Three Days in Banff National Park

Banff national park, established in 1885, is the oldest and biggest touristic national park of Canada. Do adjectives such as gorgeous, splendid, picturesque, vibrant, breathtaking, etc. give justice to the park?

I don't think so, this is a place that can’t be described in words.

Three years ago, when we moved to Canada, Banff National Park was on the top of the list to explore. Still, it took us three years to plan the dream trip. 

How to Reach

It takes approximately 1.5 hours drive to reach Banff town from Calgary. If you are heading from Jasper via Icefields Parkway towards Banff, it is approximately 3.5 hours drive not including the time spent exploring Icefields Parkway.

How Much Time to Spent

The first question that comes to everyone’s mind while planning is, how many days do I need to explore the areas? To get an answer, we started searching over the internet and reading some travel books. It got more and more confusing when someone recommends spending only a day, while some pushing to spend at least a week.

Truly speaking, it's debatable, you can explore the park in a day or spend weeks. It totally depends upon how you want to explore the park. Here are your options:

• ·         Drive-through the park in a few hours or
•       Canoe for hours in turquoise blue lakes
•       Explore the major viewpoints in a couple of days 
•       Go for hiking in the mountains for days,
•        Or relax in the resort surrounded by beautiful mountains and lakes

After a lot of research and trying to find a balance between exploring the viewpoints, hiking in the mountains and unwinding by the lakes. We decided to spend 4 nights in the Banff town. Banff is also a good base to explore Kootenay, Lake Louise, and Yoho National Park.

Where to Stay

There are many options to stay in the park. Either you can stay in one place and explore the park or divide your stay between Lake Louise, Banff and Field, close to Yoho National Park. Canmore, half an hour drive from Banff town, is also an option to stay if you are on a budget. We decided to stay in Banff town over Canmore for four days and explore the area. After exploring the area, we felt last day we should have stayed in Lake Louise. It would have saved us 45 minutes drive each way.

To find an accommodation do not restrict your search to booking, Expedia, Airbnb etc.  You can also look at www.banfflakelouise.com/accommodation it provides all types of accommodations in the area. If you are on a budget, you can also look http://www.banff-on-a-budget.com  these are some licensed local owner, who share their place with the tourist. You need to contact them through emails or give them a call. 

Entrance Fees

Unfortunately, admission to National Parks is not free. You are required to purchase tickets to explore them. As you will enter Jasper National Park you cross Park Gates you can buy your ticket here, or you will need to purchase at Visitor center.

Daily Price

	COST (In CAD)
Adult	9.80
Senior	8.30
Youth	Free
Family/Group	19.60
Commercial Group per person	8.30

Parks Canada Discovery Pass

	COST (In CAD)
Adult	67.70
Senior	57.90
Family/Group	136.40

Depending on your days of visit choose the best-suited pass for yourself. Discovery pass is good for one year and is valid at all National Parks in Canada.

Places to Explore

Day 1

We were heading from Jasper National Park to Banff National Park, so we decided to spend the day exploring the glamorous natural beauty of the Icefields Parkway. It was almost late in the evening by the time we reached our hotel in Banff Town so it was time to get some good food and relax to be ready for the action-packed next day.

Day 2

We started with exploring the Banff Town. I was amazed with how much the town itself has to offer. I can definitely say it was the most beautiful part of entire Rockies trip.

It was a cloudy morning so we started the day with Cave and Basin.

Cave and Basin

Recommended Time – ½ hour to 2 hours

(Entrance to Cave and Basin)

Its approximately 7 minutes drive from Banff Town. Its entrance is free if you have the discovery pass else you will have to shell out 3.90 CAD per adult. The discovery of natural thermal hot spring here was a key milestone, what we see today in the region. It also has a small informative museum to keep you occupied for some time.

(Close look at the hot spring cave)

To avoid the crowd either arrive early morning or late evening. A short walk through the well-paved tunnel leads you to the hot spring cave. As we approached towards the hot spring, the strong sulfur smell could be found in the air. It drove us to promptly explore the area and move ahead. The water of the cave is heated geothermally from the depth of several kilometers within the ground. It is the only place where Endangered Species of Banff Snail is found.

After exploring the cave, head towards the film presentation, walk through the displays or check the upper deck for the panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.

(Exhibition at upper deck)

There are a few hiking options to explore the area further. Here are the top two –

Marsh Loop Trail: It is a 2.8 km loop which requires at least 40 minutes of easy walk to complete the trail. It follows the Bow River offering views of Mount Norquay and the Bourgeau Range.

Sundance Canyon: It’s a 3 hour round trip of approximately 4 km of a moderate level hike. The trail will lead you to water filled canyon through the view of mountain panorama across the Bow River on the way.

Due to smoky and cloudy weather, we decided not to go hiking. If you do not head towards the trail, you can easily explore the area in 40 mins or less.

Cascade Gardens

Recommended Time: ½ hour to 2 hours

If you have young kids, this is a must go. With all the colors and ample space to run around, there is no better place to spend a nice afternoon in Banff. It’s a stroll among the blooming flowers with a backdrop of the Cascade Mountains. Great spot to escape the crowd of Banff. You can also pack some food and have a nice lunch here. Entry to the park is free.

(View of Cascade Garden)

(Blooming flowers in the garden)

(View from the garden)

Bow Falls

Recommended Time: ½ hour to 2 hours

It is approximately 4 minutes drive from Cascade Gardens and 850m walk from Fairmont. Easy access to falls makes it a popular and iconic destination among tourist.  The parking lot is just a minute walk from the falls. If you do not find parking here, additional parking is available just down the road.

(View of Bow Falls)

Head towards the falls and enjoy the rushing water with a mountain on the side and watch it turn into the river. On the right side, if you follow wooden stairs providing a fantabulous view of Bow Falls and eventually lets you walk along the Bow River through a lovely grove of trees.

(View from Bow Falls around the area)

I would definitely recommend to take the Bow Falls Trail, a 3 km long trail connecting the Bow falls to Banff Pedestrian Bridge. You will be walking beside the Bow river with a number of options on the way to sit down and enjoy the beauty of the river.

(View of the Pedestrian Bridge from Bow Falls Trail)

If you are really in a mood of a long walk, you can continue on the Fenland Trail that connects to the Vermilion lake. Though, keep in mind the trail is close to a 10 Km walk.

Banff Pedestrian Bridge

Recommended Time: 15-20 minutes

It is 1.2 km from Bow falls. Either you can follow the Fenland trail/ Bow Falls Trail which will walk you along the bow river to the bridge. Its 5-minute drive to the bridge. We choose to drive downtown and head to explore iconic axial views along the length of Banff Avenue toward the base of Cascade Mountain, and of the river and mountains in all directions. It’s a spot to stroll around in the evening.

(Breathtaking view from Pedestrian Bridge)

Banff Surprise Corner

Recommended Time: ½ hour

Its a 5-minute drive from the Pedestrian bridge. Surprise Corner is not well marked, google maps will help you in reaching the area. After reaching it is relatively easy to identify the spot. Park your car and head towards the wooden staircase. Viewpoint is a couple of minutes as you reach there to choose a spot and enjoy the view. We got a view of the Fairmont hotel and the mountains behind it.

(View of Fairmont from the Surprise Corner)

Banff Town

Recommended Time: ½ hour - 1 hour

It is a 5-minute drive from Surprise Corner. The town is spirited and goes lively in the evening. Park your car and stroll around the streets of the picturesque mountain town of National Park “Banff Town”. You will find yourself surrounded by rugged mountains in all the directions.  Streets of town are lined with top-class restaurants, bars, and shops as well as a vibrant range of art galleries and museums. Nothing could be better than taking a easy stroll in the town and grabbing a nice drink to finish the day.

(View of Banff town square)

(Streets of Banff Town) 

(Evenings are best time to view wildlife in the town)

Day 3:

Lake Minnewanka Drive

Recommended Time: 3 - 4 hour

We planned the day to start with the Lake Minnewanka area. Instead of driving to lake first, we planned to explore the famous driving loop of Lake Minnewanka. We spend almost an hour exploring. The driving loop is surrounded by mountains and beautiful turquoise lakes and it totally worth the drive. There are multiple viewpoints to explore on the way. Some must do’s are:

The first stop was Cascade Ponds. Park your car and head towards the pond. The lake has a picnic area, pick one and sit and enjoy the pond surrounded by mountains. You can walk around the pond as there is a trail surrounding the pond. There is also a small beach area for swimming. Water can be a bit chilly even in summers.

(View of Johnson Lake during a cloudy day where mountains are hiding behind clouds)

The second stop was Johnson Lake. Pull over your car and park to walk the road down to the lake. Alternatively, there is additional parking available down on the lakeside, follow the road heading down and park your car there. Head out and explore the beauty of the lake with mountains on the side, while walking around the lake or by canoeing. It also has a picnic area to spend some time.

(View of Two Jack Lake from the viewpoint)

The next stop was stunning Two Jack Lake. It has a viewpoint on the side of the road. It opens up a view of Rundle mountain on the turquoise lake.

(First view of Lake Minnewaanka)

(clouds giving way to sun and increasing the beauty of Lake)

After completing the loop, it was time to head towards the most awaited stop of the day, Lake Minnewanka. The lake is 21 kilometers (13 miles) long and 142 meters (466 feet) deep.  A beautiful spot, popular for picnicking, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, diving, and snowshoeing. The lake has multiple picnic spots and a cafeteria to enjoy. Scenic boat cruise to Devils gap leaves from the lake. The most famous hike is the Stewart Canyon which is 1.5 km one way. This low-elevation trail leads to a bridge spanning the smooth walls of Stewart Canyon, through which the Cascade River flows into Lake Minnewanka. We choose to walk around the lake to explore its beauty instead of Stewart Canyon.

Vermilion Lake

Recommended Time: ½ hour

(View of Vermilion Lake)

It is a 15-minute drive from Lake Minnewanka. It’s a series of lakes located immediately west of Banff. Three lakes are formed in the Bow River Valley at the foot of Mt. Rundle known as Vermilion Lake. The area is never too crowded, making it a perfect spot for photography. There is a hiking trail right by the loop, and of course, you can hike between the lakes. Considering the beauty of Banff and the surrounding areas, Vermilion lake may not meet the same expectations.

BOW VALLEY PARKWAY

This 50 km scenic route runs parallel to the Trans-Canada highway, offering a great alternative to drive to Lake Louise from Banff. The best time to explore the parkway is either early morning or late in the evening and if you get lucky, you may spot some wildlife along the roadside.

Johnston Canyon

Recommended Time: 3 - 4 hours

(Entrance to Johnston Canyon)

Johnston Canyon is definitely the biggest highlight of Bow Valley Parkway. Its half an hour drive from Vermilion Lake. It has a gorgeous trail along the canyon and a must do. Allow yourself 2-3 hours to complete the trail. The trail-head is located just east of Castle Junction on the Bow Valley Parkway. From there, hike 2.4 km (one-way) to the upper falls or 1.2 km (one-way) to the lower falls.

(Lets head towards the hike)

The hike starts out on a wide and well maintained paved pathway which follows alongside the deep and gorgeous canyon, with water flowing through it and a number of small waterfalls align the way. As soon as we begun our hike, we spotted a baby bear sleeping in the valley. Incredible, isn’t it. Within fraction of seconds the trail was blocked as everyone was trying to get a glimpse of the bear.

                

If it was upto my husband, he would have spent the whole evening there. But, I had other plans. So finally, I had to kick him to head towards the lower falls. Lower fall is more crowded compared to the upper falls. The view of the falls from viewing deck was beautiful.

 View Of Fall

As you will head for the Upper falls the trail becomes a bit steeper and you will be walking on the trail between the forest. If you want to avoid crowds go early morning or late evening. So, is it worth making the extra effort to walk till the upper falls?

(Another view of the fall)

Definitely!

If you have come all the way to Johnston canyon, you should definitely come up to here. The fall is taller and with less crowd you can definitely enjoy a moment of quiet here.

By this time, you will be tired. So it’s the time to head back and relax.

Bow valley Parkway has multiple viewpoints where you can pull over to see amazing views of Mountains. One of my favorite lookout point was castle lookout. It gives a stunning view of castle mountain. Perfect way to end the day.

Day 4:

Finally, its time to explore the biggest highlight of Banff National Park. Yes, none other than lake Louise. Please wait for my next blog on lake Louise.