It had long been a dream of Alice’s to visit the Canadian Rockies, and Banff National Park in particular. The park is exquisitely photogenic – just looking at pictures online makes the heart ache. We had planned a trip to Banff for 2020 when travel was shut down worldwide. But in 2023, the dream finally became reality.
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Banff National Park lies about 1.5 hours northwest of Calgary in Alberta province, Canada. The park is gorgeous and features surreal, aquamarine-colored glacial lakes, stunning mountain scenery, glaciers, abundant wildlife, historic lodges, and world class hiking.
Make sure to also check out our separate guide to the Icefields Parkway in Banff and Jasper National Parks.
Logistics and Planning: How We Traveled –
1. Nonstop flight from Atlanta to Calgary, Alberta. 2. RV. We rented a small (24’) RV for this trip through Outdoorsy (www.outdoorsy). We want to stay in national parks whenever we can, and renting an RV puts us in the campgrounds, which are often situated close to the main attractions. An RV provides your transportation, accommodations, a stove, microwave, refrigerator/freezer, shower, and storage for your things. Once settled in the RV, you don’t have to re-pack until the end of your trip. Since our son was traveling with us, we needed a bit more space than a campervan would have provided. Please see our Travel Tips page for more information on Camping and Renting RVs and Campervans (Links?).
Arrival into Canada
We arrived into Calgary (YYC) on a nonstop Delta flight from Atlanta around 8 PM. We used Delta Skymiles for our flights. See our Travel Tips page for ways to build “banks” of airline and hotel points.
After going through Customs, we retrieved our checked luggage from Baggage Claim. In the baggage claim area, “CANADA” is spelled out in large colorful letters – a great spot for a photo, especially if this is your first visit to the country.
We had rented an RV through Outdoorsy (add affiliate link), and for $80, the owner picked us up in the RV right from the airport. This was a bargain considering we did not have to figure out the logistics of picking up the RV. By now, it was 9 PM. Our “host” dropped us off at a Walmart parking lot convenient to our next day’s route to Banff National Park, saving us the expense of a hotel or campground fee. Some Walmart locations allow free overnight stays for RVs and campers.
Anecdote: A fierce windstorm arose in the night, and it felt like the camper would blow over! The storm, combined with a late bedtime, made for a bleary-eyed start to our first big day. (This Walmart is in the ?? shopping area, which has pretty much every store you can think of.)
When We Traveled
To avoid peak season crowds, we chose early September for our trip to Banff National Park. The weather at this time of year is cool and pleasant. There were still some wildflowers, and the trees were not yet changing color for fall. Overall, this is a fantastic time to travel. The late spring would be good as well. The summer is ideal in many ways, but if you want to avoid over-crowding, pick a shoulder season. Some roads stay open in both parks all year. Check the Parks Canada Seasonal Closures and Restrictions page by clicking here.
A note on making reservations for Banff National Park: Even though we traveled in a shoulder season, we needed to book campgrounds and shuttles in the park well in advance. Visit the Parks Canada Reservations website by clicking here. Campsites and shuttle reservations fill up quickly once the reservation window opens in late January. Note: It is now mandatory to reserve a shuttle to Moraine Lake. The park does not allow any personal vehicles at Moraine Lake.
Planning This Itinerary
This spreadsheet is downloadable as Open Document Sheets and can be used in Excel or a cloud spreadsheet tool (e.g., GoogleDrive or Office 365). Update your arrival date into cell A2 and get started on your itinerary (embedded are automations/equations to make a few things quicker). This file can serve as a template for other trips as well.
Starting out from Calgary to Banff National Park: After spending a night in our rented RV in the Walmart parking lot, we popped into the store for supplies and groceries. There is an in-store Tim Horton’s, which we were overjoyed to patronize after our rough night in windy conditions. We headed to the nearby Costco next to pick up easy meal items. See our Travel Tips page (link) for more information on having a Costco membership and quick meal ideas for RV camping. We were surprised to find many of our normal go-to meals missing at this Costco; we had to get creative and improvise. But we left the area with enough food to last the first half of our big adventure.
Getting Around Banff National Park
Access to the Lakes
A note about Moraine Lake and Lake Louise access: Parks Canada does not allow personal vehicles to drive to Moraine Lake. Further, it is practically impossible to park at Lake Louise, as the parking lot is typically full by the opening time of 6 AM during peak and shoulder seasons. To access these must-see areas of Banff NP, you need reservations on the Parks Canada shuttle or Roam Public Transit. Study the rules and procedures for getting around within Banff NP carefully. Make your shuttle reservations early.
Tip for campers trying to navigate the park: While planning our trip, we searched and searched for a way to get from the campground to the shore of Lake Louise due to warnings we’d seen online about the parking lot at the lake filling up early. It would have been a 3.3 mile (5.4 km) one-way walk from the campground to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The official Park and Ride shuttles do not service the campgrounds. With the miles of hiking we had planned, the thought of adding almost 7 more miles roundtrip just to get to the lake was discouraging.
Park Shuttles
But don’t lose heart! We found the solution. The Park shuttles employees and campers on unadvertised black buses, free of charge, to some stops within the park and to the town of Lake Louise. A park employee told us about these buses, and they worked out well. In the Hard-Sided campground, the buses stop right in front of campsite #1 (where we were luckily camped!) and run about twice/hour.
We took the black bus to the Park-and-Ride for transportation to Lake Louise, and from the Park-and-Ride back to the campground. To ride the bus, just tell the driver you are staying in the campground, and you need transportation to or from the Park-and-Ride.
Tip on getting last minute Walk-Up Park-and-Ride tickets for shuttles to the lakes! The best option is absolutely to book your the shuttles as soon as reservations open. However, we were unaware that we needed shuttle reservations. By the time we realized this, we were unable to get a morning reservation for the shuttle to Lake Louise, even when trying for the last-minute tickets made available online two days in advance by Parks Canada.
Since we planned to spend the whole day at Lake Louise hiking, enjoying the lake, and visiting the Chateau, we needed to get started in the morning. Luckily, we were able to get shuttle reservations by walking up to the ticket office at the Park-and-Ride early in the morning of the day we wished to visit.
Places of Interest in Banff National Park
Banff Town
Before entering the national park, you arrive in Banff Town. The town is extremely picturesque with a mountain backdrop and is full of restaurants, shopping and lodging.
Bow Falls
We drove straight through Banff Town to Bow Falls, the first stop on our itinerary. Bow Falls is a gorgeous waterfall on the Bow River. The falls cascade only 9 meters down, but the sight of the turquoise river and the foaming water tumbling over the rocks is terrific. The Falls are in Banff National Park, so you may need to show your Canada Parks Pass here.
Parking was easy and plentiful at Bow Falls. From the waterfall, we walked the quick path up to Surprise Corner Viewpoint for a glimpse over the Bow River to the stunning Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
Banff Town Sign
Drive back through Banff Town to the Banff Town Sign (101 Mt. Norquay RD) for a picture at the iconic “BANFF” sign. Park on the roadside or at the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre across the street from the sign.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Visit the grand lobby of this hotel (free to visit) to take in the ambience, take a pic or two, or drop in for a coffee and pastry at Stocked. Book ahead (https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/dining/afternoon-tea/) if you want to enjoy afternoon tea at the hotel.
Sunshine Meadows
We had planned to spend the afternoon at Sunshine Meadows, a ski resort famous in the warm months for world-class, family friendly alpine hiking. We did not reserve the gondola though, so that we could watch the weather. If the weather is not good, as was the case the day we visited, you cannot see anything in a high altitude area like Sunshine Meadows. To visit would waste your time and money. It was hard to make this decision since hiking at Sunshine Meadows was one of the top things in our trip itinerary. To purchase Gondola tickets and for hiker information, click here.
Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park
Drive 32 km northwest from Banff Town to Johnston Canyon via the Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy 1A). Johnston Canyon is a deep and mind-blowingly beautiful canyon formed by Johnston Creek. The trail through the canyon is on elevated catwalks, providing amazing views down into the canyon and its many waterfalls. This is a family-friendly hike, with a relatively easy and short .7 mile (1.2 km) walk to the Lower Falls. Hike an additional .8 miles (1.3 km) to the Upper Falls if you wish. The roundtrip hike to the Upper Falls and back is 3 miles (5 km).
Johnston Canyon Campground
We camped in our rented RV in Campsite #65 at the adjacent Johnston Canyon Campground. This pleasant campground, set among evergreen trees, has 132 sites and is open from late May through late September.
A note about campground reservations: For 2024, reservations will open on Friday, January 26 at 8:00 am MT for reservable campgrounds in Banff NP. Some days June-August will be booked within an hour of the opening reservation time. Get an account with Parks Canada (required – you will be assigned a “GC Key” which you will use to login) in advance of opening date and be ready to log in and jump on your preferred campground spots.
However, if you miss this window, don’t give up hope. Check other campgrounds within the park. We found that the Johnston Canyon campground had availability for late August when we booked in March. Also, some campgrounds are reservable, while others are first-come-first-served. Carefully check the Parks Canada reservations website for reservation dates and information. Keep in mind that just because a campground is inside the park does not mean that it is located near your planned activities.
Bow Valley Parkway
Our next destination was Moraine Lake via the Bow Valley Parkway. Since we had a late morning shuttle reservation for Moraine Lake, we enjoyed the drive to the Lake Louise area along the Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy 1A). The beautiful Bow Valley Parkway travels through an evergreen forest and provides stunning views of the Rocky Mountain peaks. There are plentiful picnic areas along the parkway. At Morant’s Curve, the train tracks form an S-shape, running along beside the gorgeous Bow River with the mountains as a stunning backdrop.
Moraine Lake
Get ready to have your mind blown by the stupendously beautiful Moraine Lake! Upon arriving to the lake via the Parks Canada shuttle, you can use the pit toilets located in the transportation drop off area before beginning your Moraine Lake experience. Next, hike up the “Rockpile” for views down to the gorgeous, highly photogenic Moraine Lake. The lake ranks high among the most beautiful places we have ever visited.
The water is a surreal aquamarine color due to glacial runoff (silt), and the lake is set in a stupendous mountain backdrop. Spend at least 30 minutes on the Rockpile taking photos and taking in the views. This area can become crowded, but hang around long enough for crowds to disperse. This is the spot to get your next Christmas card photo!
Hiking at Moraine Lake
We researched all of the day hikes at Moraine Lake and chose two that were highly recommended, fit our plans for the day, and our interests.
Consolation Lakes to the First Lake
– This 3.6 mile out-and-back trail is relatively flat and family friendly. From the Rockpile, follow the signs to Consolation Lakes. Early on, you will need to walk over a boulder field, but do not be deterred. You will soon be back on a beautiful, sometimes wooded, sometimes open trail.
The first lake is a fine stopping point with stunning views of the Tower of Babel and other mountains and scree fields. The lake here is gorgeous; climbing over a few rocks positions you at your own spot to relax, picnic and take photos. There is a large rock formation a little further on that you can climb, but finding your spot on the lake and relaxing is preferable.
You can continue on to the second lake, but there is a difficult boulder field to traverse. We opted to stop at the first lake. Remember, some experiences are not always worth the opportunity cost in time!
Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail
The trail along the Moraine Lake shoreline is an easy, 2.3 mile out-and-back walk. Along the way, you are treated to magnificent views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Canoes and kayaks dot the lake, and the color contrasts are amazing.
At the turnaround point, you will be at the mouth of the glacial flow, an exciting place for a stop. This is truly a must on your itinerary. Many visitors to Moraine Lake take this trail so it can become crowded but as you get further away from the shuttle bus area, crowds thin out. There are benches along the way, some in the shade.
Lake Louise
Please see above for vital information on getting to Lake Louise.
The Lake Louise area is the tourist mecca in the park and for good reason. The Rocky Mountains provide a magnificent backdrop for the turquoise waters of this glacial lake. The gorgeous, white Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sits right on the lake in a manicured garden setting. If you only walk to the lakeshore in front of the hotel, you will contend with crowds, tourists, and selfie-sticks. However, within a short walk along the shoreline from the Chateau, the crowds thin out. Sit on a bench enjoying the lake or walk all the way to the “back” of the lake where it is filled by the melting glacier.
Since we were here for a full day of hiking, we quickly moved beyond the shoreline, even though our jaws were dropping at the stunning views.
As noted above, the parking lot at Lake Louise fills up by 6:00 AM. See above for tips and links to shuttle reservations and navigating the park.
Hiking at Lake Louise
There are not enough superlatives to describe the hiking at Lake Louise. Between the stunning, turquoise-jeweled lakes, gorgeous forests, alpine meadows with beautiful wildflowers, expansive mountain vistas, and plentiful glaciers, your jaw will be dropping at every turn. To do the hikes we’ve outlined, you need to have reasonable fitness. But no scrambling is required. If you have time to stop and rest as needed, you can do these hikes!
We opted for a loop from the Lake Louise shoreline to the Lake Agnes Teahouse, then over to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, then back down to the Lake Louise shoreline, for a total of roughly 8 miles (12.8 km).
First Leg
The first leg of our hike was to the Lake Agnes Teahouse. To get there, hike 2.1 miles from the Lake Louise shoreline. You will hike uphill almost all the way; this is a moderately difficult climb. But the views of Lake Louise below, and the fantastic evergreen forest surrounding you, make it all worthwhile. Around the 1.8 mile mark, you arrive at the aptly named Mirror Lake. This is a popular rest stop and a beautiful place to drink some water and rest your legs.
The hike from here to Lake Agnes is steeper with switchbacks, but well worth the effort. Shortly before arriving at the Lake Agnes Teahouse, you will pass a beautiful waterfall. The area at the base of the fall can become crowded. A 57-stair climb then brings you up to the lake and the Teahouse. The exquisitely scenic lake, which lies just beyond the Teahouse, is surrounded by jagged mountain peaks. Since the Teahouse is an iconic hiking destination, lines for food, drink and toilets here can be long. We opted to enjoy snacks our own snacks and then hike on to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse.
Second Leg
The hike from the Lake Agnes Teahouse to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse is about 2.5 miles. The trail first descends until you can once again see Lake Louise and the chateau in the distance. The views down to the lake as you continue up the valley are breathtaking. Soon you will begin a steady climb to the Plain of Six Glaciers. This area is exposed along a ridge, but not difficult. Within .6 miles of the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, the trail begins a significant climb until you reach the Teahouse.
There were no lines at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, and by now, we were quite hungry. So, we opted for a bit of a splurge, saving our remaining packed snacks. For about $60 including tip, we shared a cheese sandwich, 2 orders of tea biscuits with strawberry jam, lemon scones, and we each had a coffee (try the highly recommended Arlo Barlo, which is spiced chocolate with coffee). This is a bit of a splurge, but otherwise the day was not costing us much. It was well worth the money to sit on the porch of the Teahouse, relaxing and rejuvenating.
Third Leg
Vistas from this area are outstanding, with views of multiple glaciers. While the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse is a popular hiking destination, it does not feel crowded. Rather, there is plenty of space to spread out at tables inside (upstairs), on the porch, and in the area around the porch. We stayed here about one hour. There are pit toilets up the hill to the left of the Teahouse near the trail where you hiked in. These were a relief after several hours of hiking. You can also fill your water bottles at the Plain of Six Glaciers.
From the Teahouse, there is a trail that leads about one kilometer further up to views of the glaciers and streams of melt.
Fourth Leg
From the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse back down to the Chateau Lake Louise is a 3.3 mile (5.3 km) hike. We were glad to be traveling downhill by this point, although the steepness in places was hard on the knees. Watch out for loose rock too, as it can be slippery. The first sections of this trail are exposed, and the afternoon sun can be hot and dehydrating. Wear your hat and drink plenty of water. But the hiking is epic, with vast sweeping vistas of mountains, glaciers, and Lake Louise far below.
Finally, you arrive at the end of Lake Louise where the glacial melt runs into the lake. The scenery here is surreal, with silt “beaches” and marshes, making it a fantastic place to take a break and snap some photos.
From here, the white Chateau glimmers in the afternoon sun, and the surrounding mountains are breathtaking. Follow the shoreline 1.8 miles (2.9 km) back to the Chateau Lake Louise.
This was our first real time on the lake since we had been in a hurry to get on trail early in the day. Now we could see its magnificent beauty as we walked along the shoreline. While we prefer Moraine Lake for its awe-inspiring colors and the ability to get away from crowds (by walking just a short distance), Lake Louise is a must-see. And thankfully, we didn’t have to choose!
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park
After a long day hiking, we popped into this famous hotel to see the grand lobby and visit the Chateau Deli (down the hall from the lobby, open 24 hours, sells coffee, teas, cold drinks, pastries and sandwiches) for coffee. Then we headed back to the transit area for our shuttle ride back to the Park-and-Ride center.
Canoeing on Lake Louise
Taking a canoe out onto Lake Louise is a popular way to spend time here. And for good reason – the setting is magical. However, the cost is high and when we visited, the rental line was long. The Chateau runs the canoe rental operation; overnight guests have priority (and and receive lower rental rates). A ½ hour rental was $165 when we visited. This experience is not worth the money to us. We can see the lake, hike along its shore, and hike above it for free.
Camping near Lake Louise
We were lucky to get a campsite in the Lake Louise Hard-Sided Campground, which is only for RVs, vans and trailers. The campground is situated in a scenic area near the Bow River with lovely snow-capped mountain views. A trail runs along the river.
The facilities seem new and modern with large bathhouses. As with other campgrounds at Banff NP, book your spot here as early as possible. We booked our site in March for an early September stay.
Banff National Park offers the nearby Soft-Sided campground for tents; it is surrounded by an electric fence to prevent bear incidents.
Make sure to also check out our separate guide to the Icefields Parkway in Banff and Jasper National Parks.
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