We're considering a vacation to Banff, specifically Lake Louise, next summer. One online guide noted that the area is very crowded. What have others thought? Is the area too overrun with people in the summer? To give you an idea of our taste, we've gone to Hawaii several times but have avoided Maui because it sounds too crowded and too commercialized (though we'll probably go there eventually just to see it).

Mike, when you say Banff, do you mean the Canadian national park, or the town of Banff which lies within the borders of the park?? The town itself is fairly crowded; that is one reason hotel-motel prices are high. But if you are thinking of the park as a whole, it is immense. You can find trails that are not heavily populated. Lake Louise, which is within Banff Park, is crowded. <BR>There is no polite way to put it. <BR>Even the trail that leads to the Plain of Six Glaciers on beyond Lake Louise itself toward the Victoria Glacier is crowded as mountain trails go. <BR>I find Banff townsite to be commercial, but that is what a town is -- stores and places where people live and visit. <BR>Lake Louise is a mecca for every tour company that drives a bus in that part of the world, so the whole area tends to be swarmed with people in the summer. <BR>In addition to the attraction of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake is beautiful also. So it draws hundreds of admirers as well. Because the two lakes are close together, most visitors see both. <BR>Even Yoho Park, just over the boundry between Alberta and British Columbia gets crowded, except for Lake O'Hara. <BR>Lake O'Hara is not crowded because you have to have a reservation to go there and the capacity is strictly limited. <BR>(You can walk 8 miles to the Lake one way if you wish, and 8 miles back. The number of walkers is not restricted. Not many people opt for the 16 mile round trip just to get to the lake shore.) <BR> <BR>But I would not let the crowds stop me. <BR>The drive from Banff to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway is beautiful. Jasper is crowded, too, but once again you can find uncrowded trails. I know of a couple of gorgeous spots that are relatively free of people. You just have to know where to look.

Bob, <BR> <BR>Thanks a lot for the input. We're considering the specific areas of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, the ice fields, etc. (the popular places!) I guess I'm not so worried about having complete solitude (I know that's impossible!) as I am about having to fight crowds just to get on trails and finding long lines everywhere I go. It sounds like July and August are busiest. Are June or September significantly better?

Hi Mike. I have been to the Yoho, Banff, Jasper area about 8 times now. <BR>Usually we go in late August or early September. (And don't forget Kootenay Park which is adjacent to Banff on the west. ) Yes, there are crowds of people, but I have not had to "fight" to get on trails. The worst crowds are around Lake Louise in the afternoon. <BR>The best time to photograph the lake is in the morning. If you show up before 9 AM, there will be fewer people. <BR>Also, I would not visit Lake Louise or Moraine Lake on a weekend because the attractions are so close to Calgary. <BR>There is a good hiking book by Brian Patton and Bart Robinson named the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide. You can find it at many places; I think I got mine at the bookstore in Lake Louise Village. But try Amazon or The Adventurous Traveler. You can use that book to plan your vacation. <BR>The Icefields Center is where you can ride the ice coach out onto the glacier if you like. I did it once, in 1987, but have not felt compelled to do it again. There are so many attractions, that you can find a spot or two where there are not big mobs. <BR> <BR>Our favorite activity for several years now has been to splurge and visit Twin Falls Chalet in Yoho National Park. <BR>The chalet is a mountain retreat without electricity. The owner is Fran Drummond of Calgary who is a great cook. From the chalet, there are several beautiful trails. My favorite hike in North America, south of the 54th parallel is the Whaleback Trail in Yoho. One can also hike to the chalet, or out, by taking the Iceline Trail, which skirts the edge of a retreating glacier, but overlooks that gorgeous glacial valley formed by the old Yoho Glacier many eons ago. <BR>Also, you will find that if you move soon, you can get a list of "parks approved" accommodations in Jasper. These tend to be rooms or small apartments in private homes. The cost is usually much, much less than a standard motel, but you still have good facilities. <BR> <BR>I think three nights in Jasper would be sufficient, but it could anchor a drive both north and south along the Icefields Parkway. There is so much to see and do along the Parkway, that one traverse is not sufficient, unless you are content just to ride by. I have to stop and walk to water falls and take a few trails. Athabasca Falls are near Jasper, and it is unfortunately a tour bus haven. But the falls are pretty and worth navigating your way among the people. If you take a float trip down the Athabasca, you will be alone except for the members of your boat party. <BR>If you are interested, I can engage in a longer dialog if you email me. The address listed is not a phony. <BR>

Thanks, Bob. That's all great information and should get me started. If I have more questions come up, I'll send you an email. Thanks again for the insight. <BR> <BR>Mike

Mike, I love the mountain parks but I always travel after Labour Day for the very reason you mentioned. Mid September at those elevations can be touch and go weather wise, but usually it is just above freezing with days in the 60s and little chance of real rain. To me that is perfect hiking weather. I have been there in August hiking up steep hills at 7,000 feet at 80 degrees is tough on my lowlander body. The crowds are litteraly half after Sep 7.

Depeding on what you want to do, June may be better than september. The trade-off is more or less the same as in most high country destinations. In these places it can snow anytime. I think some sort of significant snow usually falls sometime in september, althouth the days can still be very nice. In June, the high trail are likely to have a lot of snow still. We were in Banff late August 1999 and some of the high trails (sentinal pass in banff and trails in Jasper) still had some snow/slush cover at high points on the trail. If you are staying in hotels or an RV (versus a tent) and not considering more adventurous hikes, June or early September may be a nice alternative to peak summer.

Hi Mike - my family has gone to Banff every summer for the past several years. With the exception of Lake Louise, I don't think the crowds are unbearable. My very favorite place to go is Johnston's Canyon which is between Banff and Lake Louise. You can hike up Johnston's Canyon for about 6 miles or so. There are two stops - with spectacular waterfalls, and the highest stop has paint pots. There are cabin's for rent that overlook the falls. I've never stayed there but the cabins look very nice in the brochures. They do fill up quickly. There is also a campsite along the bottom of the canyon. Another great place to go that is quite close to Lake Louise is Emerald Lake. I think this lake is much nicer than Lake Louise and is not crowded at all. If you want to economize on lodging, Canmore is about 15 minutes from Banff and it is fairly reasonable. Between Canmore and Calgary (closer to Canmore) is a place called Dead Man's Flats. There is nothing in this little town, but there is a motel called the Green Gables that is decent and very reasonable. Also, outside of Jasper on the highway going towards Miette Hotsprings is a nice place called Pokahontas Bungalows. The pool is almost as warm as the hotsprings and the bungalows as well as the motel are quite nice and reasonable compared to Jasper. You would be about 20 minutes from Miette Hotsprings (which also has nice accomodations). Hope this helps.