Banff National Park Sights

Performing Arts Sports and Activities

21. Bow Valley Parkway

Formerly known as Highway 1A, this scenic drive between Banff and Lake Louise leads to Hillsdale Meadows, Johnston Canyon, Castle Mountain, and Baker Creek. There are plenty of viewpoints and picnic sites along the way. In 2020 and 2021, Parks Canada closed portions of the road to most motor vehicles to improve the route for cyclists. Visitors should consult the Parks Canada website for the latest information on road closures. 

22. Brazeau Collieries Historic Mine Site

Guided tours of Brazeau Collieries Historic Mine Site offer a glimpse into an industrial coal mine operation and the lives of miners who worked and lived in this area. Two-hour guided tours are given of the mine, a Provincial and National Historic Resource, three times daily during the summer.

23. Brewster Attractions

24. Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

Founded in 1953, this museum is one of Alberta's oldest. Its goal is to educate visitors on First Nations' cultures. The museum displays Indigenous artifacts, hunting equipment, ornamental regalia, and arts and crafts. There's also a decorated teepee to explore.  

25. Canmore

About 25 km (15 miles) southeast of Banff, Canmore became a modest boomtown with the 1988 Olympic Games. Many of its residents feel that the commute to Calgary for work is a fair trade-off for living in the mountains. For tourists, Canmore makes a good base for exploring Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park.

26. Cascade of Time Garden

This four-acre park was built in the 1930s and showcases gardens terraced into a hillside, water features, pavilions, gazebos, and more. The park is behind the administration building, a short walk from downtown Banff. It blooms from late June to early September and is a great place for a picnic or a short escape from the busy downtown area.  

27. Cascade Ponds

This spot has picnic tables, a kitchen shelter, and flush toilets, and it's one of the only picnic areas with fire pits. There's also access to trails, swimming in the summer, and plenty of room for kids to run around. 

28. Castle Lookout Trail

Outstanding views of the mountains above the Bow River Valley are the highlight of this 3.7-km (2.3-mile) one-way trail that is somewhat steep. Moderate.

29. Castle Mountain

Castle Mountain, one of the most striking peaks between Banff and Jasper, got its name from Scottish geologist James Hector who thought the 11-kilometer (6.8-mile) long mountain resembled an ancient fortress with steep walls. When U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, visited Canada in 1949, Prime Minister Mackenzie King ordered the Geographical Board of Canada to officially change Castle Mountain to “Mount Eisenhower.” Eisenhower had been given a castle in Scotland and Canada would not be outdone. However, the Alberta government was not consulted or informed of the name change until afterward, causing such a controversy that in 1979, the name was changed back to Castle Mountain; a pinnacle on the southeastern side of the mountain was named Eisenhower Tower.

30. Columbia Icefield Skywalk

This fully accessible, cliff-edge walkway leads to a glass-floor observation platform 280 meters (918 feet) above the Sunwapta Valley. From this vantage point, you'll get a bird's-eye view of the surrounding ice-capped mountain peaks and deep glacier-carved valleys of the Canadian Rockies. A five-minute shuttle from the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre delivers you to the walkway. It's faster and less costly to book your Skywalk tickets in advance online.

31. Cory Pass Loop Trail

Although those who hike this 13-km (8-mile) trail are rewarded with awesome views, it's one of the park's most strenuous treks, requiring about six hours to complete, and so it's recommended only for experienced hikers who can trace a difficult route. The return trip loops around Mount Edith Clavell and descends the Edith Pass Trail. Difficult.

32. Crescent Falls

Crescent Falls is a 27-meter (89-foot) two-tiered waterfall that is beautiful in every season. The turnoff for Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation Area is 22 km (13.7 miles) west of Nordegg on Highway 11. The gravel access road is 6 km (3.7 miles) long and there's a lookout point partway along the road where you get great views of the Bighorn Gorge. There's also a 29-site campground near the falls.

33. Crowfoot Glacier and Crowfoot Mountain

About 34 km (21 miles) northwest of Lake Louise, the Crowfoot Glacier is one of the first glaciers you see on the Icefields Parkway. Situated on the northeastern side of Crowfoot Mountain, the glacier overlooks Bow Lake---if you stop at the Bow Lake pullout, you can see the glacier and mountain on the other side of the lake. Runoff from the glacier flows into the Bow River, which runs from Banff National Park to the City of Calgary and beyond to the prairies.

34. Discovery Trail and Marsh Trail

On a hillside above the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, this 0.8-km (½-mile) boardwalk takes you past the vent of the cave to a spring flowing out of the hillside. Interpretive signage explains the geology and history of the cave and basin. Follow the Marsh Trail to observe the birdlife and the lush vegetation fed by the mineral water. Along the boardwalk are telescopes, benches, and interpretive signage as well as a bird blind on the marsh itself. Wheelchairs have limited access to the boardwalk. Easy.

35. Fairmont Banff Springs

Banff's architectural showpiece and a National Historic Site, this hotel south of downtown is easily recognized by its castlelike exterior. Heritage Hall, a small museum above the Grand Lobby, has exhibits describing the hotel's history. On guided tours you can learn additional details about the local area, the hotel's grand opening in 1888, the 1920s fire that destroyed the original structure, subsequent construction, and the many illustrious guests who have stayed here.

36. Fenland Trail

It will take about an hour round-trip to walk the 2-km (1-mile) trail that slowly changes from marsh to dense forest. Watch for beavers, muskrat, and waterfowl. The trail is popular with joggers and cyclists. Easy.

37. Fireside

This area has picnic tables and toilets nearby.

38. Hoodoos Viewpoint

A scenic view of the rocky spires known as hoodoos can be seen from this viewpoint 3.2 km (2 miles) up Tunnel Mountain Road. If you want to get closer to the hoodoos, you can hike along the trail that leaves from the viewpoint. 

39. Johnson Lake

A family-friendly 3.1 km (1.9 mile) loop trail circles this lake passing some of the oldest Douglas fir trees in Alberta. The lake is in the montane zone of the park and is a good place to spot wildlife. There are lovely views of Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain and picnic tables if you want to linger. Because the lake is smaller and somewhat sheltered, it tends to have smoother water for paddling. 

40. Kananaskis Country

Three provincial parks make up the 4,200-square-km (1,600-square-mile) recreational region known as Kananaskis Country, whose northern entrance is 26 km (16 miles) southeast of Canmore. The area includes grand mountain scenery, and though it's not quite a match for that in the adjacent national parks, Kananaskis allows some activities the parks prohibit, including snowmobiling, motorized boating, and off-road driving. There are also spectacular cross-country and mountain-biking trails. The main route through Kananaskis Country is Highway 40, also known as the Kananaskis Trail. It runs north–south through the front ranges of the Rockies. Only the northern 40 km (25 miles) of the road remain open from December to mid-June, in part because of the extreme conditions of Highwood Pass (at 7,280 feet, the highest drivable pass in Canada), and in part to protect winter wildlife habitats in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Highway 40 continues south to join Highway 541 west of Longview. Access to East Kananaskis Country, a popular area for horseback trips, is on Highway 66, which heads west from the town of Priddis.