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Banff National Park
Banff National Park
In early September each year, I do a hiking trip. This year it is Banff. I know absolutely nothing but am hoping for any good advice from any of you who do. I can already tell that Banff has a lot of "upscale" lodges, fancy restaurants, and outdoor guided activities. That is not the experience I am seeking. I prefer accommodations that are more rustic and secluded; I want to be as close to nature as possible without actually having to sleep in a tent (I just can't go that far....). My only real criteria are a comfy bed and a bathtub so I can soak my tired muscles at night. I am also looking to plan 4 day hikes that will offer the most bang for the buck. I like to do 12-17 miles per day and elevation gains are okay. And I don't like group activities or anything involving a guide. Any recommends for accommodations, dining, or hikes that will give me lots of awesome scenery would be appreciated. Will be there September 4 - 10. Thanks!
My buddy Lynda says:
"We usually do not stay in Banff. It is very expensive and overrun with tourists (especially in the summer). We stay in Canmore at the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge. It is nice. Clean Rooms, hot tub and sauna and you can walk into town and to the Grizzly Paw Pub Brew Pub (really good place). Canmore is a short drive to Banff."
Have fun!
Cheers, RickG
"We usually do not stay in Banff. It is very expensive and overrun with tourists (especially in the summer). We stay in Canmore at the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge. It is nice. Clean Rooms, hot tub and sauna and you can walk into town and to the Grizzly Paw Pub Brew Pub (really good place). Canmore is a short drive to Banff."
Have fun!
Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
Hi Vicki - we went to Banff and Jasper a number of years ago. We stayed in a small, rustic cabin in both places. There was a bear wandering around near our cabin in Banff, so I was very happy to be in a cabin and not a tent! I don't recall the name of the cabins, but you can google for cabins in Banff. We had moose wandering through and eating the flowers in the hanging baskets. Also saw moose in town.
Banff was so gorgeous - breathtaking scenery everywhere. One memorable hike was up Johnston Canyon to a place called the inkpots. You hike along a rushing stream in a narrow canyon and it was spectacular. In some areas, its very narrow and there is a boardwalk along the cliff that you walk on. You get to a big open area with some pools of water called the inkpots. They are very cold and deep blue. Quite interesting to see. It was busy with lots of people the day we went.
We stopped in Canmore at a nice store to get groceries for our cabin before we entered the park - it was cheaper than inside the park. It looked like there were places to stay around there and not a far drive to the park.
We went the first week of Sept. I had asked the Canadians we spoke to when reserving the cabins about the weather. They assured me it was quite mild. Well...mild to a Canadian is a bit different than mild to this Virginia girl. I didn't take a heavy coat or gloves, but wish I had. The nights were quite nippy and sometimes cold during the day too. When we hiked at Lake Louis (beautiful place, but lots of people), my hands got so cold, I went into the gift shop and bought a very expensive pair of hand knit mittens (which was all they had).
Banff and Jasper are on our list to visit again.
Banff was so gorgeous - breathtaking scenery everywhere. One memorable hike was up Johnston Canyon to a place called the inkpots. You hike along a rushing stream in a narrow canyon and it was spectacular. In some areas, its very narrow and there is a boardwalk along the cliff that you walk on. You get to a big open area with some pools of water called the inkpots. They are very cold and deep blue. Quite interesting to see. It was busy with lots of people the day we went.
We stopped in Canmore at a nice store to get groceries for our cabin before we entered the park - it was cheaper than inside the park. It looked like there were places to stay around there and not a far drive to the park.
We went the first week of Sept. I had asked the Canadians we spoke to when reserving the cabins about the weather. They assured me it was quite mild. Well...mild to a Canadian is a bit different than mild to this Virginia girl. I didn't take a heavy coat or gloves, but wish I had. The nights were quite nippy and sometimes cold during the day too. When we hiked at Lake Louis (beautiful place, but lots of people), my hands got so cold, I went into the gift shop and bought a very expensive pair of hand knit mittens (which was all they had).
Banff and Jasper are on our list to visit again.
Hi Vicki
We did Banff several yrs ago in late August but our hiking was limited to the shorter 1-2 hr kind of loops you do from various points in the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake area in Banff and up in Jasper. There was a tea house up above Lake Louise that was very cool to hike up to - not a real long hike but pretty good elevation gain.
In addition to Canmore, you might find more of what you are looking for up in the Jasper/Maligne Lake area, which also has some pretty good white water rafting in rivers that feature that turquoise colored glacier melt water. Yes you do wear a wet suit and that first wave crashing over the bow of the raft and into the wet suit gives you quite the jolt.
The drive on Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper is one of the most spectacular in the world with stunning vistas around every curve. This is one of them. Photo of a pre-digital photo - getting scanner soon to digitize images like this.
Up in Jasper, there are lake boats on Maligne Lake that circumnavigate this large glacier fed lake and take you to this aptly named spot at the far end called Spirit Island. This is one of those special, almost transcendent kind of places where people tend to get just kind of quiet and soak in the beauty and vibe.
The Canadian Rockies was hands down the most beautiful mountain area I had ever seen (sorry Yosemite and Grand Tetons) UNTIL we went to Switzerland last May.
That said, how cast in stone is the decision to go to Banff? Because Switzerland is made exactly for the kind of thing you want to do, with world class networks of well maintained and well marked trails.
The cool thing about the Bernese Oberland part of the Alps in and around the spectacular Lauterbrunnen Valley is that you can take long ONE WAY day hikes, stopping at a mountain village for a lunch like this along the way, and then hooking up with some combination of train, bus, boat, cogwheel or lift in the vast, efficient Swiss transport network at the end of your hike to get you back to the place you are staying.
Maybe compare flights from your neck of the woods to Calgary vs Zurich or Geneva. September (like May) would be shoulder season in Switzerland between summer and skiing, and maybe Swiss flights could be had (with some effort) for near the $670 RT we paid. Swiss franc not nearly as bad as the Euro, and even the lower priced accommodations in Switzerland are well kept and spotlessly clean, great food can be had in local Co-ops, etc...yummm...Swiss chocolate, cheese, and beer...
Perhaps something to consider...PM me if so.
JMQ
We did Banff several yrs ago in late August but our hiking was limited to the shorter 1-2 hr kind of loops you do from various points in the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake area in Banff and up in Jasper. There was a tea house up above Lake Louise that was very cool to hike up to - not a real long hike but pretty good elevation gain.
In addition to Canmore, you might find more of what you are looking for up in the Jasper/Maligne Lake area, which also has some pretty good white water rafting in rivers that feature that turquoise colored glacier melt water. Yes you do wear a wet suit and that first wave crashing over the bow of the raft and into the wet suit gives you quite the jolt.
The drive on Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper is one of the most spectacular in the world with stunning vistas around every curve. This is one of them. Photo of a pre-digital photo - getting scanner soon to digitize images like this.
Up in Jasper, there are lake boats on Maligne Lake that circumnavigate this large glacier fed lake and take you to this aptly named spot at the far end called Spirit Island. This is one of those special, almost transcendent kind of places where people tend to get just kind of quiet and soak in the beauty and vibe.
The Canadian Rockies was hands down the most beautiful mountain area I had ever seen (sorry Yosemite and Grand Tetons) UNTIL we went to Switzerland last May.
That said, how cast in stone is the decision to go to Banff? Because Switzerland is made exactly for the kind of thing you want to do, with world class networks of well maintained and well marked trails.
The cool thing about the Bernese Oberland part of the Alps in and around the spectacular Lauterbrunnen Valley is that you can take long ONE WAY day hikes, stopping at a mountain village for a lunch like this along the way, and then hooking up with some combination of train, bus, boat, cogwheel or lift in the vast, efficient Swiss transport network at the end of your hike to get you back to the place you are staying.
Maybe compare flights from your neck of the woods to Calgary vs Zurich or Geneva. September (like May) would be shoulder season in Switzerland between summer and skiing, and maybe Swiss flights could be had (with some effort) for near the $670 RT we paid. Swiss franc not nearly as bad as the Euro, and even the lower priced accommodations in Switzerland are well kept and spotlessly clean, great food can be had in local Co-ops, etc...yummm...Swiss chocolate, cheese, and beer...
Perhaps something to consider...PM me if so.
JMQ
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
I've been to Banff twice, but probably can't be very helpful other than to say it's really spectacularly beautiful. I was there in the early 70s and went back in the mid-80s. Both times we were camping, backpacking, doing it on the cheap. It's likely that the town has been upscaled since I've been there. First time we stayed at a campground, next time we stayed at a hostel that was just past the Banff Springs Hotel (which is a truly beautiful old hotel). Both times we camped at Elk Lake, which is maybe 10-12 miles out of Banff, so not a day hike. It's really pristine wilderness (at least it was) and I still have vivid memories of being there. Another treat was soaking at Banff Hot Springs, which I remember s being not too far out of town.
Thanks guys for some helpful suggestions. B&J in VA, I didn't realize there were some cabins in the park. Thanks to your suggestion I found a nice cabin right about the middle of the park. Sadly, the price tag for this 500 sq. ft. cedar box is as much as a St. John villa, but it's the experience I was looking for, so I went for it! JMQ, already have airfare, so Switzerland will have to wait until next time...you have peaked my interest, though. And thanks for the Icefields Parkway tip. I would have missed that, but thanks to your stunning photo, I now plan to make the drive. Lex, the hot springs sounds like something my muscles would appreciate....I'll have to check that out.
Thanks everyone.
Thanks everyone.
Hey Vicki,
Here's some info from a friend of mine. She is a Canadian Rocky Mountains pro.
(Some of it may be a little repetitive, but what the hey!)
Look at lodging in Canmore and also at hostels in Banff and Lake Louise. She's going at high season, so hotel bargains may be difficult to find, but certainly there is plenty of more modest lodging available, especially in Canmore (which is 15 minutes from Banff).
Your friend MUST purchase "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies". We call it the bible, that's how much we have depended on it over the years. It covers all sorts of day and backpacking hiking trips in the area and is right on the money with recommendations. Trails in the Canadian Rockies are very well marked, so getting lost isn't possible. I often hike alone and always feel safe (well, at least from my fellow man. I do worry about bears sometimes...). She will have an amazing time, that's for sure!
The vast majority of tourists never go more than a kilometer off the TransCanada. Now if you want to hike Plain of Six Glaciers,than for sure you'll be dealing with oodles 'o folks (but hey, there's a reason why that's such a popular hike). I've hiked Plain of Six Glaciers multiple times, and as long as I start by 8am, I'm pretty much guaranteed of having the joint to myself until I begin the return trip. And that's probably the single most popular hike there.
Kananaskis Country is a bit more wild, but even there, trails can be very busy with Calgarians in for the day. The trail in Yoho is absolutely fabulous and also very popular - it's long, so you certainly won't be crowded by others, but make no mistake, they are there.
If solitary hikes are really your thing (and be careful with that - a twisted ankle is a much bigger deal if you are really alone out there), my advice is to start early, early, early - like be on the trail by no later than 8. And in my opinion, forget the bear bells. The bear won't even notice them and you'll drive yourself nuts with the constant ringing (think Santa's sleigh). Bear spray is great IF you can keep your cool and the wind is blowing in the right direction. Needless to say, I don't bother with bear spray. I would almost certainly end up spraying it on myself. Stay alert for bear signs - steaming scat being an obvious one! Make noise while on the trail - especially if I'm alone I will periodically shout out "Hey Bear!"
I have certainly seen plenty of evidence of bears, but have only had one bear encounter, and that was with a problem bear at Lake Moraine. Many people had encounters with this bear, so the next year, Parks Canada instituted new rules restricting hiking in that area, which is a slightly modified form remain in effect during the summer months even now.
Remember that there is reason why hiking in the Canadian Rockies is popular - it's FABULOUS. I can't stress enough how good the hiking is there - what fantastic views you get for not nearly the effort you'd have to put in elsewhere.
Here's some info from a friend of mine. She is a Canadian Rocky Mountains pro.
(Some of it may be a little repetitive, but what the hey!)
Look at lodging in Canmore and also at hostels in Banff and Lake Louise. She's going at high season, so hotel bargains may be difficult to find, but certainly there is plenty of more modest lodging available, especially in Canmore (which is 15 minutes from Banff).
Your friend MUST purchase "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies". We call it the bible, that's how much we have depended on it over the years. It covers all sorts of day and backpacking hiking trips in the area and is right on the money with recommendations. Trails in the Canadian Rockies are very well marked, so getting lost isn't possible. I often hike alone and always feel safe (well, at least from my fellow man. I do worry about bears sometimes...). She will have an amazing time, that's for sure!
The vast majority of tourists never go more than a kilometer off the TransCanada. Now if you want to hike Plain of Six Glaciers,than for sure you'll be dealing with oodles 'o folks (but hey, there's a reason why that's such a popular hike). I've hiked Plain of Six Glaciers multiple times, and as long as I start by 8am, I'm pretty much guaranteed of having the joint to myself until I begin the return trip. And that's probably the single most popular hike there.
Kananaskis Country is a bit more wild, but even there, trails can be very busy with Calgarians in for the day. The trail in Yoho is absolutely fabulous and also very popular - it's long, so you certainly won't be crowded by others, but make no mistake, they are there.
If solitary hikes are really your thing (and be careful with that - a twisted ankle is a much bigger deal if you are really alone out there), my advice is to start early, early, early - like be on the trail by no later than 8. And in my opinion, forget the bear bells. The bear won't even notice them and you'll drive yourself nuts with the constant ringing (think Santa's sleigh). Bear spray is great IF you can keep your cool and the wind is blowing in the right direction. Needless to say, I don't bother with bear spray. I would almost certainly end up spraying it on myself. Stay alert for bear signs - steaming scat being an obvious one! Make noise while on the trail - especially if I'm alone I will periodically shout out "Hey Bear!"
I have certainly seen plenty of evidence of bears, but have only had one bear encounter, and that was with a problem bear at Lake Moraine. Many people had encounters with this bear, so the next year, Parks Canada instituted new rules restricting hiking in that area, which is a slightly modified form remain in effect during the summer months even now.
Remember that there is reason why hiking in the Canadian Rockies is popular - it's FABULOUS. I can't stress enough how good the hiking is there - what fantastic views you get for not nearly the effort you'd have to put in elsewhere.
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stampede chuck
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:44 pm
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I don't usually check the Off Topic Forum, but just have to say something here. A couple of things about Banff in September ... it is starting to get pretty cool (especially at night) and there could be a fair bit of snow at elevation (but there might not be either). As far as the trails being crowded ... well that's all relative; I don't think you'll really have to worry about "crowds". The suggestions about Canmore are good, but you still have to pay to get into the park ($8.80/day or $61.80 for an annual pass - nothing in between and subject to increase after April 1). However, I see you've already booked something inside the park (mind if I ask where?). Emerald Lake Lodge is beautiful, but a little pricey (I think).
I'm not much of a hiker, but I'll check with a guy I work with to see if he has any recommendations. He and his wife have done a lot of hiking in the area and went into Mt Assiniboine a few years ago.
Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll TRY to help out. How do I know anything? I've lived in Calgary for the past 41 years ... just over an hour from Banff.
Hope the planning goes well and you have a great time visiting up here in the Great White North.
I'm not much of a hiker, but I'll check with a guy I work with to see if he has any recommendations. He and his wife have done a lot of hiking in the area and went into Mt Assiniboine a few years ago.
Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll TRY to help out. How do I know anything? I've lived in Calgary for the past 41 years ... just over an hour from Banff.
Hope the planning goes well and you have a great time visiting up here in the Great White North.
Collin
"Packin' up the bathing suits, gettin' out the cowboy boots. That's a sign we must be going home"
"Packin' up the bathing suits, gettin' out the cowboy boots. That's a sign we must be going home"