Banff National Park Highlights

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The National Geographic Traveler: Canada

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The original road built in 1920 to link Banff and Lake Louise, 30 miles [48.3 kilometers] away, has become a relaxed alternative to the more recent Trans-Canada 1, a busy road used by heavy trucks. Numerous turnoffs offer views of the valley and its dramatic mountain backdrop, and there is a chance of encountering wildlife such as caribou, deer, or moose.

At Johnston Canyon, 16 miles [25.8 kilometers] from Banff, Johnston Creek has eroded a deep cleft in the limestone, which is made accessible by a carefully constructed catwalk. Waterfalls occur where the flow of water encounters layers of harder dolomite, as at the 50-foot-high [15.2-meter-high] Lower Falls (just over 0.5 mile [0.8 kilometer] from the parking lot) and at the 100-foot [30.5-meter] Upper Falls (just over 1 mile [1.6 kilometer]). Farther still (3.5 miles [5.6 kilometers] from the parking lot) are the Ink Pots, a series of cold-water springs, normally clear blue in color, but sometimes changing to an inky black.

Continuing along the walkway as far as Castle Junction, the serrated mountains to the northeast belong to the distinctive Sawback Range, which make up part of the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains. At Castle Junction, the fault line is crossed, separating the front ranges from the eastern main ranges to the west. Part of the eastern main range, the great landmark of Castle Mountain (9,075 feet; 2,766.1 meters), 21 miles [33.8 kilometers] northwest of Banff, is a supreme example of a castellated mountain, with its typical layer cake appearance produced by a series of cliffs and ledges. CONTINUED

- The Hoodoos
- Lake Minnewanka Loop Drive
- Mount Norquay
- Sulphur Mountain
- Upper Hot Springs
- Vermilion Lakes Drive

(Continued From Top)

The Hoodoos

The Bow Falls tumbles between two tree-covered crests.

Photograph © Gunter Marx/Corbis

A short interpretive trail along the Bow River leads to a viewpoint overlooking these strange columns, a geological freak sculpted in debris-flow deposits.

Lake Minnewanka Loop Drive
The largest water body in the national park is a reservoir, used to generate hydroelectric power and a popular venue for boating and fishing.

Mount Norquay
A well-engineered road with a series of hairpin bends climbs steeply up the northern flank of the Bow Valley to give ever wider views of the mountain landscape. The Mount Norquay Ski Area saw the beginnings of the sport here in the early 20th century. A network of trails leads into the mountains from the parking lot, and Mount Norquay itself can be ascended by chairlift.

Sulphur Mountain

A female bighorn and its lamb rest in the grass; they represent just one of the many mammal species found at Banff.

Photograph © Natalie Fobes/Corbis

The 7,497-foot-high [2,285.1-meter-high] crest of Sulphur Mountain, reached by an eight-minute gondola ride, offers those who are not up to a challenging walk a superb high-level panorama of Banff townsite in its mountain setting. There is a restaurant, the highest in Canada, and the mountaintop is a favorite spot for bighorn sheep to hang around and look for a handout.
A 0.6-mile [1-kilometer] trail leads to the restored weather station of 1903.

Upper Hot Springs
The Upper Hot Springs have been exploited as a visitor attraction since the turn of the century. The water in this large outdoor pool, which was built when the springs were redeveloped in the 1930s, stays at an average temperature of 100� [38�C]. A steamroom, massage, and plunge pool complement your swim. There is also a poolside restaurant.

Vermilion Lakes Drive
This 2.5-mile [4-kilometer] drive leads past a series of shallow lakes in the broad floodplain of the Bow River and gives fine views toward Mount Rundle. The lakes are frequented by beavers (responsible for damming two of them), moose, deer, bighorn sheep, and wolves, and they are an excellent spot for bird-watching, particularly in the early morning or at dusk.