Banff Overview

One of the world’s premier mountain resorts thanks to world-class ski trails, magnificent scenery, multi-star lodging and dining options, night-life ranging from the raucous to the refined, and limitless opportunities for adventure winter and summer.

Districts

When many people hear of Canada, the first place that springs to mind is Banff. The soaring peaks, dense coniferous forests, and abundant wildlife are a Canadian institution. The Banff townsite sits within Banff National Park, Canada's oldest and most spectacular Heritage Site. Home to many of the nation’s most famous landmarks, densely populated with wildlife, and full of opportunities for relaxation and adventure, Banff is Canada’s ambassador to the world and one of the country's most-visited tourist attractions.

Banff is 100 kilometers (approx. 80 miles) west of Calgary, and sits in the first range of the Eastern Slope Rocky Mountains. The landscape is rugged, consisting of towering black mountains, deep blue and white glaciers, and alpine tundra. The valley bottoms are densely carpeted with spruce and pine trees, and fast-flowing rivers churn through their centers.

Almost all the people and animals in Banff live in the river valleys, most of which are less than a mile wide. Banff is home to black and grizzly bears, whitetail and mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Some people visit Banff just to see the animals, who are easy to observe and fairly docile. However, it is best to bother the animals as little as possible.

The city of Banff is relatively tiny, squeezed into a narrow mountain valley and bisected by the Bow River. Nearly all the restaurants and businesses in town are crammed into three blocks of Banff Avenue, which makes for a densely packed market atmosphere. South of the Bow River is the legendary and magnificent Banff Springs Hotel, and the Upper Hot Springs. Several kilometers to the west of town is the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, and to the west is the Golf Course Road, which is flanked by verdant fairways and greens.

A kilometer or so northwest of town are the Vermilion Lakes, a small chain of marshy ponds with walking trails running alongside that make a picturesque stroll, summer or winter. The deserted airstrip lies across the Trans-Canada Highway, along with the Cascade Ponds and Lake Minnewanka. This area is popular with hikers in the summer, but should be avoided in the winter, as there may be icefalls from the steep slopes above.

To the north is Mount Norquay Ski Area, which is only a 10-minute drive from town up a spectacular mountain road. Sunshine Valley Ski Resort is a 20-minute drive to the west, and Lake Louise Ski Area is another half hour north. Along the Icefields Parkway towards the north end of the park is the Icefields Center and Athabasca Glacier; both are worth a visit. If you are driving to Banff, you might want to take a day or two and visit the Radium Hot Springs, which lie a two-hour drive to the west of Banff along one of the most spectacular stretches of highway in the world.

Getting to Banff is quite easy. The park is an easy two-hour drive from the airport in Calgary, and many Banff hotels offer airport shuttle service. If you are planning to drive to Banff, which requires driving through the park, make sure to purchase a parks pass from the kiosk on the Trans Canada Highway in the town of Canmore. If you are caught without a pass in the park, you could receive a ticket and fine. Parks personnel often check vehicles in ski area parking lots, so it is better to spend the CAD10 or so on the pass than face a hefty fine.

Canmore
The town of Canmore is a 15-minute drive to the east of Banff, just outside the park boundaries. This small mountain community received international attention in 1988 when it hosted the Winter Olympics Nordic skiing events at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Since then, it has become a popular spot for athletes to train, because of both the high altitude and the excellent facilities.

There are many hotels and shops in Canmore that rival those in Banff, and a great many tour companies that operate in the park are based here. Canmore is a great place to find the down-home local culture that is sometimes lacking in Banff. With lower food and housing prices, Canmore is home for many Banff business owners, as well as a center of late-night activity during the summer.

Canmore's dramatic mountain backdrop and easy access to the back-country has made it an ideal location for shooting Hollywood mountain movies. Actors can often be seen wandering around the downtown area and blending in with the locals.

Camping
Camping areas are scattered throughout the park, from commercial campgrounds with showers and cooking areas to wilderness campsites that are little more than a clearing in the trees. If you intend to camp, be sure to check with Parks Canada to ensure that the area you are heading into is safe and that there are vacant sites available. Fees for camping in Parks Canada campgrounds range from CAD10-CAD25 per night.

Historical Background

The first people to occupy Banff were Native Americans who arrived in the Bow River Valley nearly 11,000 years ago, just as the last Ice Age was coming to an end. Finding the winter climate mild due to the chinook winds (strong, warm winds that rush out of the mountains and onto the prairie in the middle of the winter), they settled in the protected mountain valleys and enjoyed the abundance of fish and wildlife that called the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains home. Over time, they developed into the Cree, Kootenay, and Blackfoot tribes, who coexisted in relative peace for the next 9,900 years.

In the late 1700's a smallpox epidemic washed over the Great Plains, killing half the native population and seriously weakening the survivors. In addition, buffalo hunters had reduced the thundering herds to a shadow of their former selves, eradicating a major source of food. Territorial conflicts broke out among the tribes, who had received horses and firearms from trading partners to the east. At the same time, rumors of European traders and missionaries began arriving, and soon after explorers began to trickle into the area. Most of the travelers were in the employ of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and were seeking new areas to trap and trade furs.

Fur trading and mining exploration remained the primary activities in the region until the 1850's, when surveying expeditions, including the famous Palliser Expedition, came to chart the Southern Rockies and Northwestern prairies. The maps developed from these expeditions were used in the definition of the emerging country of Canada, and would prove vital in later years for defining the route of the Canadian National Railroad, which would eventually link the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and provide a vital trade link between Europe and the Orient.

In 1883, the Canadian National Railroad was pushed through the Rocky Mountain ramparts via the Bow River Valley, passing close to the present-day Banff townsite. During the construction of the railroad, three construction workers were exploring the slopes of nearby Sulphur Mountain when they stumbled across a collection of small hot springs bubbling out of the rock. A heated debate erupted over the ownership of the springs, which would later be known as the Cave and Basin.

The Government of Canada finally stepped in and designated the springs, as well as a 673-square-kilometre area surrounding them, as the country's first national park. It was called the Rocky Mountains Park, and instantly became popular with travelers on the railroad, which had a station called Siding 29 nearby.

Siding 29 quickly became the birthplace for the town of Banff, and the jumping-off point for the newly constructed Banff Springs Hotel. The hotel had many renovations between 1888 and 1926, and evolved from a spartan wooden hut to the palatial structure present today. It became a tourist attraction in its own right, drawing European aristocracy with its mineral springs and revitalizing spa, as well as providing luxury seldom equaled elsewhere in North America.

With the hotel came Banff’s tourism era. The Canadian Pacific Railway Corporation, which owned both the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise, imported Swiss mountain guides to take visitors up to the icefields and onto the highest peaks surrounding the town.

The Mount Norquay Ski Hill opened in 1928, and was soon joined by the Sunshine Valley and Lake Louise ski areas. With the explosion in the popularity of downhill skiing and the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962, getting to Banff became easy and relatively inexpensive.

The growing town eventually ran out of room for new buildings. Real estate prices soared, and it became uneconomical to live and work in Banff at the same time. Many local business owners and employees moved to the nearby town of Canmore, which soon developed into a destination in its own right. To prevent Banff from becoming overcrowded, the notorious “need to reside law" was passed in the 1960s, which stated that no person could live in Banff unless he or she was employed in the city.

Banff was soon hit by a new overpopulation problem. Wild local elk discovered that the golf courses and lawns in and around town made an excellent source of food and that no predator would venture into town after them. The animals quickly took over and, at their peak, it was estimated that there were over 100 elk within the city limits. There were several attacks on tourists and locals by the elk, which resulted in a mass relocation in the summer of 2000 that has appeared to resolve the situation.

Currently, Banff is a thriving resort destination with dozens of hotels, restaurants, and shops, and an exceptional diversity of wilderness and adventure activities. Modeled after the mountain villages of the Alps, it attracts an international clientèle unmatched anywhere else in Canada.

Entertainment

Keeping yourself occupied in Banff should never be a challenge. Dozens of activities for young and old alike make Banff an ideal place to indulge in all your favorite cravings.

Skiing
Most people who come to Banff are looking for the crisp, clear powder snow and soaring peaks that the region is famous for. There are three big ski areas in the park. Mount Norquay, only a five minute drive from Banff, is excellent for beginners. Sunshine Valley is huge, encompassing five mountains with 12 lifts. The terrain ranges from bunny hills to more challenging runs like Delirium Dive, a 50-degree slope infested with cliffs and so dangerous that it is open only a few days of the year. Lake Louise Ski Area has the best overall terrain of the three, and is host to the World Cup downhill races.

Cross country ski trails can be found at Mount Norquay and Lake Louise ski areas, or at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

Shopping
Should you ever find yourself in desperate need of a plush stuffed moose, carved buffalo horn, or expedition-grade ski gear, chances are you will find it somewhere along Banff Avenue. From the Bow River Bridge to Cascade Plaza, both sides of the Avenue are lined with hole-in-the-wall stores, restaurants, and nightclubs. The shopping is unparalleled anywhere in this part of Canada, and many people come to Banff for no reason other than to shop. Where else can you find a complete Christmas shop squeezed in between a high-end furrier and an Innuit art dealer? Souvenir junkies can decide between hundreds of items as diverse as diamond “Banff" broaches and 50-cent novelty pens.

Many major fashion designers have factory-direct retail outlets in Banff, which is considered a testing ground for the latest in high fashion. Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and the popular Canadian designer Roots all have outlets along Banff Avenue.

High-end outdoor gear can be had in any one of a dozen shops. From the skin-tight cross-country gear of Intersport to the monstrously baggy snowboard pants of Rude Boyz, everything you need to hit the hills is here.

Patrons of the arts will love the town’s many art galleries, which specialize in Native American and Rocky Mountain-inspired works. Photos of 19th century mountaineering expeditions and mountain wildlife are standard fare, along with arrangements of rare dried and pressed Alpine flowers.

Anyone with a sweet tooth will love Banff. Led by the notoriously delicious Fudgery, a cadre of candy stores are spaced evenly along Banff Avenue to renew the dwindling energy reserves of jaded shoppers.

Festivals
Banff hosts dozens of festivals every year. The world-famous Banff Mountain Film Festival is one of the biggest and best, attracting films from all over the world, and is renowned for releasing new National Geographic movies.

Stage and Screen
For those with an urge to revel in Hollywood’s latest offerings, the Lux Cinema Centre is the only movie house in town. If you prefer the old-fashioned version, you can enjoy the live plays presented at the Banff Center.

Nightlife
Banff nightlife is fast, unpredictable, and a dominant part of the local culture. With one of the highest bar/people ratios in Canada, it is easy to find a place that suits your personal style. From the raucous debauchery of Outabounds to the quieter atmosphere of many of the hotel lounges, you can be sure to have just as good a time at night as you did during the day.

Adventures
Banff is a Mecca for adventure seekers, and there are literally hundreds of ways to satisfy your adrenaline cravings. Take a helicopter ride, race a snowmobile across a frozen lake, ride a gondola to the top of a mountain, or fly down a snowy slope on a pair of skies. The opportunities for thrill-seekers are endless.

History and Culture
As Banff National Park is a World Heritage Site, there are plenty of ways to discover the past. The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, the Banff Center, the Museum of the Rockies, and the Banff Museum of Natural History are open year round. For information on the dozens of historical sites scattered throughout the park, the Banff Information Center can point you in the right direction.

Dining and Drinking

Drinking and Dining are two very different activities in Banff. Well known as both a party town and a seat of haute couture, the town boasts raucous bars, but also gourmet eateries to shame the best in Canada. From the starched linens of the Banff Springs Hotel's banquet hall to the grimy oaken tables of many bars and taverns, your search for sustenance can show you the many sides of Banff.

Dining
With hundreds of restaurants scattered throughout the town, it can be hard to choose one. Almost every hotel has a restaurant or two, most of which specialize in steak, which is eaten almost as commonly as breakfast cereal in Alberta. Vegetarian diners won’t be pleased, as it is nearly impossibly to find a meal without meat hidden in it somewhere.

The hotel restaurants typically are quite nice, though their menus are often limited. Most feature a casual dress code and meals in the $10-$20 (Canadian) range. Wine is a point of pride amongst Banff restaurateurs, and many of the hotels have cellars with hundreds of different varieties. Independent restaurants have flourished, particularly along Banff Avenue, and here you'll find greater variety, including foods from the Mediterranean, Asia, South America, and Mexico. As Banff is particularly popular with visitors from Japan, sushi bars and noodle houses abound.

If you are looking to dine while still drinking in the spectacular view of the Rockies, many restaurants have expansive patios and glassed in dining areas.

One nice thing about Banff is that there are very few fast-food outlets. Aside from a McDonald's and a Subway, the town is free from franchised chains. This allows for a great variety of food, and makes for some surprisingly good lunches and snacks.

And then to drinking...
Drinking is a very serious affair in Banff, and an activity that the denizens of the town approach with a great deal of enthusiasm. Nearly every hotel has a venue of some sort, whether a quiet martini bar or a feverishly loud nightclub. Banff is almost as famous for its nightlife as it is for its skiing. Should you arrive in Banff at any time of night, on any night of the year, you are guaranteed to see Banff Avenue teeming with carousers. Braving subzero cold in nothing but t-shirts, revelers hop from bar to bar along the Avenue, sampling the specials that each has to offer.

For a more sedate drinking experience, wander into any hotel lobby and ask for the cocktail lounge. Almost all of the downtown hotels have specialty lounges, which are quieter and serve a wider variety of exotic drinks than the clubs. If you are in the mood for a forty-year old Scotch or wine of similarly ancient vintage, pull the bartender aside and ask to see their private stock, which is usually kept separate from the main bar.

Whatever your taste in apres-ski entertainment, you are sure to find it somewhere along Banff Avenue. Simply walk along the sidewalk and listen for music pulsing out of the open doors. Select your preferred scene, wander in, and have a great time!

Where To Stay

Lodgings are abundant in Banff. The winter season can be quite busy, however, so it is best to make reservations at least a month in advance. Accommodation choices run the gamut from the famous Banff Springs Hotel penthouse, which has been sheltering royalty and celebrities beneath its spired pillars for over a century, to a local hostel, where you might share your room with a rowdy crowd of drunken Australian surfers.

For the very best in Banff living quarters, the Banff Springs Hotel has been around longer than the park or even the town itself, and has played a crucial role in the development of both. The Springs is quite expensive and always in high demand; reservations should be made up to six months in advance. With several restaurants and lounges, ballrooms, a spa, and many other entertainment choices, it is possible to stay quite busy in Banff and never leave the hotel. Perched on the lower slopes of Sulphur Mountain, the hotel is also very close to the Upper Hot Springs and commands a magnificent view of Mount Rundle.

If you don’t have a bundle to spend on a bed for the night, one of the downtown hotels might suit you well. Lining Banff Avenue for almost a kilometer, the hotel strip represents most upper-end chains, as well as a host of independent local operators. Most of these hotels have rooms in the mid- price range. There are also a couple of inexpensive motels tucked away in the woods at the very north end of town.

The beautiful Chateau Lake Louise is located about 50 kilometers north of Banff, on the banks of Lake Louise (a United Nations Heritage Site), which sits in the cusp of a dozen jagged mountains featured on Canadian $20 bills. The Chateau is comparable in luxury and grandeur to the Banff Springs Hotel, but receives less attention due to its isolated location.

If you want to be near town while still remaining close to nature, one of the chalets on the flank of Tunnel Mountain may be the answer. Located about three kilometers from downtown, these hotels have an excellent view of the Bow River Valley and peaks that loom over the neighboring town of Canmore. The hotels all share a clearing along Tunnel Mountain Road, close to easy hiking trails and spectacular views. These hotels are much less expensive than their downtown brethren, and offer shuttle services to most downtown attractions and local ski hills.

For those with shallower pockets, Banff’s sister town of Canmore, a 10-minute drive to the east, has a number of exceptional accommodation choices available at a fraction of Banff prices. Most of the Canmore hotels have shuttle services that transport guests into Banff for the nightlife, as well as out to the ski hills during the winter.

While harder to find than the big hotels, there are dozens of bed and breakfasts and small lodges scattered throughout the residential districts of Banff and Canmore. These run the gauntlet from one-bedroom units to fully appointed luxury suites. Depending on the location and quality of service, they can either be very expensive (especially during peak-season) or very reasonable (usually in the off-season). Staying at a B&B also has its advantages in that you get to personally know your hosts, who will give you advice on the best deals and entertainment options available in town.

If you find yourself strapped for cash or cannot get a reservation in time, there are two hostels in town. There are several government and privately-operated campgrounds in the park as well. If you plan on staying in a campground, make sure to visit the Banff Information Center, which is located half-way down Banff Avenue, to inquire as to the latest campground conditions and to reserve a space.

Banff is a town centered around the art of hospitality, and nowhere is it more apparent than in their hotels. They take great pains to ensure that every guest is well taken care of, and the Banff Chamber of Commerce inspects every place of lodging to ensure that it meets their stringent standards. Wherever you stay, you can be assured of a fine night’s rest and exceptional service.

Banff by the Numbers

Population: 7615
Elevation: 4583 feet

Average Winter Temperature: 13 degrees F
Average Summer Temperature: 58 degrees F

Province: Alberta
Time Zone: GMT-7
Electricity: 110 volts, 50 cycles, AC

Country Dialing Code: 1
Area Code: 403

Did You Know?

Banff National Park comprises 6,641 square miles of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and is host to a multitude of outdoor activities. It became Canada's first national park in 1885 thanks to the discovery of an alluring series of hot springs.

Orientation/Geography

Banff is located approximately 80 miles away from Calgary.


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