In Canada’s oldest national park, glacier-carved mountains loom above turquoise lakes and crashing rivers. This is The Rockies at their finest, and one of Earth’s most astounding landscapes. Bring your camera and your sense of wonder.
Canada’s oldest national park is still its most dazzling. When three railway workers stumbled upon a natural hot spring in 1883 it catapulted this paradise of mountains, lakes, rivers and forests into the eternal international limelight. To this day, Banff National Park represents the astounding natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies.
If you’re wondering about the range of things to do in Banff National Park, then trust us: the opportunities are endless. The question should be, what can’t you do here? Hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, skiing, ice climbing, horse riding... the list is bigger than the jagged peaks that shoot into the sky.
The town of Banff and the small village of Lake Louise are the main urban areas, and ‘urban’ is a term used loosely in this wonderland of unbridled nature. There are golf courses and ski resorts, and plenty of amenities for visitors. Yet people don’t come for the facilities. They come to gaze in awe at the glacier-fed lakes, gargantuan caves, postcard-perfect mountains and 120-million-year-old rocks. This is nature at its most impressive, so prepare to be thoroughly bowled over.
When it comes to incredible sights and mind-blowing activities, you’re spoilt for choice in Banff National Park. The swirl of blues at the Cave and Basin National Historical Site – the spring from where the national park was born – are simply mesmerizing, while a boat cruise on Lake Minnewanka or a trip out to a glacier on a big-wheeled ice explorer truck will keep the whole family smiling ear to ear. For simple, back-to-nature enjoyment, set off to hike the countless trails and see where your adventures lead you.