Banff attractions

Bubbling up from beneath the Canadian Rockies at a toasty temperature (98–104℉, or 37–40℃), these hot springs have been drawing visitors to Western Canada since the late 19th century. For weary travelers, a soak in the warm, mineral-rich pools overlooking Mount Rundle is the ultimate tonic for sore muscles—though it’s great for the not-so-weary, too.

An outstanding feat of engineering, the Spiral Tunnels in Yoho National Park were the ingenious early–20th-century solution to climbing or descending the impossibly steep 4.5-percent grade to cross Kicking Horse Pass by rail. Watch long freight trains cross themselves as they travel the tunnels in different directions at the same time.

Part of the vast Columbia Icefield that straddles the border between Alberta’s Banff and Jasper National Parks, the Athabasca Glacier—a huge swath of moving ice—is one of the most accessible and awe-inspiring glaciers in North America. Like most glaciers, Athabasca is shrinking, though the slowly moving ice mass is still impressively large: It covers an area of about 2.3 square miles (six square kilometers) and measures up to 980 feet (300 meters) at its thickest point.

This short scenic drive starts just outside the town of Banff and provides access to several popular trails and scenic viewpoints. This is where you’ll find Surprise Corner, that picture-perfect postcard view of the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Even though the drive is just outside the city limits, it’s not uncommon to spy elk, deer, and the occasional bear on the route.

Takakkaw Falls—whose name means “it’s magnificent” in the indigenous Cree language—tumble 1,260 feet (384 meters) down a rocky mountain, making it one of the highest waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies. Located outside Field, British Columbia, the glacier-fed falls are the gateway to some of the best hiking trails in Yoho National Park.

It’s easy to imagine what it was like during the last ice age when you step out onto the Athabasca Glacier in the Columbia Icefield. Located midway along the scenic Icefields Parkway that connects Canada’s Banff and Jasper national parks, the Columbia Icefield—and the on-site Glacier Discovery Centre—gives you a chance to experience how the landscape likely looked when glaciers covered the land.

Jutting out from the side of a Jasper National Park cliff, the elevated, glass-bottomed Columbia Icefield Skywalk, also known as Glacier Skywalk, is an exhilarating—if somewhat unnerving—way to experience the epic, untouched landscapes of the Canadian Rockies. From this vantage point, the view of the park’s ice-hatted peaks and glacial valleys is nothing short of spectacular.

With some of Canada’s wildest white water, the Kicking Horse River boasts numerous Class III and IV+ rapids that thrill even the most experienced paddlers. Originating high in the Wapta Icefields of the Canadian Rockies, the river winds through picturesque valleys, gorges, and steep canyons, offering fantastic views as well as adventure.

If hiking Banff’s mountains isn’t enough of an adventure, look to the park’s Via Ferrata—essentially, a steel ladder built into the mountainside. Assisted by cables, the occasional suspension bridge, and your mountaineering guide, you’ll climb one of four routes up Mt. Norquay to some of the most spectacular views in the Canadian Rockies, with no special skills required.

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is a year-round resort situated at the confluence of the Kicking Horse and Columbia rivers—just outside Golden, Alberta. Known best for its world-class ski runs, reliable powder, and easily accessible backcountry terrain, Kicking Horse is a summer resort with epic mountain biking, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities. The resort is also home to Boo, the orphaned grizzly bear.

Looking out over Lake Louise, you’ll see what’s left of the once mighty Victoria Glacier that created this iconic lake at the end of the last Ice Age. Named after Queen Victoria in 1897, the Victoria Glacier continues to feed into Lake Louise, bringing with it the glacial flour that gives the lake its characteristic turquoise color.

Alberta’s stunning Rocky Mountains are one of the biggest attractions in the province. Protected by Banff and Jasper National Parks, the Canadian Rocky Mountains run along the border of British Columbia and Alberta through a landscape of glaciers, snow-capped mountain peaks, hot springs, and turquoise lakes.

Easily accessible year-round from the town of Banff, the Tunnel Mountain Summit Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the area for good reason—in just 1.4 miles (2.3 kilometers) and an elevation gain of 872 feet (266 meters), you can reach the summit and enjoy fantastic views of the Banff area and the Bow Valley.

Sunshine Meadows is a beautiful natural area not far from Banff in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As there’s no public road access to the site, people typically hike or take the gondola and chairlift up to the viewing area—or both. There are great views across the Banff National Park, to Mt. Assiniboine, and of flower-filled (and sometimes sunny) meadows in season.

Nicknamed the “Matterhorn of the Rockies,” Mt. Assiniboine is one of Canada’s most stunning peaks. This 11,870-foot (3,619-meter pyramidal peak towers over its neighbors and is the focal point of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park. Hikers, photographers, and mountain climbers from all over the world are drawn to the mountain’s beauty and solitude.

Inside Banff National Park, Mt. Norquay is the smallest of the area’s three ski resorts, but it still packs a Banff-shaped punch. What this former Olympic and World Cup training ground lacks in vertical runs, it makes up for with the only night skiing in Banff, a fully lit terrain park, snow tubing, and a ski school.

Lake Louise Ski Resort offers some of North America’s best skiing—bar none. One of the largest ski resorts on the continent and routinely recognized as Canada’s best, if this impossibly scenic spot overlooking the glacial valley of Lake Louise doesn’t make you want to strap on those skis, nowhere will.

Set in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies, this non-profit sanctuary is home to 20-plus resident wolf dogs—the result of interbreeding between dogs and wolves. Tours of the sanctuary allow the public to learn about, view, and meet these fascinating hybrid creatures, many of whom were abandoned or surrendered by previous owners.

Banff Sunshine Village Ski Resort offers the true Rocky Mountain experience. With 30 feet of snowfall annually and a ski season that lasts from November to May, you’ll be fully immersed in Canada’s iconic natural beauty. The resort boasts over 130 ski runs spread across three mountains for endless exploration, as well as alpine luxury at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge.

Surrounded by jagged mountains and waterfalls, Stanley Glacier is a top hiking destination in Kootenay National Park. The strenuous hiking trail takes you from a regrowth pine forest known for its abundant wildflowers to rocky scrambles and rugged glacier views. The hike also traverses Burgess Shale, where hikers can discover ancient fossils.