CarlPost2

Hi all,

We are visiting the Rockies in mid-August and wanted some suggestions on splitting our stay in Banff and Jasper.

We reach Calgary at midnight on the 11th and will be spending the night there and we fly back from Calgary on the 18th early morning, so will spend the night of the 17th there. Any suggestions on how to split the other 5 nights ?

Aug 11th night - Calgary
Aug 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 - ???
Aug 17th night - Calgary

We are a couple with an infant (he'll be 6-7months in August), so dont want too hectic a trip. I am undecided between spending 3nightsBanff\2nightsJasper and spending 2nightsBanff\3nightsJasper. Any suggestions ? What area has more to do and thus dictates that we spend more time there ?

Thanks in advance all ! ;-)

Borealis

Since you are travelling with a baby, I would suggest driving all the way to Jasper from Calgary (about 5 hours with a few brief stops) on the first day, spend two nights in Jasper, then drive back to Banff/Lake Louise for the rest of your stay.
Banff to Calgary is just over one hour driving, so you could spend most of the 17th still in the mountains.

patenik2

Well, I never been to canadian rockies but here is what my plan after doing some extensive research.

I am planning to go to banff/jasper in last week of August.

Overview

Over all ? 7nights/8days
5 nights at Banff, 2 nights at Jasper
2 days at Banff, 1 day at Lake Louise, 1 day at Moraine Lake, 1 day at Yoho / Kooteney, 1 day at Ice Field Parkway, 2 days at Jasper, = 8 days

Details

**** Saturday Morning ? Drive calgary to banff ******

Day 1 ? Saturday - Banff National Park (Banff) ? Drive to Banff ? Check in Hotel at banff

Activity in Banff Town Area
Visit Banff Visitor Centre for brochure, maps and trails information.
Banff Springs Hotel
Bow Falls at Bow River
Vermilion Lakes Drive
Tunnel Mountain Drive

Day 2 ? Sunday - Banff National Park (Banff) ? Stay at Banff

Lake Minnewanka Drive - Banff to Lake Minnewanka
Optional - Cascade Ponds
Optional - Lower and Upper Bankhead ? Demolished Gold Rush Mining Town.
Lake Minnewanka and Boat Tours ? 90 Minute Cruise to the Devil?s Gap
Optional - Lake Minnewanka - Johnson Lake Hike (1.86 miles/45 minutes roundtrip)

Activity in Banff Town Area
Sulphur Mountain ? Hike or Gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain
Upper Hot Springs Pool


Day 3 ? Monday - Banff National Park (Lake Louise) - Stay at Banff

Lake Louise and Hiking Lake Louise Area
Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise
Louise LakeShore Hike and Fairview Lookout (2.4 miles/1 hour roundtrip)
Gondola ride to the top of Mount Whitehorn
Lake Anges Teahouse Hike (4.4 miles/3 hours roundtrip) - Lake Anges, Mirror Lake, Beehive Mountains
Optional - Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse Hike (8.4 miles/4 hours roundtrip) - Victoria Glacier

Bow Valley Parkway (32 miles one way)? Lake Louise to Banff
Johnston Canyon Hike ? lower falls (1.4 miles/1 hours roundtrip), upper falls (3.5 mile/2.5 hours roundtrip), and Optional - Ink Pots (7.2 miles/5 hours roundtrip)
Castle Mountain, and Storm Mountain Viewpoint


Day 4 ? Tuesday - Banff National Park (Moraine Lake) - Stay at Banff

Moraine Lake and Hiking Moraine Lake Area
Moraine Lake and Moraine Lake Lodge
Moraine Lake Shore Hike (1.4 miles/40 minutes roundtrip)
Moraine Lake-Consolation lakes Hike (3.6 miles/2 hours roundtrip)
Optional - Moraine Lake-Eiffel Lake Hike (7 miles/4 hours roundtrip)
Optional - Moraine Lake-Larch Valley-Sentinel Pass Hike (5.6 miles / 6 hours roundtrip)

Day 5 ? Wednesday - Yoho National Park and Kooteney National Park - Stay at Banff

Yoho National Park
Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint
Yoho Valley Road - Takakkaw Falls
Emerald Lake and Emerald Lake Lodge
Emerald Lake Loop (3.2 miles round trip ? 1.5 hours)
Emerald Lake-Hamilton Falls Hike (0.5 miles one way ? 40 minutes)
Optional - Lake O?Hara Bus tours

Kooteney National Park
Marble Canyon Hike (0.6 mile one way ? 30 minutes roundtrip)
Paint Pots Hike (1km trail ? 20 minutes one way)
Radium Hot Springs

Day 6 ? Thursday - Ice Fields Parkway ? Lake Louise to Jasper. ? Check in Hotel at Jasper

In Banff National Park
Hector Lake Viewpoint
Crowfoot Glacier
Bow Lake and Bow Glacier Falls Hike (2.1 miles on way ? 1 hour one way)
Bow Summit and Peyto Lake Lookout Hike (0.9 mile one way ? 30 minutes one way)

In Jasper National Park
Snocoach ride on the Athabasca Glacier, Columbia Icefield
Sunwapta Falls
Athabasca Falls

Day 7? Friday - Jasper National Park ? Jasper Town Areas ? Stay at Jasper
Jasper Sky Tram - Tramway ride up Whistlers Mountain
Drive to Mount Edith Cavell and hike to the Angel Glacier.
Patricia and Pyramid Lake Drives
Optional ? Mt.Robson Provisional Park

Day 8 ? Saturday - Jasper National Park ? Drive to Calgary
Maligne Lake Road - Maligne Canyon, Medicine Lake, Boat ride to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake
Miette Hot Springs Road ? Punchbowl Falls Hike (0.6 miles), Miette Hot Springs

*** Saturday afternoon - Drive back to calgary ****

patenik2

I am not sure why there is question mark in my message. Just ignore it. It means blank.

ltt

i'd go with what borealis suggested. get the long drive out of the way and relax the rest of the trip. leave calgary early in the morning the first day so you can spend most of it in jasper.

atilla

CarlPost2:
I agree with Borealis' assessment completely, Jasper first for 2 nights then drive to Banff for remainder and back to Calgary.

Patenik:
Looks like you have really done alot of research. I live in Alberta and still haven't seen all the things you have listed. Shame on me! I think you will have a fabulous time although your itinerary looks a little heavy to me. You will have to let us know how it goes.

Judy_in_Calgary

CarlPost2, I've never recommended the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel to anyone before. It's a decent hotel, but it takes advantage of its convenient location right in the airport, and charges higher rates than equivalent hotels that are not in the airport.

However, in your case, if you're arriving in Calgary with a baby at midnight, I would say that Delta Airport Hotel would look awfully tempting to me.

I always find it tough to find my way around a new city in the dark. If you were staying at another property, you would either have to drive there in the dark, or you would have to catch a cab there and then catch a cab or hotel shuttle back to the airport in the morning to take delivery of a rental car.

If you stayed in the Delta Airport Hotel the night of the 11th, you could walk a few steps to the airport's rental car pick up area on the morning of the 12th, take delivery of your rental car, and be on your way to the mountains in minutes.

I just did a search for a room at the Delta Calgary Airport, coming in on August 11th and going out on August 12th. The cheapest thing I could find was a room with 2 double beds and a fridge for C$179.00, i.e., US$130. Although it's not cheap, I think it would save you a good deal of aggravation.

If you find other Calgary hotels that have "Airport" in their names, don't for one second think they're actually in the airport complex. All it means is that they're in the same quadrant of the city as the airport is in, i.e., the north-east. The Delta property is the only one that's in the airport complex.

Depending on the time of your departure on the 18th, the same temptation may apply. For international flights, including those destined for the U.S., you have to check in 2 hours ahead of your flight.

ronkala

Patenik, What a great sounding itinerary. My Alberta map came today so your post will be a great help in planning next years trip.

Judy_in_Calgary

Patenik2, Lake O'Hara is a really neat spot. However, it's only worth going there if you do so for several hours, in my opinion. If you go to Lake O'Hara, you'll have to make some choices. At a minimum, you would need to skip Radium Hot Springs, I would think.

According to the Alpine Club of Canada's website, the summer departure schedule for buses TO Lake O'Hara is 8.30 am, 10.30 am, 3.30 pm, and 5.30 pm.

The return trip on the bus costs C$15 per person.

http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/ohara.html

Call Parks Canada at 250-343-6433 if you want to book a spot on the Lake O'Hara bus for day hiking.

Lake O'Hara Lodge sells topographic maps, which are invaluable (I would say essential) for hiking in the area.