Banff National Park Things to Do Tips by lazyman_1

Sunwapta Falls Lakes /Mountains /Glaciers / Waterfalls Review

The sunwapta falls are located just off the Icefeilds parkway and make for a great quick stop just to take a look at yet another of the Parks gorgeous waterfalls.

Address: Anywhere in Banff National Park

Spirit Island

Located well inside Jasper National Park, I had to make the drive to Maligne lake to visit spirit Island. The island itself is a cluster of only about 30 or 40 trees on a small spit of land just offshore. The only way to access the island is by a 1.5 hour roundtrip boat tour where you will only spend approximately 15 minutes at the island site. This was a must see for me as spirit Island was another iconic Canadian image that i had seen photos of several times in my life. Having finally had the chance to visit was amazing. The island, with it's emerald green waters, is a very special place, to see photos does not do it justice. It is a tranquil, peaceful and beautiful spot which seems to encompass the nature of the entire park.
The name Spirit Island comes from an American photographer who first photographed the Island in the 1930's. He entered his photo in a national Kodak photo contest and won.When asked why he chose to name his photo "Spirit Island", he declared that he felt this image embodied the true spirit of the Canadian Rockies. Hard to argue that.

Maligne Canyon

Maligne Canyon is located well within Jasper national park. The canyon is very narrow and has rushing watter at the bottom some 40-50 feet below. you can walk the paved pathways that run along the top of the canyon but often times the views looking down are not the greatest. I'd researched visiting the canyon in the wintertime as the wate freezes over which allows you to walk along the canyon floor on the ice. That, i think, would be amazing!

Athabasca Flls Athabasca Falls/Glacier Review

The Athabasca falls thunder down through a narrow gorge. A walkway has been built for you to observe them from different vantage points which all provide great views of the rushing water. paved pathways can be found on both side so you can walk downstream and see the water crash and swirl around the many obstacles through the narrow canyon. Located directly off the icefield parkway, this is a definate stop!

Address: Ice Field Parkway.

Bridal Veil Falls Lakes /Mountains /Glaciers / Waterfalls Review

You can spot this mulit tiered waterfall directly off the icefields parkway in Jasper National Park. their are signs that mark the viewpoint and a small parking lot. worth a 5-10 minute stop to have a look.

Address: Anywhere in Banff National Park

Crowfoot Glacier

Formerly the glacier had three pronounced fingers that appeared to be gripping the mountain in the same way a crows foor would. The third and lowest "finger" of the glacier has melted away leaving only two. This was a quick stop along the icefeilds parkway but i'm glad i took the time.

Peyto Lake Peyto Lake Review

Peyto lake was gorgeous! a short 10 minute hike brings you to a viewing area where you get a panoramic view of the lake and the mountain that stand by the shores. Shaped like the head of a wolf, the lake exhibits that sparking blue colour that Ablerta glacial lakes all have. Don't even think about skipping this stop as it is directly along the icefields parkway and there are many signs pointing you here.

Address: Ice Field Parkway # 93 Highway.

Takakkaw Falls

Measuring in as Canada's second highest waterfall, Takakkaw Falls doesn't not dissappoint. The official measurement puts the falls at 384 meters. The water hits the rock part way down causing the water to shoot outwards which makes for a great site to see. The actual freefalling water travels 254 meters down. Because of the height the water drops, there is s lot of mist in the air, so much so that you need to take care of your cameras and realize that if you spend 10 or 15 minutes close enough to the base of the falls, you'll leave soaking wet.

Chateau Lake Louise Lake Louise/Chateau Lake Louise. Review

The chateau Lake louise is part of the historic Fairmont chain of hotels spanning the country. built in the early days of the Canadian national Railways as a luxury hotel for the burgeoning tourism industry in the west, The hotel is not as appealing as others in this series. After visitng the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec city and the Banff Springs Hotel, Lake Louise just doesn't compare. It appears to be undergoing a facelift at the moment as there were several construction sites at the hotel while i was there so in the coming years, maybe we'll have a spruced up hotel to visit.

Address: 36 Miles or 56 Kilometers from Banff

Bow Lake Bow Lake Review

One of the many worthwhile viewpoints along the Icefields parkway is Bow lake. The water, like all Alberta lakes seemingly, is an amazing blue colour. The crowfoot mountain in the farground gives the lake a nice backdrop.

Address: # Highway 93 Icefield Parkway