Road map Banff and Rocky Mountain Parks surrounding area (Alberta, Canada)

Rocky Mountain Parks

Four contiguous national parks in the Canadian Rockies-Jasper,  Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay-make up the majority of the Canadian Rocky  Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. Natural, cultural, and historic  attractions abound here: cold mountain lakes, hot springs, fascinating  glacial and geological formations, inviting forest trails, pioneering  ranches, world-class ski resorts. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk,  and bears roam the rugged peaks. At every turn in Rocky Mountain Parks, a  breathtaking, 360-degree vista of majestic landscape awaits.

Banff [D4] Fantastic shopping and fine restaurants cater to  this famous town's millions of international visitors. For a taste of  history and culture, visit Cave and Basin National Historic Site, which  pays tribute to the park's origins when amazed railway workers  discovered hot springs in 1885. The modern Whyte Museum of the Canadian  Rockies interprets the park's cultural and natural history in four art  galleries and six heritage homes. The Sulphur Mountain Gondola climbs  690 m up to a sweeping panorama of the Rockies. The Banff Centre also  offers a Festival of the Arts in late summer.

Banff National Park [A1-E4] Canada's first national park,  founded as "Rocky Mountains Park" in 1887, Banff is a four-season  playground featuring 2,590 hectares of challenging ski terrain and 1,500  km of mountain trails. Horseback ride, hike, or cycle to one of more  than 50 back-country campsites. The Tunnel Mountain Hoodoos Trail has  views of the valley and a close-up look at hoodoos over the Bow River.

Canmore [E4] With 70 km of trails, Canmore Nordic Centre,  developed for the 1988 Winter Olympics, caters to crosscountry skiers of  all skills, as well as hikers and bikers. Advanced skiers can skip the  gentle touring trails and head for glacial traverses instead.

Cochrane [D7] The Cochrane Ranch claimed to be the largest  ranch in the Dominion in 1888. A slate of interpretive programs, guided  tours, and special events at the Cochrane Ranch National Historic Site  keep the spirit and heritage of ranching in Western Canada alive. Look  for colorful hang gliders that ride the air currents and thermals above  Cochrane Hill.

Kootenay National Park [E2-E3] South of Banff and Yoho  national parks, Kootenay contrasts hot springs and glacial lakes, high  icefields and deep canyons. Popular trails include the Stanley Glacier  Trail and Marble Canyon, an easy interpretive gorge walk. Don't miss the  Paint Pots-three ponds stained red, yellow, and orange with  oxide-bearing waters, once a source of pigment for Native peoples.

Lake Louise [C2] At 1,536 m, this modest village is the  highest community in Canada. Lake Louise itself is a milky-green gem,  best visited early in the morning in autumn. Chateau Lake Louise stands  atop a giant glacial moraine that dams the lake. Nearby Moraine Lake is  also one of the best vantage hiking spots in the Rockies. Hikers can  climb many hairpin bends from Moraine Lake Lodge up to the Larch Valley  and an incredible view of the lake 300 m below.

Yoho National Park [C1-D1] Just over the Great Divide in  British Columbia, Yoho has stunning peaks and great hikes, including the  easy one-hour Lake O'Hara Circuit. Off Yoho Valley Road, glacial water  flies through a chute at Takakkaw Falls, one of Canada's highest  waterfalls at 254 m. A guided hike is the only way to see  500-million-year-old fossils of more than 100 marine species at the  Burgess Shale site. Don't miss the famous spiral railway tunnels, just  east of Field.

BANFF

Banff National Park Banff Park Museum National Historic Site Banff Natural

History Museum Banff Springs Hotel

Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray  Station National Historic Site Lake Minnewanka Boat Tour Bow River Canoe  Docks Martin Stables

CANMORE

Canmore Nordic Centre

COCHRANE

Cochrane Ranch National Historic Site

KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK

Vermilion Pass Stanley Glacier Trail Marble Canyon Paint Pots

LAKE LOUISE

Chateau Lake Louise Lake Louise Gondola Moraine Lake Lodge

YOHO NATIONAL PARK

Lake O'Hara Takakkaw Falls Burgess Shale Deposits Spiral Railway Tunnels