I'm visiting this month for the first time. Staying at Rim Rock for 5 nights.

-We are coming to both enjoy the sights and have a relaxing trip, enjoy some nice dining. A medium/long hike or two is definitely in the cards, location of hike is TBD. What would be the best hike we couldn't miss? Second best?

-I priced out a shuttle to/from the airport. A car rental seems to be marginally less expensive - but that doesn't include gas and/or parking fees we might incur. Putting cost aside - is a car recommended?

-What are maybe the top 3 must do things with a 5 day trip?

Thanks for the input!

hi everyone! my husband and i will be visiting banff this week and are looking for somewhere to have a nice dinner for our anniversary.

for some context, we are 25f and 30m and are pretty adventurous with trying new dishes and cuisines. our favourite place we've ever eaten as a couple was in a small town on vancouver island, a restaurant in a renovated old house with amazing, creative food, but really intimate and not fussy feeling. we've never been to banff before and i know there's a lot that caters to really wealthy tourists, so i'm not sure if a similar vibe would exist 😅 we're not staying in the park so would be open to suggestions up to about 1hr drive away as well. thank you in advance!!

Hi All, please give me honest opinions. I am thinking of doing a single-day trip and back from Canmore to Jasper to see Lake Maligne, Columbia Icefield Adventures, Athabasca & Sunwapta Falls. Is this feasible and doable? Will be doing this with my spouse and 2 kids, ages 8 and 11.

If yes how early would you plan on leaving and by what time do you all expect to be back to Canmore?

Please note the other attactions Bow Lake and Peyto lake we are keeping for another day because the current weather forecast shows cloudy and would want to see the lakes on a better sunny day.

This is my thoughts on what we would do each day. Let me know what else I should add or if I have enough and all the must dos.

Day 1 (This Thursday woohoo!): wake up in Calgary. Head to banff in early afternoon. Johnston canyon hike. Dinner in banff. Hot springs. Drive to air bnb in golden.

Day 2: Yoho national park. Natural bridge. Takakkaw falls. Emerald lake. Anything else?

Day 3: Ice fields parkway: stop at every lake up until the glacier viewpoint and glacier road then back to golden?

Day 4: drive back to banff for roam shuttle res to lake Louise and moraine lake. Dinner in banff then back to Calgary

Do I need to find time to go see like Roger’s pass and to drive up Mount revelstoke? Any cool mountains we can drive up then hike around closer?

I have been planning on camping from sept 3 to 5th, following this subs advice of watching the weather report only close to the actual dates. It is now only 2 days away and this is what the report from environment canada looks like. Cancel?

For context, this would be my first ever camping experience

Tips for others: [e.g., Go early! The parking lot fills up fast. Bring a jacket because it's cold in the morning.]

2 months back, one of the best trips till date !

My friend and I are camping in Banff (Tunnel Mountain Village) in late September and doing a few hikes everyday. Endurance isn’t a concern and we’re both pretty fast paced, more so concerned about time and daylight hours. Is it too ambitious to do:
Day 1) Johnston Canyon to the inkpots + Emerald lake loop in one day?
Day 2) Moraine Lake Rockpile (not really a “hike”)+ Lake Louise/Agnes Tea House + Big Beehive + Plain of Six Glaciers in one day?
Day 3) We’re doing an Icefields Pkwy road trip but wondering if it makes sense to add Peyto and/or Bow lake onto either the Johnston Canyon day or Lake Louise day to free up some time for other stops on the Icefields road trip?

Ofc weather/conditions would factor into this but just wanted to see if the general timing of these hikes plus commuting between them would be feasible?

Jimmy Simpson Jr. hike located at Bow Lake up the Icefields Parkway in Banff

I’m going next week - what are your thoughts - and which lake do I start with on day 3?

Day 1
Arrive in afternoon
tunnel mountain or Mount norquay (?)
Sunset Vermilion lake

Day 2 - Yoho National Park
Emerald Lake loop
Takkakaw falls (?)
Main hike of day: Paget lookout (?)
Wapta Falls - (?)

Day 3- Moraine Lake & Lake Louise
Sunrise at Moraine (?) - need help!!!
Consolation Lake hike
Lake Louise - little beehive hike

Day 4 - Icefields Parkway
Bow lake sunrise
Peyto lake
Parker ridge- main hike
Mistaya canyon

Day 5 - CANMORE
Lake minnewanka & C level cirque or Stewart canyon or Grassi Lakes
Airport ~ 5PM

Planning a trip to Banff late October.

We live in the Vancouver, BC area. Looks like the most direct route is Highway 5 up to Kamloops, and Highway 1 from there. Are there any typical seasonal highway closures to be aware of? And/or any common slide areas or otherwise that may impact our route?

Thank you.

I'm planning to visit Banff and Jasper for the first time with my family. I've read many posts regarding places to visit and activities, and I have a few questions.

1. Is the Pursuit Pass worth it? I definitely want to do the gondola and maybe a cruise in Jasper, but I'm not sure about the other activities included in the pass. Is it worth it, and what are the alternatives to get it cheaper?

2. What can we do at Columbia Icefield if we don't want to buy tickets for the tour?

3. Which cruise is more worthwhile: Maligne Lake cruise or Minnewanka cruise?

4. What are the must-visit places in Banff and Jasper?

I plan on attempting Devil's Thumb with a friend of mine who is a local at the end of September. I was curious on the level of difficulty here as I'm seeing mixed results. I am not new to hiking but this will be my first scramble, I the have necessary gear (layers, 38L pack, headlamp, bear spray), but currently missing some key items (poles, proper water proof shoes [currently own ON waterproof hiking shoe]). Would love to hear other gear recommendations for future hikes/scrambles.

One thing that will increase the difficulty significantly is that we plan on being boots on the ground 2:30AM-3:30AM. From my understanding, Devils Thumb is not marked and is not maintained compared to other trails so I would love to hear everyone's opinion. Yay? Nay? Would Ha Ling Peak be more "safe"?

Thanks!

1. Moraine Lake
   
2. Little Bee Hive hike
   
3. Peyto Lake
   
4. Lake Louise
   
5. Sunshine Village
   
6. Columbia Icefields

Shot with Canon EOS RP

I am headed to Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise this weekend and will be there for about a week. Husband and I have been planning this trip for over a year.

I saw that it snowed in Banff this past weekend. I know we’re still about a week out for our dates, but the forecast is showing cloudy skies, rain, and lower temps than I expected based on my research for this time of year. Seems like maybe winter is coming earlier than expected this year?

I’ve never been to this region before and am just wondering: if the forecast is still showing cold temps, clouds and rain as we get closer to our dates, is that typically accurate? I know mountain forecasts can be unpredictable. I’m just trying to figure out what to pack.

In all my research it said this time of year can still be very warm during the day so I was planning on not bringing anything too bundled up, but wondering if I should change that?

Also just trying to give myself hope that we’ll still have good conditions (😭). I’ve been dreaming of green trees, blue skies and turquoise lakes for a year+ and if I instead get grey and white I’m going to be so sad. (I know you can’t control the weather but I thought my research about picking a time of year to visit had done me some good at least)

Travelling Canada across the holiday season and will be in Banff through Christmas, after some proposal spots not as crowded as Lake Louise etc. , some underrated options or some hidden gems some locals know of 🙏🏼

My boyfriend (19), myself (18), and my sister (17), are looking to travel to Alberta (Calgary, Banff area) in late November.

We plan to go to a couple national parks and have a “city” day in Calgary. This will be a 24 hour road trip from Northern Wisconsin…

What are the dangers of national parks/Canadian weather in late November? Are 18-19 year olds able to get AirBnB’s in Canada? What are some activities you recommend? What do we bring?

Hey everyone! Flying in to Calgary on Friday night (25th) and out on Sunday (27th) with a few friends. Was thinking of renting a car and sleeping in Banff on Friday/Saturday. This would leave us one full day only to visit anything. I’d want to do one long hike 15-20km or a combination of smaller hikes that would allow us to see the most iconic views as I will probably not be back for a very long time.

What do you guys suggest? Any difficulty is fine. We are somewhat experienced. I would just like to get the most out of the day!

Thanks :)

TIA :)

Hi everyone! My husband and I are heading to Banff/Canmore for our babymoon at the end of October, and we’re hoping to book a spa day during our trip.

Since I’m expecting, we’re not really looking for the Nordic-style spas with lots of hydrotherapy/thermal facilities, as I won’t be able to enjoy most of that part.

I’m leaning toward Willow Stream at the Banff Springs since I’ve been there before and really enjoyed it, but it’s been quite a few years and I’m curious if there are any other gems we
should think about! We’ll be staying in Canmore but don’t mind a bit of a drive.

Would love to hear your favourite spa recommendations in Banff or Canmore. Thank you!