Banff Alberta Canada Travel

Hiked up Johnson Canyon where metal walkways are
anchored into the rock walls allowing you to hike up
narrow canyons

Banff, Alberta Canada (winter)

Visiting Banff in the winter is a completely different experience than summer, so I have separated the two. Banff is a winter playground full of activities to do on your own or with a guided group. The main city is easy to get around on foot. A car should be rented to get around to all the other possible sights...and there are a lot. Although skiing is the main attraction with several resorts in the area, we visited to see other sites and kept quite busy over an extended weekend.

Fairmont Banff Springs Resort

Banff Gondola Ride

Johnson Canyon

Lake Louise

Grotto Canyon Icewalk

Canada Olympic Park

"The Castle in the Rockies" is a luxury resort designed after a Scottish Baronial Castle. It sits in a stunning location and stands in contrast to the rugged mountain backdrop. You don't need to stay there to visit and tour the resort. Nearby are several trails to waterfalls along the Bow and Spray Rivers.

Only 5 minutes from town is the Banff Gondola Ride. This enclosed tram takes you up to Sulphur Mountain in 8 minutes where you get a spectacular view of Banff and 6 mountain ranges. Once on top, (elevation7,486) you can take an easy interpretive hike along the ridge to Sanson Peak. There you will find the Cosmic Ray historic meteorological station.

This trail goes into Johnson Canyon where waterfalls and rocky cliffs are the attraction. The first half mile or so is a paved trail (compact snow in winter). Then it gets more interesting as the canyon narrows and metal walkways bolted to the rock guide you though an otherwise difficult area. It's around 1.7 miles to the very end where ice climbers are usually present in the winter.

This is one of the most spectacular places on earth. If you are here during nice weather, you will be blown away by the massive and rugged nature of the mountains that are all around you. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake nearby are two of the most photographed lakes in the world. Right on Lake Louise is the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. This hotel is over 100 years old and has hosted kings, queens and dignitaries from around the world.

All the local tours go here but you can do it yourself for free. This is an amazing winter walk on a frozen creek that goes through a narrow rock canyon. Many bring traction devices for their boots but I believe we never put ours on. The trail starts off in the forest before you hit the rock formations and rock art.

Between Banff and Calgary is Canada Olympic Park. This was home to the Winter Olympics in 1988 and now is a training area as well as some public uses. If you are interested in seeing some ski jumping, bobsledding and luge, drop in. There is also a small museum of items from past athletes.