Tunnel Mountain Campground
Arriving in an RV? Camp at Tunnel Mountain Campground. It’s nice, clean and close to town.
Settle in and head to town.
Banff Avenue is the primary artery of town. It’s lined with a myriad of establishments, from cafes and restaurants to stores and bars! A stroll down Banff Avenue is the perfect way to get acquainted with this gorgeous little town.
We started out walking and had a cocktail at Rose & Crown. Ate dinner at Coyotes, a favorite of our friends, Len and Shelley. After dinner, we explored more of the area, stopping at St. James Irish Pub for live music before heading home.
There are a range of nightlife options, catering to all kinds of nights on the town.
Crown and Rose.
Coyotes
St. James Irish Pub
Live Music
Live music at the Gate every Thursday, Friday & Saturday Starting at 8 pm
Every Thursday for Irish Night: Brent Lee https://www.brentleemusic.com/
Day 2 Johnston Canyon
A prospector named Johnston is said to have discovered the creek in the 1880’s. During that frontier era, miners sought their fortunes along the newly laid tracks of the Canadian Pacific Railway. When Johnstons dreams didn’t pan out he must have moved on, leaving nothing but his name behind.
Following the trail upwards takes you past two waterfalls: Lower Johnston Falls, and Upper Johnston Falls. The Lower Falls hike is short and easy, with the falls located just over half a mile from the trailhead. It’s around a 1-hour round trip and is really easygoing on the whole!
From the Lower Falls, you can continue walking for an additional ½ hour in order to reach the Upper Falls, located around 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from the trailhead. Many people highly recommend visiting both waterfalls..
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can continue on from the Upper Falls for another hour or so to reach Ink Pots. Here, you’ll find beautiful turquoise ponds of mineral water that bubble up through the earth!
After breakfast in Banff, we drove to the Gondola.
- Why it’s awesome: Amazing views, a scenic walk, and a world-class interpretive center
The Banff Gondola soars you to the top of Sulphur Mountain! The cozy 4-person pods are modern and made of glass, allowing you to enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery as you ascend.
The gondola ride is 6 minutes long, finishing at the summit with an interactive center full of activities and knowledge!!
Your first stop atop Sulphur Mountain should be the large rooftop observation deck. From here, the panoramic views are unparalleled; swooping downwards to the town of Banff and Bow Valley, and outward to six mountain ranges!
Next, enjoy an easy-going stroll along the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk. It’s a half-mile (1km) self-guided, interpretive trail, meaning there are several informational stops along the way! The placards you pass will provide interesting facts and information on the area’s rich wildlife and history.
Wildlife
The wildlife is one of the great tourist attractions of Banff National Park. More than fifty species of mammals are found in the national parks of this region. Large animals are most likely to be spotted in the early morning and the evening. Some of the most commonly seen animals in the park are elk, bighorn sheep, moose, deer, woodland caribou, mountain goats, and black bears.
When we left the Gondola and headed home, we drove right next to this fellow.
In the evening we set off to celebrate Bob’s birthday at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
- Grand hotel with beautiful interiors
- Great restaurants on-site with amazing views
- One of the most iconic Banff landmarks
This historic hotel was built in 1888 and is today the emblem of Banff. Once planned to be the largest hotel complex in the world, this traditionally-designed, castle-like grand hotel still preserves much of the glamour of the early days of railway tourism. In those days, only well-to-do travelers could afford to make the journey into the then still remote region of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Sometimes referred to as the Castle of the Rockies, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is a popular attraction and worth visiting for its grand design and classic, opulent interiors!
The interior of the hotel is spacious, grand, and luxurious in a way that’s reminiscent of old-world opulence. Soaring ceilings with dark wooden beams ark between tall brick walls, and over floors of marble! Not to mention the sweeping staircases and grand arches.
We stopped for a happy hour in one of the opulent bars before heading to a wonderful dinner.
Next, we headed for the Banff Hot Springs
- Why it’s awesome: A natural hot spring that’s perfect for a steamy soak with a viewAfter a long day in the vast Canadian Wilderness, nothing brings peace and relaxation quite like a soothing bath in a natural hot spring! Banff Upper Hot Springs offers just that, along with a wonderful mountain view as the day turns to dusk! The temperature of the pool usually hovers between 98°F and 104°F
While the pool is man-made, the thermal waters are heated entirely naturally. From the depths of the Earth’s crust, the water is pushed vertically over 6,500 feet through a crack in the layers of rock. This journey imparts the water with a unique blend of minerals, which is said to have restorative properties! Relaxing in the pool is a vital addition to any itinerary for Banff!
The water you’ll enjoy is hundreds of years old and comes up from a source three kilometers underground. The view from the hot springs pools across to Rundle Mountain is spectacular.
https://thebanffblog.com/banff-hot-springs/
The next day we wanted to see some of the beautiful lakes we have heard so much about.
*Lake Moraine
Walk Around the lake shore. Explore the gift shop. Hike the rockpile. a 1/2 mile round trip. Gets you up to the classic view above lake shore.
The crisp turquoise lake is backed by the magnificent Canadian Rockies, creating a scene so picturesque and idyllic, that it has to be seen to be believed.
Perhaps even more enchanting than Louise Lake, Moraine Lake shares the vibrant turquoise color of its well-known neighbor. At Moraine Lake, the tourist crowds are replaced with empty Canadian landscape, which makes for a more peaceful and personal experience.
If you have the energy for a hike, head up the Rockpile Trail. It’s a fairly short and easygoing trail that culminates at a large pile of rocks. Clamber up on the rocks and rejoice as the vista opens out in front of you! The Valley of the Ten Peaks in all of its glory, and the landscape reflecting off of turquoise water! Even Bob/I enjoyed this hike and the higher vantage point offered a more breath-taking view.
Pictured on the reverse of the old Canadian twenty dollar bill, Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks is arguably as impressive as Lake Louise, but attracts fewer visitors.
We had some fun taking pictures at the Rockpile
Lake Louise was our next stop.
The jewel of Banff National Park is Lake Louise with its shimmering turquoise green water and surrounding snow-capped mountains rising up to 3,000 meters high. Although the water is too cold for swimming, it is ideal for canoeing. At the western end of Lake Louise, Mount Victoria (3,469 meters), rises in majestic splendor.
- Entire lake is paved to walk around. 1-1/2 Kilometers
- You may, by now, be wondering what causes the incredible color of this picturesque pair of lakes. Well, wonder no more! The color is imparted by what is known as ‘rock flour’, which is effectively a finely ground stone powder, created through glacial erosion.
We walked through town later and ended our evening at Three Bear Brewing.
We only had a few days in Banff and we barely scratched the surface of places to see. Check out the websites below for even more wonderful things in Banff.
https://www.planetware.com/alberta/banff-national-park-cdn-ab-abb.htm