Town of Banff

Hiking

An easy hike makes a great family outing in Banff National Park Photo: Travel Alberta

Banff National Park has 1,500 km of hiking trails, more than any other mountain park in the world. Since many of these trails are near the Banff townsite, they are also among the most heavily travelled in the Rockies.

Trails leading to spectacular lakes, glaciers and summits range from short walks in and around the Banff townsite (see Explore Banff Trails), to day trips into the hanging valleys and passes of the Canadian Rockies' Front Ranges.

Many excellent hikes originate in the Bow Valley between Banff and Lake Louise, starting at trailheads located along the Trans-Canada Highway, the Bow Valley Parkway, and Highway 93 Icefields Parkway.

For young adults (ages 18 - 35) living in the area, BanffLIFE offers a non-profit Mountain Adventure Program including guided hikes throughout the summer.

With the generous permission of Summerthought Publishing, this section features hiking guides and descriptions for some of the most popular trails and hikes near Banff, including:

• Fenland Trail (Banff Townsite)
• Tunnel Mountain Trail (Banff Townsite)
• Cave and Basin to Sundance Canyon (Banff Townsite)
• C Level Cirque (Lake Minnewanka Road)
• Aylmer Pass (Lake Minnewanka Road)
• Lake Minnewanka to Devil's Gap (Lake Minnewanka Road)
• Cascade Amphitheatre (Mount Norquay Road)
  
• Johnston Canyon Trail to the Ink Pots (Bow Valley Parkway)
  

Trail descriptions are from the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide (Brian Patton and Bart Robinson; Summerthought Publishing), the original hiking guide to Banff National Park and the contiguous parks. Originally published in 1971 and now in its 8th edition, this book details over 3,400 kilometres of hiking trails in Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay and Waterton Lakes National Parks.