Banff National Park

Why Banff is special
Banff National Park in Canada has a stunningly beautiful landscape. It has snow-capped jagged mountains, impressive glaciers, evergreen forested mountain slopes, serene alpine meadows, surging streams, therapeutic hot springs, emerald-hued lakes, and scenic drives, all set in the Canadian Rockies.

Banff National Park also boasts interesting wildlife including grizzly and black bears plus wolves, cougars, coyotes, caribou elks, and bighorn sheep.

When to go
It's not mid-summer
Most people come from mid-June through August, which causes crowding, especially in Banff town (it's best to come on weekdays).

The finest overall time for your vacation trip is mid-May to Mid-June. Next is September.

Most picturesque locales
The top two are...
Lake Louise (see photo) and Lake Moraine. These lovely blue-green lakes have mountain backdrops.

Popular activities
Summer
Tourist pursuits include hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, boating and windshield sightseeing.

Winter
Banff National Park has several top-flight ski resorts. Other winter sports include cross-country skiing, snowboarding and ice skating.

More Banff tips and insights
Icefields Parkway drive
This several hour trip from Banff town to Jasper to the north has spectacular mountain scenery. There are pull-in overlooks along the way.

Tourism
Banff National Park is open 12 months a year and receives about 5 million visitors per year.

Temperatures
The average summer high temperature is around 24°C (80°F). Mid-winter average highs are just below or above the freezing point. Those temperatures are for Banff town in the valley. Temperatures noticeably drop as the elevation rises.

Altitude
The altitude of Banff town is 1383 meters (4537 feet). The tallest peak in the park is 3612 meters (11,850 feet).

Name
Banff was named for Banffshire in Scotland.

Getting there
The nearest major city is Calgary (in Alberta Province). It is 90 minutes away by auto on the modern Trans-Canada Highway.

Location in Canada