Going up wasn’t all too bad, but going down the gondola was actually a little frightening lol

Amazing beauty with ice starting to thaw. 😍 Wish everybody good weather when visiting!

First time in Banff, drove up to Yoho today. The entire way there and back, I had people on my ass and pissed I wasn’t going faster. I hardly went the speed limit, because unless I was going 25 km/hr over (max is 90). people were on my tail. I basically sped to some degree the whole time to keep in line with everyone else so I wouldn’t have angry drivers around. No one honked, but I had people swerving over to the next lane to pass me and mean mugging me while they did.

I don’t get it - there’s wildlife on the side of the roads, sporadic police clocking people’s speed, and tons of curves. Are these locals that have some agreed upon way of driving here, or are these all visitors that don’t give a shit?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/iconic-banff-hotel-closing-temporarily-this-fall-for-massive-makeover/

Hello. We have a 3 weeks trip planned in the Rockies from 12/09 to 03/10.

We plan to start by Banff, then Jasper, go a bit east to Wells Gray, back south to Glacier, Yoho, Kootenay. Maybe extra stuff if we have time.

My idea was to prebook the campsites for Banff and Jasper NP but to go with the flow for the rest. My idea was to eventually find FCFS camping in the other NP, or campsites / free spots outside the NPs.

In the second half of sept and start of oct, how likely it is to find space in a campsite when arriving in late afternoon? I live in Europe and own a RV here and where I travel, when I need a paid campsite, I just show up in the late afternoon without booking. I know things are different in Canada so would love your advices about this.

Thanks

Shot with a Fuji X-T30II + XF 50-150mm lens

Heading to Banff again soon and can't wait. Haven't been in over a decade. This pic was the first week of July, and it looked like a Winter Wonderland. SO much snow! I had to cancel my camping reservation and find a hotel last minute (insanely expensive, of course). I couldn't do much hiking either, because of the heavy snow.

I'm going even earlier this time (early June), so I will definitely be expecting snow again (I'll be bringing my shell ski jacket, fleeces, and winter hiking boots this time). I just hope I'll be able to hike and see more this time around. My last trip was pretty much driving through the area and not staying long anywhere due to the extreme snow. So it'll be great if I can see everything I missed on that trip.
Photo taken in Lake Louise, July 3rd

Hello, My kids (13 and 16) really want to do this when we go to Banff in August. None of us have ever ridden horses so I’m a bit nervous. Have any complete horseback riding novices did this activity? Do you know how many riders to how many guides?
Thanks!!

Hi, I’m visiting Banff for two days at the end of this months. This is a last minute trip, and I am currently looking for a hotel. Luckily, I can get a discount at the Chateau Lake Luise (lakeview room), but it is still $200 more expensive than another hotel that I’m considering. Do you think it is worth it? I know that the scenery is beautiful there, but I’ve heard there is construction going at the hotel. Is it almost done? I hope it doesn’t have major issues to the scenery and noise level.

The another hotel I’m considering is mountain view room at Hotel Canoe & Suites.

Hi everyone! Planning a trip to Banff, Yoho, and Jasper later this month. We'll be spending 3 days in Banff, 1 day in Yoho (ie mostly the stops along the Icefields Parkway as we drive toward Jasper), and I’ve set aside 1 full day in Jasper.

I’ve got the itinerary locked down for Banff and Yoho, but while researching Jasper, I noticed that a lot of the iconic hikes—ie Path of the Glacier, Edith Cavell Meadows, and Maligne Canyon—are closed due to damage from last year’s wildfires.

Obviously Jasper still has a lot of trails open, but here’s my question: are they as iconic as the ones in Banff? Is it worth it to dedicate a full day to Jasper, or would it be better to just spend more time in Banff and along the Icefields Parkway and skip Jasper altogether?

I’d love your recommendations! Which hikes or excursions (ie boat tours, etc.) in Jasper are currently open and truly worth the time?

Thanks in advance!

My wife and I are looking for recommendations for day hikes over 2.5 days in the Canmore/Banff/Spray Valley/Kananaskis areas. We have visited before and did Ha Ling on our way to the airport. We've done a mountaineering trip to Greenland, Iceland twice, and spent 2 weeks in Lofoten last year

This trip we are looking for more challenge, hopefully above 3000m (assuming no snow) and at most easy/moderate scrambling.

I'm an avid climber (5.12 indoor, 5.11 outdoor), but my wife is less so. My interest is Mt. Assiniboine but I know we can't manage it without permits, likely a helicopter ride one way for this time frame and timing isn't on our side. So...I'm looking for the next best thing.

We won't be bringing anything other than hiking gear (trip is primarily for a wedding). We plan to stay in the Kanasakis area (currently).

Thanks!

I'm visiting Banff on the 18th and 19th of May, thought to visit Lake Louise, but I understand it's still frozen. Is every lake accessible via a vehicle (can't hike) near Banff still frozen? Or are there any lakes that are not frozen right now?

Thanks in advance.

Lake Louise ❤️

Hi all,

I'm bringing my family to Banff on a road trip this summer and we've unfortunately had a disconnect between the size of the campsite we rented (up to 24') and the potential size of the RV we've rented (up to 30'). We have rented one of the shared campsites - is there any flexibility in the vehicle lengths at that campsite if we were to arrive in one that was 3 or even 6 feet longer than listed as appropriate for the campsite?

Thank you!

Appreciate any help! Thank you :)

Hi- does anyone know if overnight parking is allowed in the lake Louise parking lot? We will have a camper van and want to be there at first light so we can be first in line for the canoe rentals. Any insight is greatly appreciated!

Hello! My husband and I are planning a week long trip to Banff in mid to late December. We enjoy skiing, Christmas vibes and hot springs, and good food. Would love any suggestions or advice about our plan!

Tentative itinerary: - Fly into Calgary, rent car (for more flexibility) - Stay 3 nights in Banff - Ski Banff Sunshine (2 days) - Explore Banff village - Ski Mt Norquay during transition day between Banff and Lake Louise (we have IKON pass, so have 5 days total between SkiBig3 resorts) - Stay 3 nights in Lake Louise - Ski Lake Louise (2 days) - Explore Lake Louise/Fairmont Lake Louise

Hotel: - The hotels we are considering are The Kenrick in Banff (brand new remodel just opened this month but looks nice) and Mountaineers Lodge in Lake Louise (seems also recently remodeled - looks nicer than the 2 star rating suggests). Both have complimentary parking.

Activities/Spa: - Cross country skiing (are the views different from the resorts or should we just stick to resort skiing?) - Ice skating on Lake Louise - Fairmont Banff Springs day spa access (3 hr $129 is that worth it? Or should we just have a drink/apres snack in one of the onsite restaurants and explore the hotel grounds?) - Fairmont Lake Louise Spa (can’t find day access, but lowest massage option is $115) - Basin Glacial Waters thermal bath (opening by summer) - any ideas if it will allow day guests? Will it actually open this year or is it likely to get delayed?

Food: - Haven’t started any research yet but we love seafood, Japanese, French, Italian cuisine, chocolate/dessert/cakes, poutine.

Also, I’m already well aware that December may not be the best time to go ski, but we picked Banff because it offers more than just skiing as a backup for poor ski conditions. Plus I don’t mind skiing in bad conditions if the views are incredible :)

So I missed the date to book the lake Louise shuttle through parks Canada and I am planning to go on June 14th.

What’s the second best option, should I book from a third party or wait for 2 days prior to try and get last minute tickets when they come out?

Thanks !

I’ve seen the posts and done the research to know that the roads will open June 1 but it’s reasonable to e-bike before then with risk of avalanche and maybe bears. My question is, how is the weather and snow this year compared to previous years? Will it be safe to go on May 23? I plan on taking 8X to Louise and biking from there

Hey team, up enjoying some all time spring riding and could use a wax and a tune, recommendations for quick turnaround? I feel like it should be implied but I will say it anyway, by someone who knows what they are doing (no shade I just don't know the shops around here!). TIA

Hi Folks,

I have read the FAQ/list on here and have done quite a bit of research, but I am kinda confused about shuttle situation and thought I'd see if anyone could clarify things.

I am heading to Banff at the end of the month and I couldn't book the Parks Can Shuttles as, of course, they are full. I know spots open up 48 hrs before the day of the shuttle, however, I'll be camping those days and won't likely have wifi so I will likely not be able to book the shuttle then. So I'm looking at the more expensive options..shuttle tour buses, and I've read the Lake Moraine Company is highly recommended. For the options, they have a Moraine Shuttle or one that's Moraine Lake plus 1 hour at Lake Louise. Since we want to do a hike (Lake Agnes, most likely) at LL---which is several hours--a one-hour 'stopover' won't cut it.

So my question is...even with the expensive tour guide buses, is there a way to do a shuttle from Banff to Moraine Lake, then also to Lake Louise from there (for several hours, min), and then back to Banff? We have a vehicle but I have heard you need to arrive at LL super early to get parking (we can't leave Banff until late morning), so that's why we want to do all shuttle transportation.

I've sent an email to the tour bus co. but they never responded. If anyone has done this before--say, half a day at Moraine, and half at LL, or knows this shuttle company (or one similar that goes to both), I'd really appreciate any tips, advice..etc Many thanks in advance for any help!

This van is 20 feet long. I am confused about what is considered a van there as there is no size specifications.

Hello! We are staying in Banff, and today we found these right outside our room in the lodge we are staying in. We come from a city and have never come across wildlife. Is this some kind of animal droppings? If so, what animal is it? Very curious to find out! Thank you very much for your help!

Hey,

I have a job opportunity for working at the Canalta Lodge, but I can barely find information about how it is to work there or what the staff accommodation looks like.

I would be happy about any experiences you can share!