission being free, it might still be a bottleneck on busy days(we're all assuming the gates will still be manned to count cars & hand out maps/info). Being outside the park, Canmore has a lot more options for condo style housing, though you have to make sure a rental is legal. And some very pretty trails right there in K Country.

In Banff, you could look for something in the Tunnel Mountain area which is a bit from the town centre, so quieter. Buffalo Mountain Lodge? Something like that might be a good compromise - there's good public transport in Banff, so you could avoid dealing with driving there, and if the transport from Banff materializes for next summer, you have the option not to deal with the car for other locales.

The other option I mentioned is Paradise Lodge/Cabins at Lake Louise - self catering but in cabins. Gets good reviews, and walking distance from the lake, but sounds like they are quite private and away from the noise of the lake.

I suppose another option could be the Castle Mountain Chalets(?) which are between Lake Louise and Banff. Very basic and you'd be looking at a drive to get anywhere, but they might suit.
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Old Nov 18th, 2016, 01:52 PM
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My bad. I meant that Baker Creek has no room and is full. We could not find lodging there. Same is true for Paradise lodge, Castle Mountain.

Are there any good options inside Banff? For a family of 6?
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Old Nov 18th, 2016, 04:26 PM
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@kgsneds Actually AirBnB has some good options in Canmore. I saw your comments about entrance gate delays...

But I am gravitating towards locking in Canmore. Anything we can do in our planning to make it work better? For example, explore more of the scenic beauty around Canmore or go to the park at certain off peak hours or stay in Mountaineer Lodge for a couple days for the lakes?
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