Banff National Park is one of Canada's outstanding tourist attractions, attracting millions of visitors annually. Encompassing part of the rocky mountains, the park is home to a beautiful turquoise lake reflecting snow-capped peaks and glaciers and forests. Since 1985, it has been included in the list of UNESCO-protected natural and cultural monuments.
About Banff National Park: With the Cascade Mountains stretching to the north and Mount Sulfur to the south, the town of Banff is set against the backdrop of Canada's Rocky Mountains. Travellers will be spoiled with an incredible mix of luxury lodges, perfect snow, popular restaurants and vibrant nightlife. With its chilly summer appeal, Banff draws visitors to its shops, spas and mountainside year-round.
Best Banff National Park Tour Package
- Banff Gondola
- Moraine Lake
- Icefields Parkway
- Peyto Lake
- Johnston Canyon
Most Popular Banff National Park attractions
Banff Gondola
Banff Gondola is close to Banff at a speed of 2.5 km. The exact address is 100 Mountain Ave, and you can quickly drive there by driving to the end of Banff Avenue towards Cascade Gardens. Turn left onto Spray Avenue, then right onto Mountain Avenue. Drive past the luxurious Rimrock Hotel until you reach a dead end in the parking lot of Banff Gondola. Parking is never an issue in winter, but in summer, the area is congested, so it might be worth using the free shuttle operated by ROAM Transit. Route 1 departs from downtown Banff for $2 one way. In winter, you can show your Banff cable car ticket to the bus driver for a free round trip. Local buses to Banff Gondola every 40 minutes.
Moraine Lake
Between Lake Louise and Jasper, the road follows a narrow valley that flows north-south for 230 kilometres between glaciated peaks in the main range of the Rocky Mountains. Frequent views with parking lots provide an opportunity to enjoy stunning views, and interpretive plaques fill the background of the local landscape and history. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats – on the side of the road or the top – romantic waterfalls, sparkling turquoise waters of mountain lakes, rising ice, and snowy mountain peaks all make the journey an infinite variety.
Imagined as the opposite of the twenty-dollar Canadian bill, Moraine Lake in the Ten Peaks Valley is arguably as impressive as Lake Louise but attracts fewer visitors. The beautiful turquoise water is surrounded by ten peaks, each more than 3,000 meters high, and Glacier Wenkchemna. The lake is located outside Lake Louise, and the 13-kilometre road that leads from Lake Louise to Lake Moraine reveals one incredible sight.
A 1.5-kilometre path runs along the northwest coast near the parking area. It's a flat and easy ride. The most scenic walk involves a short ascent of the Rockpile Trail to the best views of the lake and the sights most commonly seen on posters and postcards. It only takes about 20 minutes, but most people linger in the point of view. A popular, albeit heavy, day hike leads from the lake to Sentinel Pass, one of the highest passing mountains in Banff National Park.
Icefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is one of the most beautiful highways in Canada. It crosses the northern part of Banff National Park and the southern part of Jasper National Park and forms a link between Trans-Canada Highway 1 and Yellowhead Highway 16. Unlike the busy Trans-Canada Highway, Icefields Parkway is pure and is only an excursion route through very high mountain views.
Peyto Lake
The long, steep trail from Bow Pass leads 2.5 kilometres to Peyto Lake, named after the mountain guide Bill Peyto, who began exploring the area in 1894 and took large-capacity horses north past the Bow Summit.
Johnston Canyon
About 26 kilometres along the Bow Valley Parkway is the entrance to Johnston Canyon, with two waterfalls. The trail leads through the canyon, with bridges along cliff walls allowing visitors to experience being in one of these unique gorges. The road continues around six kilometres on the far side of the canyon, leading to Ink Ink, a group of springs. Two of these are especially striking due to the bluish-green colour of the water. Most visitors survive on the lower levels, while those with more time and energy take the more challenging path to the Ink Pot. Johnston Canyon is an impressive site in summer and winter, although it sees very few visitors outside of summer.
At an altitude of 2,068 meters, the Bow Pass is the highest route in Banff National Park and the watershed between the river systems of the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers. A short branch road leads to the majestic view of Lake Peyto, and other places can be reached on foot about a kilometre from the parking area. Peyto Lake is the unique turquoise colour of the many glacier-fed lakes in the area and is especially beautiful in mid-to-late summer when the mountain meadows of the Bow Summit are filled with wildflowers.
Canada is a tourist destination that can be your reference when travelling abroad. In Canada, there are a lot of tours, culinary and unique facts about the country. Are you interested in taking a vacation this year to Canada...?
Post a Comment