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Banff National Park
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Orientation
First and most famous of the national parks of Canada, Banff is filled with glittering snowcapped peaks, valleys draped in evergreen forests, turquoise lakes, flowered alpine meadows, glaciers, hot springs, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. Four mountain parks—Banff and its neighbors Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay—contain such a large and representative segment of the Canadian Rockies that they have been collectively designated a UNESCO world heritage site.
Park History
Banff combines some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rockies with ease of access and a long tradition of catering to visitors.
The park’s origins go back to 1883. Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway up the valley of the Bow River had stopped for the winter, and a pair of workers occupied themselves with prospecting for minerals around the recently completed Siding No. 29. Instead of precious metals, they came upon an equally valuable resource, the hot sulfurous springs noted by an earlier explorer. The men’s attempt to stake a claim came to nothing: Within two years the area around the springs was designated as the Banff Hot Springs Reserve, and then, in 1887, renamed the Rocky Mountains Park. After Yellowstone and Australia’s Royal, it was only the third area in the world to be protected as a national park. It was extended to its present size, 2,563 square miles [6,638.1 square kilometers], in 1902.
By 1887, the Canadian Pacific’s energetic general manager, Van Horne, had already commissioned his architect to design a 250-bed spa hotel, part of his plan to lure the rich and famous to the “Mountain Playground of the World,” by CPR train, of course. The trek from Siding No. 29 up to the Banff Springs Hotel proved inconvenient and the station was soon moved to its present location, though it no longer has regular passenger train service. The hotel, by contrast, has gone from strength to strength; successive extensions have made it a supreme example of wh at has been termed the Canadian cháteau style, and it is as dominant a feature in the landscape of Banff township as the surrounding mountains.
Banff Townsite
The vast majority of visitors arrive in the resort of Banff by road, most of them along Trans-Canada 1, as it climbs away from the prairie up the valley of the Bow River. The town’s permanent population of about 5,000 swells to more than 30,000 in summer. Most of the national park’s nearly four million annual visitors spend at least some time here.
The town has a fair number of man-made attractions, and it is perfectly possible to spend a stay here strolling the streets, shopping, seeing and being seen, all against the backdrop of fabulous mountain scenery. But Banff’s main role is as a starting point for the excellent drives and trails that bring visitors into immediate contact with the mountains. Not surprisingly, Parks Canada runs a very full interpretive program, and a visit to the Banff Visitor Centre makes a worthwhile start to any stay in the national park.
When to Go
All seasons. July is the warmest month of the year with an average of 71.6°F [22°C] in the Town of Banff. The coolest month is January, when it drops to an average of 5°F [-15°C]. Visitors should anticipate a drop in temperature of about 1.8°F [1°C] for every 656-foot [200-meter] increase in elevation.
Statistics
- Area: 2,564 square miles [6,641 square kilometers]
- Established: 1885
- Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time, eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time
- Province: Alberta
Getting There
By Car
- Banff National Park is located 80 miles [128.7 kilometers] west of Calgary, 250 miles [402.3 kilometers] southwest of Edmonton and 530 miles [853 kilometers] east of Vancouver. The Trans-Canada Highway runs west from Calgary into the park and through Banff and Lake Louise, and continues west towards Vancouver. From the town of Banff, Lake Louise is approximately 35 miles [55.3 kilometers] to the west, while the town of Jasper in Jasper National Park is located 180 miles [289.7 kilometers] to the northwest.
Natural History
Banff topography is characterized by sweeping, U-shaped valleys that separate the parallel Front and Main Ranges of the Rockies, mountains made of sedimentary rocks that were uplifted and folded, then shaped by glaciers. Banff’s highest peaks are in the Main Range, which forms the Continental Divide. At Valley of the Ten Peaks, this soaring watershed forms a rampart about 8 miles [13 kilometers] long and more than 3,000 feet [914 meters] high from base to ridgeline.
Variations in topography, soil, moisture, and temperature create three complex vegetation communities in Banff. In the montane zone, alders, willows, birches, and cottonwoods grow in sheltered valley bottoms and along watercourses. Douglas firs and lodgepole pines form the predominant forest cover on the lower slopes. Subalpine forest, the park’s most widespread habitat, extends from the montane up to about 6,500 feet [1,981 meters]. Above that is the alpine zone, where even hardy spruces become stunted by wind and cold. With a ground cover of shrub willows, grasses, sedges, and heathers, this zone resembles Arctic tundra. Flowers here put on dazzling displays throughout the brief growing season, with saxifrages, mountain avens, and alpine forget-me-nots blooming in quick succession.
Mountain goats and small mammals such as marmots, weasels, and pikas survive on storm-swept heights. Pipits, larks, and rosy finches breed on the alpine tundra, but only white-tailed ptarmigans live here year-round.
Activities
Popular activities include: wildlife/bird watching, hiking, cycling, backpacking, skiing, hot springs, mountaineering, and climbing.
Park Information
Headquarters P.O. Box 900, Banff, Alberta T0L 0C0. Phone: +1 403 762 1550. Fax: +1 403 762 1551.
Seasons & Accessibility Park open year-round, busy season June-September.
Visitor & Information Centers 224 Banff Ave. Banff, Alberta +1 403 762 1550 or +1 403 762 8421.
Entrance Fee Daily fees: adults $5, seniors $4, groups of 2-7 $10, senior groups $8..
Pets Keep dogs at home. They may antagonize bears and other wildlife.
Facilities for Disabled
Reserved parking, elevators, ramps, campsites, and trails are available. TDD# +1 403 762-4256.
Special Advisory
- This is bear country. Never feed or approach a bear.
- When camping, put away all food and garbage, don't bury it.
- Hike in groups and make a lot of noise. Be cautious of all wildlife as many animals are aggressive.
- Check conditions of trails and roads before coming.
Overnight Backpacking Go to Visitor Centres to obtain wilderness permits (fee charged) and suggestions for routes.
Campgrounds Several campgrounds operate throughout the park. Three sites are open year-round: Lake Louise Trailer, Mosquito Creek, and Tunnel Mountain Village II. All others open in May or June and close in September. All campgrounds are first come, first served. $3 fire permit.
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