Banff National Park Attractions
Banff National Park Attractions
 | Banff Gondola Banff National Park, Canada The eight-minute, enclosed gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain, elevation 7,486 feet, gifts you with panoramic views. At the summit, stroll the Banff Skywalk along the ridge to Sanson's Peak Meteorological Station or try the more difficult South East Ridge Trail hike. If you don't want to walk, take in the view from the restaurant's observation deck, a good spot to base yourself with toddlers. Arrive early to avoid the long lines for the lift in summer. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Banff Park Museum Banff National Park, Canada In the town of Banff, stop at this historic log building, constructed in 1903, for full park information and guides. Mounted animals -- grizzly, goats, musk ox, beaver -- fill the museum. Some kids like the close-up look; my daughter, however, flees in horror. "Stuffed, dead animals," as she calls them, unnerve her. So warn your children, just in case. In the Discovery Room, watch wildlife videos, touch fossils and try to identify animal pelts by touching samples. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Bow Valley Parkway Banff National Park, Canada Spruce and pine line the scenic Bow Valley Parkway, the original road linking the town of Banff to Lake Louise. Through clearings along the way you'll witness lakes, wooded hillsides, the green bow river and mountain peaks. Along this parkway, quieter and slower going than the Trans-Canada Highway, there's a much better likelihood of spotting animals. Almost as soon as we turned onto the road, we came into an "Elkjam," one of the traffic slow-ups caused by an elk grazing alongside the side of the road. One big boy sported a seven-point rack. A little further on we passed a black bear foraging up a hillside. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Hiking Banff National Park, Canada With more than 1,000 miles of trail, Banff National Parks offers plenty of paths. For a relatively easy hike, we like the Tunnel Mountain trail. Accessible from the town of Banff, the 1.4-mile trail leads to the mountain's summit, providing great views of the Bow Valley. Both Emerald Lake and Lake Louise offer additional easy family hikes with little elevation gain but with gorgeous scenery. In July and August wildflowers lace the Garden Path Trail, at Sunshine Village ski area. For more difficult hikes, a favorite of ours is the half-day, 4-mile round-trip trek up to Lake Agnes and the Tea House, accessible from Lake Louise. On the half-day, 4-mile Stanley Glacier hike, much of the 750-foot gain in elevation is near the beginning. The 15-mile trail through narrow Johnston Canyon leads you across wooden footbridges and past waterfalls. Several outfitters offer guided hikes within the park, including the Mountain Heritage Guide Program at the Chateau Lake Louise. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Horseback Riding Banff National Park, Canada Feel like a Canadian cowboy when you explore Banff on horseback. Several stables, including Brewster Lake Louise Stable, Holiday on Horseback (Warner Guiding & Outfitting), and Timberline Tours, offer scenic one- to two-hour rides as well as half-day and full-day rides. Holiday's Explorer day ride through the Spray River Valley includes a Western barbecue lunch. Timberline even takes toddlers for a short "walk" atop a horse. In winter, Brewster and Holiday offer sleigh rides. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Ice Skating Banff National Park, Canada During the winter the Canadian Rockies have a formidable beauty and the entire family can ice skate with towering peaks and pines as a backdrop. The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel has an ice skating rink and when Lake Louise freezes, you'll glide through a picture-book setting. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Lake Louise Banff National Park, Canada Lake Louise, located within Banff National Park, is our favorite base for exploring the park. The emerald green lake is spectacular and the region has a range of hikes from easy lakeside strolls to more difficult ascents. With the town of Banff 35 miles from the lake, you'll be removed from the townâs summer crowds yet close enough to get into town for dining at one of the restaurants. Like the park area near the town of Banff, the Lake Louise region also has a sightseeing gondola and horseback riding. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Lake Minnewanka Banff National Park, Canada The largest lake in Banff National Park, Lake Minnewanka, with its mountain views, provides classic Canadian Rockies scenery. As the park's only lake to allow motorized boating, Minnewanka is popular and, at times, crowded. Arrive early. The hour-long cruise is enough for us, even if we only spot some deer along the lakeshore. (Be sure to bring binoculars). For those who want more time on the water, there are 2.5- and 3.5-hour cruises as well as guided fishing trips. (Reserve in advance.) Lake Minnewanka is reachable within a 20-minute drive from the town of Banff. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Skiing and Snowboarding Banff National Park, Canada With three ski areas Banff National Park offers nearly 8,000 acres of terrain plus a long ski season, stretching from mid-November through mid-May. As U.S. slopes close down in April, Banff is the perfect place for ski buffs to extend the season, and even during the spring months Banff practically guarantees snow. Sunshine Village, about 20 minutes from the town of Banff, has 3,300 acres of terrain. Lake Louise, with 4,200 skiable acres, is the largest of Banff's three ski areas. You can purchase lift tickets that allow you to ski all three areas. In addition, the park has 50 miles of groomed cross-county trails. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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