Banff/Jasper - best time to go?
Dec 28th, 2015, 07:29 AM
#1
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Banff/Jasper - best time to go?
I would like to take my husband to Banff/Jasper this summer for his 50th birthday. We are from MN and would fly into Calgary and rent a car. We would like to stay at a vacation rental and not opposed to moving around. We would be able to spend 4-5 days there. One of the posts I read said July is the end of tourist season and you might see snow.
When is the best weather in that area?
When is the best 'slow' time with good weather to avoid the main touristy season?
We love to hike and would do that most of the time. Where is the best place to stay to do that but still have access to a variety of scenery (Jasper, Icefields Parkway, Banff, Lake Louise and all the other beautiful lakes) and still have access to some local good food and drink?
Suggestions for food and drink that are NOT chains and where the locals go are welcomed too.
Thank you for your help!
When is the best weather in that area?
When is the best 'slow' time with good weather to avoid the main touristy season?
We love to hike and would do that most of the time. Where is the best place to stay to do that but still have access to a variety of scenery (Jasper, Icefields Parkway, Banff, Lake Louise and all the other beautiful lakes) and still have access to some local good food and drink?
Suggestions for food and drink that are NOT chains and where the locals go are welcomed too.
Thank you for your help!
Dec 28th, 2015, 09:04 AM
#2
My favorite way to get to Jasper is on the ViaRail Canadian.
If you can get to Winnipeg from MN take the train which leaves at 11:45AM 3 days a week to Jasper. Coach seats are less than half what a sleeper costs. The time on the train is about 26 hours.
There are several car rental places within walking distance of the train station and there is a Brewster tour bus desk in the east half of the train station.
The Winnipeg station is at the "Forks" which is a historic spot.
If you can get to Winnipeg from MN take the train which leaves at 11:45AM 3 days a week to Jasper. Coach seats are less than half what a sleeper costs. The time on the train is about 26 hours.
There are several car rental places within walking distance of the train station and there is a Brewster tour bus desk in the east half of the train station.
The Winnipeg station is at the "Forks" which is a historic spot.
Dec 28th, 2015, 10:33 AM
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As to July - that is the warmest month there, and would be high season with lots of tourists. In my experience, it doesn't really slow down until October. My favorite time is September, when the leaves are changing.
Dec 28th, 2015, 10:42 AM
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For just 4-5 days, I'd likely stay in the town of Banff itself. You could also stay in Lake Louise, which is about 45 minutes from Banff. More affordable would be Canmore, on the east side outside the park. Do note that July 1 is a big Canadian holiday (Canada Day), and things will be pretty filled up.
Have you already checked out some of the threads on this forum? There is a lot of information there for you. The Parks Canada site is also very helpful for me: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/ban...o-weather.aspx
Have you already checked out some of the threads on this forum? There is a lot of information there for you. The Parks Canada site is also very helpful for me: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/ban...o-weather.aspx
Dec 28th, 2015, 10:28 PM
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I have been there over a dozen times( over my lifetime) its a beautiful area, and all except one visit was july or august( did one ski trip there)...
Sorry we prefer half decent weather for hiking, and it can snow in many places after sept...so for us its summer visits.
I have never noted any difference in crowds between july or august,,,and frankly crowds have never been an issue anyways,theres lots of room for everyone.
Take the easy hike around Lake Louise( take water, that tearoom is not always open)...visit Emerald Lake..and the Banff Hotsprings( yes a bit touristy but still worth it) .
As for where locals eat,,,,ha good luck, most locals cant afford to eat out much,restaurants in towns and resorts pricey, just look at cheaper places , thats where locals will be..lol
Sorry we prefer half decent weather for hiking, and it can snow in many places after sept...so for us its summer visits.
I have never noted any difference in crowds between july or august,,,and frankly crowds have never been an issue anyways,theres lots of room for everyone.
Take the easy hike around Lake Louise( take water, that tearoom is not always open)...visit Emerald Lake..and the Banff Hotsprings( yes a bit touristy but still worth it) .
As for where locals eat,,,,ha good luck, most locals cant afford to eat out much,restaurants in towns and resorts pricey, just look at cheaper places , thats where locals will be..lol
Dec 29th, 2015, 10:44 AM
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Welcome
Peak season generally runs late May through early October; July and August are the busiest months. Snow is possible any month of the year, though pretty unlikely where you'd be in June-September.
If you want to hike and avoid the busiest months, the best time is in September after Labour Day. The biggest crowds are gone, the weather is generally quite nice and all the trails are passable. June can be iffy for hiking at higher elevations and some seasonal roads don't re-open until mid or even late June.
Either way, I'd try to avoid holiday weekends - in 2016 those will be Labour Day Weekend, July 1-3 and Aug 6-8.
With 4-5 days, you could certainly do a quick trip up to Jasper. The road between Lake Louise and Jasper - the Icefields Parkway - is the crown jewel of the Canadian Rockies, and well worth driving twice. Jasper also has lovely hiking.
If you don't want to drive all the way to Jasper, it's worth driving at least half way along the parkway and back to see the mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. Some beautiful hikes are along the parkway - Bow Glacier Falls, Parker's Ridge and Wilcox Pass, among others.
As to accommodations... there are no vacation rentals in Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper. Parks regulations prohibit private rentals to non-residents, so the only options are hotels, hostels or B&B style accommodation. There are some hotels that often self-catering/condo style housing. If you want to rent a condo, you'd need to stay in Canmore, which is outside the national park and has a range of condo rentals. Viable options will depend on your budget.
Banff vs. Lake Louise is a personal thing. Often people who are focused on hiking tend to stay in Lake Louise for easy access to the trails, but there are very limited accommodation and food options there, and only a handful of stores. Most of the accommodations are down in the 'village', which is a good 4km from the lake itself.
Banff offers a much wider range of accommodations, restaurants, shops and activities. It's a better choice for those who want options, and be able to walk around a town in the evenings. Most places are easily walkable and there's public transport within the townsite.
Locals certainly eat out too ;o) There are no chain restaurants in Lake Louise - there are a handful of restaurants, all but two of which are associated with hotels. For inexpensive meal, Bill Petyo's at the hostel or the Outpost Pub at the Post Hotel are good options. Laggans, a bakery in the tiny "mall" has great baked goods, plus breakfast & lunch items.
I rarely eat in Banff, but can suggest the St. James Gate for good solid pub food. The Three Ravens Restaurant at the Banff Centre gets excellent reviews. In Canmore, the Iron Goat, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, CommuniTea Cafe, the Georgetown Pub. Thai It Up and Murrietas are all good. Both of the Beamers are good places for coffee, tea & baked goods, though locals are as likely to head for Starbucks or Tim Hortons.
Agree about Banff Hot Springs. Best time to visit is later in the evening - it's open as late as 11pm on the weekends. Much less crowded, and more enjoyable in the cool of evening.
At Lake Louise, always take plenty of water hiking. Even if the teahouses are open, there's no free water there because they don't have running water. All their water is pumped from the lake (Lake Agnes)/stream (Plain of Six Glaciers) and boiled. So simply not feasible to provide water to everyone other than in purchase tea/coffee. You can buy bottled water or drinks, at least at Plain of Six Glaciers.
Peak season generally runs late May through early October; July and August are the busiest months. Snow is possible any month of the year, though pretty unlikely where you'd be in June-September.
If you want to hike and avoid the busiest months, the best time is in September after Labour Day. The biggest crowds are gone, the weather is generally quite nice and all the trails are passable. June can be iffy for hiking at higher elevations and some seasonal roads don't re-open until mid or even late June.
Either way, I'd try to avoid holiday weekends - in 2016 those will be Labour Day Weekend, July 1-3 and Aug 6-8.
With 4-5 days, you could certainly do a quick trip up to Jasper. The road between Lake Louise and Jasper - the Icefields Parkway - is the crown jewel of the Canadian Rockies, and well worth driving twice. Jasper also has lovely hiking.
If you don't want to drive all the way to Jasper, it's worth driving at least half way along the parkway and back to see the mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. Some beautiful hikes are along the parkway - Bow Glacier Falls, Parker's Ridge and Wilcox Pass, among others.
As to accommodations... there are no vacation rentals in Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper. Parks regulations prohibit private rentals to non-residents, so the only options are hotels, hostels or B&B style accommodation. There are some hotels that often self-catering/condo style housing. If you want to rent a condo, you'd need to stay in Canmore, which is outside the national park and has a range of condo rentals. Viable options will depend on your budget.
Banff vs. Lake Louise is a personal thing. Often people who are focused on hiking tend to stay in Lake Louise for easy access to the trails, but there are very limited accommodation and food options there, and only a handful of stores. Most of the accommodations are down in the 'village', which is a good 4km from the lake itself.
Banff offers a much wider range of accommodations, restaurants, shops and activities. It's a better choice for those who want options, and be able to walk around a town in the evenings. Most places are easily walkable and there's public transport within the townsite.
Locals certainly eat out too ;o) There are no chain restaurants in Lake Louise - there are a handful of restaurants, all but two of which are associated with hotels. For inexpensive meal, Bill Petyo's at the hostel or the Outpost Pub at the Post Hotel are good options. Laggans, a bakery in the tiny "mall" has great baked goods, plus breakfast & lunch items.
I rarely eat in Banff, but can suggest the St. James Gate for good solid pub food. The Three Ravens Restaurant at the Banff Centre gets excellent reviews. In Canmore, the Iron Goat, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, CommuniTea Cafe, the Georgetown Pub. Thai It Up and Murrietas are all good. Both of the Beamers are good places for coffee, tea & baked goods, though locals are as likely to head for Starbucks or Tim Hortons.
Agree about Banff Hot Springs. Best time to visit is later in the evening - it's open as late as 11pm on the weekends. Much less crowded, and more enjoyable in the cool of evening.
At Lake Louise, always take plenty of water hiking. Even if the teahouses are open, there's no free water there because they don't have running water. All their water is pumped from the lake (Lake Agnes)/stream (Plain of Six Glaciers) and boiled. So simply not feasible to provide water to everyone other than in purchase tea/coffee. You can buy bottled water or drinks, at least at Plain of Six Glaciers.
Jan 14th, 2016, 01:12 PM
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Kgsneds pretty much hit the nail on the head with the advice and recommendations.
Although theoretically snow can happen any time of the year, it is unlikely, and if there are a few flurries, those would be limited to the high elevations (well above the tree line). You will notice those if there are clouds at the tops of the peaks, when they move away, they leave a layer of white, even when it is quite warm in the valleys.
July and August can be anything from cool (if it is raining), to warm, to quite hot, especially in the valleys where Banff and Jasper are located. Note that Lake Louise is usually a bit cooler than Banff because it is at a higher elevation.
Even June and September can be hot, especially the end of June (when the days are almost 17 hours long!!) and there is usually plenty of sunshine.
One of our hottest stays in Jasper (and we normally travel to Banff/Jasper several times each year) was the last week of June a few years ago when the daily highs hit 32C (90F).
Important to dress in layers, especially if going on hikes that gain a lot of elevation, where you might encounter wind and cooler temperatures.
There are home accommodation rentals in Jasper - here's a website that you can check out.
http://www.stayinjasper.com/
As for food, Banff and Jasper are tourist destinations with a lot of choice when it comes to dining, everything from pubs to fast food to coffee shops to fine dining. Your biggest problem will be deciding where to go to eat!!
If you are in Banff over a Sunday, try the buffet brunch at Banff Springs Hotel (need a reservation if I remember correctly - my husband is usually in charge of that
!!)
In Jasper, The Raven Bistro is excellent (definitely need reservations there).
Have fun!!!
Although theoretically snow can happen any time of the year, it is unlikely, and if there are a few flurries, those would be limited to the high elevations (well above the tree line). You will notice those if there are clouds at the tops of the peaks, when they move away, they leave a layer of white, even when it is quite warm in the valleys.
July and August can be anything from cool (if it is raining), to warm, to quite hot, especially in the valleys where Banff and Jasper are located. Note that Lake Louise is usually a bit cooler than Banff because it is at a higher elevation.
Even June and September can be hot, especially the end of June (when the days are almost 17 hours long!!) and there is usually plenty of sunshine.
One of our hottest stays in Jasper (and we normally travel to Banff/Jasper several times each year) was the last week of June a few years ago when the daily highs hit 32C (90F).
Important to dress in layers, especially if going on hikes that gain a lot of elevation, where you might encounter wind and cooler temperatures.
There are home accommodation rentals in Jasper - here's a website that you can check out.
http://www.stayinjasper.com/
As for food, Banff and Jasper are tourist destinations with a lot of choice when it comes to dining, everything from pubs to fast food to coffee shops to fine dining. Your biggest problem will be deciding where to go to eat!!
If you are in Banff over a Sunday, try the buffet brunch at Banff Springs Hotel (need a reservation if I remember correctly - my husband is usually in charge of that
!!)In Jasper, The Raven Bistro is excellent (definitely need reservations there).
Have fun!!!
Jan 14th, 2016, 04:42 PM
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For Jasper, they are private home accommodations, not rentals per se. You can't rent a whole house or apartment - it would be a room or suite within someone's house. They are operated like B&Bs, though few serve breakfast and none serve hot breakfasts.
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