Sign in with Facebook"The Canadian Rockies" Top 5 Page for this destination Banff National Park by Camping_Girl
Banff National Park Travel Guide: 909 reviews and 1,522 photos
I am so fortunate to live within a 2 hour drive of the town of Banff. The country here is so beautiful.
Lake Louise and Field are close enough to Banff that you can easily visit all three places from one base, there's no need to pack up and move from hotel to hotel. Its about a 45 minute drive from Banff to Lake Louise, and Field is about another 20 minutes or so past LL.
Jasper is a different story. It is about a 3 hour drive from LL to Jasper, with the Columbia Icefields about midway between the two. You should plan on a full day to travel the Icefields Parkway, there are so many things to see along the way. I would strongly urge anyone planning on visiting Jasper to spend a few nights in Jasper as well. The travelling distance is great enough that you could never do justice to Jasper on a day trip from Banff.
My suggestion would be to allow a minimum of 3 days in Banff area, 1 day to travel from Banff to Jasper, and 2 days in Jasper, if your schedule permits this.
Now that I have established the closeness of LL and Field to Banff, you will understand why all my tips for all 3 areas are being headed up under Banff. It makes it a lot simpler for everyone to see what you can easily see in a day trip from Banff or LL.
- Pros:Beautiful Scenery, Turquoise Lakes, Waterfalls
- Cons:Really crowded during July and August
- In a nutshell:Stunning Scenery and Lots to Do
Reviews (30)
Peyto Lake
Off The Beaten Path
(4)
Peyto Lake is one of the most photographed lakes in Banff National Park. As you go from lake to lake with the mountain... more travel advice
Scenic Drive - Bow Valley Parkway
Things to Do
(16)
The Bow Valley Parkway is the original #1 highway through the park. It is now the #1A highway, and is called the Bow... more travel advice
Spray Lakes Trail
Off The Beaten Path
(4)
The Spray Lakes Trail (also called the Smith Dorrien Trail) is a well-maintained gravel road that winds up out of the... more travel advice
The Hoodoos
Things to Do
(16)
The hoodoos are an interesting geologic formation created by thousands of years of erosion. The wind over the years has... more travel advice
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Restaurants (4)
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Hotels (3)
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Local Customs (1)
Taxi Mike
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Warnings Or Dangers (1)
Ice Crevasses -
What to Pack (1)
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Banff National Park Travel Guide
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Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in Banff National Park
- Replied to jerrybarach's Travel Banff National Park Forum Forum Question "How to see the Canadian Rockies..."
- updated a Banff National Park Travel Page "The Canadian Rockies"
- Uploaded a Photo to "Ice Crevasses"
- Wrote a Review Peyto Lake about Lakes in Banff National Park Off The Beaten Path
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Photos in Banff National Park
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Theme Park Trips
National/State Park
Road TripLatest Banff National Park hotel reviews
- The Glacier View Inn
- 65 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2012 - Mt. Assiniboine Lodge
- 13 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Aug 10, 2011 - Patricia Lake Bungalows
- 425 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2012 - Banff Springs Hotel
- 67 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 20, 2012 - Bow Valley Motel
- 61 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 20, 2012 - Homeplace Ranch
- 19 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Aug 28, 2011 - Mt. Engadine Lodge
- 45 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 8, 2012 - Banff Squirrel's Nest
- 10 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jul 17, 2011 - Bed & Breakfast on Mountain Lane
- 4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Nov 8, 2008 - Brewster's Kananaskis Guest Ranch
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Latest: Sep 23, 2011
Comments (16)
See my last visit here was 2007 and you have tips with stunning views dated after this so have enjoyed another roam around lovely Banff thanks - have to come visit here for real one day!...and is your main pic the hotel that was the setting for The Shining?! Glad you liked my Como page/Italy pics - thanks for rating a tip. Enjoy your Christmas week!
Sometimes it is difficult to describe in words just how beautiful a place is, but it was easy for me after seeing some of your photos of Banff, my description was "WOW". Martin
Banff National Park is splendid - we love our national parks... coming to Yosemite in August - have done most of South Africa's ones!
Such a beautiful part of Canada. I plan on visiting my son there in June. Can't wait , its been awile.
Spray lakes, Paint Pots, Surprise Corner, Hoodoos? Boy, people need to save your tips so they can walk around safely! And thank you for writting a great tip on a bad restaurant. Too few of those are written about places we should avoid.
an excellent page and great pics, thanks for sharing ! These ice-sculptures are looking interesting as well !
Thanks for the tips on Banff. Hope to get there this summer.
I will definitely have to come back and take a look at your pages again. Went through there in 1996, as part of providing technical support for a passenger car on the Rocky Mountaineer train.
Exquisite details in those tips! Thanks so much...
have just found your page and found it very helpful as i am traveling 2 vancouver for 4 days then 16 days in an rv in the rockies thanks very much
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