Come See the Natural Beauty of Banff National Park: Mysterious Hoodoos, Hotsprings and Majestic Waterfalls

So wildlife abounds and scenic views are everywhere here in Jasper, as well as Lake Louise, Banff and  Banff National Park — everywhere in Alberta, really. But there are some fascinating natural phenomena unique to the town of Banff that one can see year around.

Glaciers

Ancient fields of sub-polar ice, glaciers remain landmarks of the Canadian Rockies. Local glaciers include:

• The Victoria Glacier, a hanging glacier at the back of Lake Louise
• Crowfoot and Bow Glaciers, both visible from the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North)
• Columbia Icefield, accessible from the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) via Ice Explorer tours

hodoos just outside Banff, Canada

Lakes:

• Lake Minnewanka
• Johnson Lake
• Two Jack Lake
• Lake Louise
• Moraine Lake
• Peyto Lake
• Bow Lake

Hoodoos

These strange – some might even say unnatural-looking — sandstone spires created over thousands of years by erosion and believed to be spiritually significant among First Nations forefathers. Local Hoodoos can be seen from the Hoodoos Viewpoint, along Tunnel Mountain Road.

Natural Hot Springs

Cave and Basin in Banff town

Of course there is the Banff Upper Hot Springs, but there are other local, notable hot springs. For example, a natural hot spring keeps ice off the third Vermilion Lake year-round. Then at the Cave and Basin Historic Site in Banff town one can visit the Cave, which features an interior pool and vent hole; the Basin, home to the Banff Springs snail; and along the Marsh Loop Boardwalk, two smaller springs bubble up from the mountainside, feeding the pools that are filled with pink bacteria, white and green algae, small fish, and insects.

Waterfalls

Bow Falls in Banff and Johnston Canyon along the Bow Valley Parkway are among the most spectacular falls in Banff. Even in the winter months, the ice formations are beautiful. Bow Falls are particularly easy to see – it’s just above the confluence of the Bow and Spray rivers, smack dab in downtown Banff!

Looking for a guided tour or hike of some these places in Banff, Alberta? Look no further than the guides at Banff Travel.

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Banff Travel

call toll free: 888-659-3394

211 Bear Street
Bison Courtyard
Banff, Alberta

Banff, Alberta

Take the Easy Way to Banff and Lake Louise Mountaintop Views and Wildlife. Take a Gondola!

Climbing or hiking up mountains isn’t for everyone; not everyone is willing or able. Even when you are, you might not have time, or you might have children with you, and they might not be up for that strenuous steep climb up a mountainside.

Not to worry; that doesn’t mean you can’t get to the top of the peaks overlooking Banff and Lake Louise and explore first hand the scenic wonders that can be found there. Gondolas are the perfect option and operate year around — during the warm weather months they ferry sightseers instead of skiers up and down mountain sides. Local gondolas include:

Banff Gondola

Just a few minutes ride from downtown Banff – there’s a bus that can take you too and from the lower gondola station – the four-person Banff Gondola offers an 8-minuted ride with 360-degree panoramic views around Banff to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, at an elevation of 2,281 meters. 486 ft). At the summit is an observation deck with several outdoor terraces, as well as a restaurant and a gift shop.

There are also trails here – you can hike to the top of Sulphur mountain and take the gondola back down, or you can take the gondola to the top and hike back down, the choice is yours. Either way, don’t forget your camera; taking the gondola is a photographers dream.

Lake Louise Sightseeing Gondola

This gondola ride takes you on a 14-minute trip up to an elevation 2,088 meters. You also have a choice of riding in an open or fully-closed car. While you can enjoy the usual panoramic alpine vistas and access to meadows filled with wildflowers, springs, and other aspects of the alpine environment, one aspect of the Lake Louise gondola trips are the wildlife.

Animal sightings occur almost daily, according to gondola operators. These sightings include grizzly bears, black and brown bears, cougars, lynx, mountain goats, wolves, elk, mule and whitetail deer, moose, big horn sheep, wolverines, and many others.

The tour operators keep calendars of major animal sightings, and during the months the gondola is open for warm-weather tours, most days see major animal sightings. In September 2010, for example there were 15 days with major animal sightings; in August there were 29 days with animal sightings! What’s more, many of these were grizzly bear sightings from the Lake Louise sightseeing gondola.

Want to schedule a gondola ride? Check out Banff Travel.

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Mountains, Elevation Can Wreak Havoc on GPS Tour Systems in the Canadian Rockies

By Blake Baily

More and more GPS tours on handhelds and in rental cars are being offered all throughout the world.

Many vacationers are finding GPS tours and GPS systems to be highly problematic, however. Many Canadian Rockies visitors discover that GPS tours and GPS systems can go in and out because of the mountainous geography and elevation. This is especially true when touring British Columbia (BC), Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore, Jasper and other alpine areas in the Rockies. Keeping and maintaining reception can be a huge issue.

Often GPS tours will require additional hardware hacking to make them usable in this terrain; this is also the case with satellite radio as well.

Your best bet: simply enjoy the grand scenery of the Canadian Rockies and then curl up with a good book!

Blake Baily is a tourism and travel editor who has written for Frommers, Trip Advisor and Moon Guides.

Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy Banff National Park and Canada’s Rocky Mountains: Leave the Driving to a Tour Guide

Looking for an easy an relaxing way to see the natural wonder of Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies from the road? Then a motorcoach sightseeing tour is an excellent idea. This is a great way to explore in and around Lake Louise, Banff and other areas of the Albertan province nearby, such as Jasper.

Not only do you get to witness the scenic beauty, but the driver-guides will add to your experience with mountain lore, history and story telling. Furthermore, you can pay attention to the scenery outside the window and leave the driving to them.

There are many tour operators who provide motorcoach tours tailored to specific needs and interests, such as waterfalls, historic sites, wildlife viewing and others. A few of the more popular motorcoach tours include:

• Banff town: covering the local historic sites and viewpoints.
• Lake Minnewanka: a 15-minute scenic ride from downtown Banff to nearby Lake Minnewanka, where boat tours are available.
• Moraine Lake and Lake Louise: a 45-minute drive northwest of Banff along the TransCanada Highway to destinations including Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
• Columbia Icefield: a stunning drive up the Icefields Parkway north of Banff town and Lake Louise, on the border of Banff and Jasper National Parks. It is about 2 hours from the town of Banff or about an hour from Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefield, the largest body of ice in North America below the arctic circle. Here visitors can also embark on tours of the glacier itself, as well as an interpretive center.

Sightseeing: View Banff, Alberta, and the Canadian Rockies From Your Car

The sightseeing opportunities around Banff National Park and elsewhere in Alberta Province’s Canadian Rockies never end – even if you prefer high-heels to hiking boots. The town of Banff, for example, is surrounded by the mountains of Banff National Park. To enjoy breathtaking scenery of snow-capped peaks and forested valleys, all you have to do is open the curtains of your hotel room to see incredible views every day of the year.

Bow Valley Parkway, Banff National Park

If you take to the road, then those snow-covered peaks of the Canadian Rockies, with their glaciers, lakes, forests and wildlife, are yours for the viewing. That’s what makes Western Canada so special; this natural beauty is accessible to everyone; all you have to do is go look. So don’t forget your camera; picturesque postcard views are around every bend.

Lookouts and parking areas are located along park roads, and they provide excellent opportunities for your vacation sightseeing or holiday getaway. Starting from here in the Village of Lake Louise, you could take the Trans Canada Highway south toward Banff town for 60 kilometers, and it is a lovely drive. But an even better option is to take the Bow Valley Parkway, which lies east of the Bow River (the highway lies to the west of it) – this will provide you with a scenic alternative.

Or you could head north from Lake Louise, taking the Icefields Parkway, so named because it offers access to the ancient glaciers found in the northern part of the park. In fact the Icefields Parkway takes you past scenic lakes and rivers all the way until it reaches Jasper, at the center of Jasper National Park

Despite the remote wilderness locations and rugged natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies, there are actually several commercial operations in Banff National Park that make sightseeing that much easier for visitors.

• Lake Minnewanka: commercial tour boats provide access to Devil’s Gap, where vertical stone walls rise out of this still, 142-meter deep lake which lies northeast of Banff (the western end of the lake is just a few kilometers away from downtown Banff.

• Banff Gondola transports visitors from downtown Banff to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, where the 360-degree panorama includes all of Banff, the Bow River, and Mount Rundle. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hike to the top and take the gondola down – or take the gondola up and hike down.

• Lake Louise Gondola takes visitors up above the lake, where they can enjoy panoramic views of the nearby mountains and valleys, or walk through flower-filled meadows. Keep your camera handy – grizzly and black bear sightings are not uncommon!

Icefields Parkway, connecting Lake Louise and Jasper

Speaking of bears, wildlife viewing is of course a major pastime for Banff National Park visitors and locals alike. We’ve seen deer wandering down the street, and even the occasional black bear. It’s more common to see bears in more remote locations, but sometimes you can spot them nibbling dandelions from your car as you drive the Bow Valley Parkway, for example. Another spot right in town to see wildlife is Sulphur Mountain; hike up to the top or take the gondola and you are likely to see bighorn sheep.

Of course, please respect all park rules and regulations when it comes to the wildlife. Please stay safe and keep your distance, and do not feed the animals. Like the saying says, take only pictures and leave only memories.

Looking for a guided sightseeing tour? Look no further than  Banff Travel. They can fix you up with all of your travel needs and all of the adventures you want to have in the Canadian Rockies.

click here for Banff Travel

call toll free: 888-659-3394

211 Bear Street
Bison Courtyard
Banff, Alberta

Jasper National Park, Alberta

If you like to avoid major highways in Jasper National Park for the peaceful meander of a Canadian Rockies backroad, then Highway 93A or “the old highway” is for you. Part of the original Banff/Jasper Highway, it now sees much lighter traffic.

The Athabasca River at sunrise.

The views on 93A open up almost immediately. The road climbs above the surrounding valley, providing perfect panoramas of the Jasper townsite. The work of the glaciers is visible in the broad sculpting of the Athabasca valley. Across the valley, the Maligne Range forms a formidable barrier.

Hidden behind their rugged facade is Maligne Canyon and Maligne Lake. An optional side trip at kilometre 2.4 (1.5 mi.) takes you towards Marmot Basin Ski Area. Portal Creek trailhead, at the 7 km (4 mi.) mark along this side trip, is one of two main trailheads for the expansive Tonquin Valley. Hidden 20 km (12 mi.) along the creek and over Maccarib Pass, it is one of Jasper’s most popular backcountry destinations—winter and summer.

The ski hill’s 48 runs offer a vertical rise of 701 m/2,300 ft. From snowmobile access in the 1950’s, the hill expanded with a T-Bar in the 1960’s, and has continued to grow over the years. Highway 93A passes the junction with Cavell Road at kilometre 5.2 (3.2 mi.). Kilometre 8.2 (mile 4.3) solves the mystery of why the townsite often seems alive with members of the British military.

This British Army Camp provides a base for extensive mountain training. The soldiers descend upon the townsite on regular occasions to take over the Laundromat—not to mention several local watering holes. Wabasso Campground, at kilometre 9.2 (5.7 mi.), offers a quiet alternative to Jasper’s busy urban campgrounds. The Whirlpool and Athabasca Rivers meet at the “Meeting of the Waters” at kilometre 14/8.4 miles. Although quiet today, this site formed a major junction for countless fur trade expeditions. Here they would leave the Athabasca River and follow the Whirlpool River upstream towards Athabasca Pass.

First discovered in 1811, by David Thompson, one of Canada’s premier fur traders, explorers and map makers, it became the standard route of travel west for many years. Normally, at the junction of Athabasca Pass, fur brigades from the east met other traders from the Columbia. Goods were exchanged, and the traders would turn around and retrace their steps in the opposite direction.

With the Oregon Treaty in 1846, the 49th parallel was set as the international boundary, and the mouth of the Columbia became American territory. Soon, the Athabasca Pass route was all but abandoned as travelers began to traverse the Yellowhead Pass. Another short backroad at kilometre 15.2 (mile 9.4) follows the Whirlpool River for 6.9 km (4.3 mi.), ending within a kilometre of Moab Lake.

For the more adventurous traveler, the road also forms the trailhead for the 43 km/27 mi. trek to Athabasca Pass. Leach Lake at kilometre 19.6/12.2 mi.(don’t worry—it’s not named after those slimy blood suckers—leeches), provides a lovely spot for a relaxing picnic. This lake is most likely a glacial kettle formed from large chunks of ice buried by retreating glaciers. As the ice melted, the material above the former ice block collapsed into the void. The water moved to the surface, creating a tiny pond. Many of the smaller lakes in the Rockies were formed in this way.

Another former fireroad at kilometre 23/14.3 mi., climbs 5.5 km (3.5 mi.) up the lower slopes of Mount Fryatt. From the trailhead at road’s end, a short, steep trail climbs to the former site of the Geraldine Fire Lookout. From this lofty vantage point, the valley is spread beneath you. A second trail climbs higher up the slopes of Mount Fryatt towards a narrow glacial valley containing the Geraldine lakes. Shortly beyond the Geraldine Fireroad, Highway 93A meets the main portion of Highway 93 at Athabasca Falls.

Don’t miss this dramatic falls which cuts a gorge through thick layers of quartz sandstone. The true power of water is experienced as the river plummets amidst a thunderous roar. For your own safety, please avoid climbing over the many retaining walls. The rocks are constantly bathed in water vapour which supports a growth of slippery algae. One misplaced step can make you a permanent part of the mountain landscape.

From the junction with Highway 93 at kilometre 24.1 (mile 15), you can continue south towards the Columbia Icefields or return north to Jasper.

Highlights: Views of the Athabasca Valley, Portal Creek Trailhead, Marmot Basin Ski Area Road, Cavell Road, Wabasso Campground, Whirlpool River, Athabasca Falls.
Activities: Sightseeing, photography, walking, hiking.
Location: A few kilometers South of Jasper.
Time: Minimum of one half-hour.

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Grizzly Bear Family

Jasper National Park offers a variety of incredible opportunities for sightseeing in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper has it all – glaciers, turquoise mountain lakes, crystal clear streams, abundant wildlife and fewer visitors than Banff National Park.

Don’t miss the Icefields Parkway, Columbia Icefield, the Cavell and Maligne Roads, the Pyramid Lake Road and the “Old Banff / Jasper Highway“.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by this huge park, check out our 15 must-sees.

Guided Sightseeing & Tours

Maligne Tours offers convenient transportation for visitors from Jasper to Maligne Lake, the shuttle service runs four times per day in high season, coordinated with the departure of the Spirit Island scenic cruise.

SunDog Tour Company

Located in Jasper National Park, SunDog offers sightseeing tours for groups and individuals, as well as transportation between Calgary and Edmonton airport and the Rockies. Our destinations include, Maligne Lake, the Columbia Icefields, Lake Louise, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay and the Kananaskis area. Available activities include, dogsledding, snowmobiling, airplane sightseeing, helicopter tours and activities, rail tours, cat-skiing and wildlife safaris. We can also make reservations for whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and guided hiking.