Banff

Calgary is the gateway to many of Alberta’s gorgeous national parks. I arrived there on a Tuesday afternoon and took a bus about two hours to Banff. Nestled in the eponymous national park, Banff is surrounded by incredible natural beauty. It was late September, and still light enough to go for a hike in the late afternoon, so we set out for Johnston Canyon.

Located about half an hour from Banff, Johnston Canyon is a narrow ravine that winds up into the mountains. There are two waterfalls a short distance from the parking lot. Most visitors go to see the waterfalls, and the trail over the first mile or so tends to be crowded. But once you pass the second waterfall, the crowds disappear, and the path continues through a beautiful forest to the Ink Pots, a collection of cerulean pools scattered across a clearing beneath the Canadian Rockies. Back in town, we went to the Park Distillery for a tasty meal and cocktails.

We rose well before dawn the next morning and drove to Lake Louise. The parking situation at Banff’s most popular spot has become truly insane over the past couple of years; the lots fill up before dawn even in summer, and the park service recommends taking a bus instead of driving. We went on a Wednesday in early fall, which helped, and parking was still readily available around 6:40, about an hour before sunrise. We sat on the lake shore and watched the sun come up, which was spectacular.

After sunrise, we set off around the north side of the lake and hiked up to Little Beehive, one of the rock formations with a great view down to the lake. Descending to the Agnes Tea House, we warmed up with some delicious teas, then climbed up to Big Beehive. We dropped down to the trail toward the Plain of Six Glaciers, where there’s another tea house and a viewpoint with a panoramic vista of the glaciers. We hiked back to our car — about 13.5 miles of hiking in total, with almost 4,000 feet of elevation gain.

Returning to Banff, we walked around town and grabbed a drink at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel, then had a great dinner at Bison. We went to bed happy and full, but exhausted after a long day.

We got to sleep in a little longer the following morning and had a leisurely breakfast at Wild Flour Bakery. Then we drove out to the Lake Louise Ski Area, which serves as a staging area for buses in the summer, and boarded the park service bus for a ride up to Moraine Lake, which is no longer accessible to private vehicles.

Arriving at the lake, we began the hike to Sentinel Pass. The trail ascends steeply above the lake, though the forest mostly blocks any view of the water. After about 1.8 miles, you enter Larch Valley, which turns beautiful yellow colors in the fall.

We continued the ascent to Sentinel Pass, which offers a view of the surrounding mountains, then descended back to the lake — about 7.5 miles for the day, with 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Afterward we walked up the Rock Pile, probably the most popular photo spot at Moraine Lake. The lighting wasn’t ideal, but we still got some good views. After the hike, we had a wonderful dinner at the cozy Storm Mountain Lodge.

The next day we drove part of the Icefields Parkway. Connecting Banff and Jasper, the highway cuts through stunning scenery, with numerous glaciers, viewpoints, and hikes along the way. If you have the time, it’s best to drive it one way and spend a few days in Jasper. Unfortunately we didn’t have that luxury, so we only drove part of the road.

Departing from Banff, we drove a little over two hours to the Athabasca Glacier, the most-visited glacier in North America. It’s not nearly as impressive as many other glaciers in Alaska and Canada, but it’s an easy walk from the parking lot. Turning back towards Banff, we stopped at Mistaya Canyon, a striking narrow gorge cut from solid rock by a gushing river. We also visited several of the lakes along the way: Waterfowl Lake, Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and Herbert Lake. Peyto Lake was our favorite: it’s the same unbelievable blue as Moraine Lake, and the lofty viewpoint offers an incredible landscape with the glowing lake surrounded by rugged mountains.

We returned for dinner near Lake Louise, at the Lake Louise Railway Station & Restaurant. As its name suggests, the restaurant is in a building that used to be the railway station. Then we retired to the classy bar at the Post Hotel for a nightcap.

The following day we drove across the border to British Columbia and Yoho National Park to visit Takakkaw Falls, known as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in British Columbia and one of the tallest in Canada. We walked out for a view of the falls and then began the ascent to the Iceline Trail. The whole trail is about a 20-mile loop. We didn’t have time for the entire hike, and the day was foggy and rainy, so we hiked up about 2.5 miles and 1,700 feet to see some good views of the falls across the canyon before turning back.

We made a brief stop in the town of Field, then continued up to Emerald Lake. We walked around the grounds of the Emerald Lake Lodge and explored the lake shores.

Back in Banff we grabbed some good beers at Sheepdog Brewing. Around sunset we drove out to Lake Minnewanka and strolled the shoreline hoping to spot some wildlife (it’s supposed to be one of the best bear viewing areas near Banff). We saw some elk, but no other creatures. Then we returned to town for an excellent pizza dinner at the Bear Street Tavern before walking back to our hotel.

The next morning we got a final breakfast at Wild Flour. We wandered through town and explored some of the shops, then walked the Fenland Trail, a 1.25-mile loop just outside of Banff. Again we were disappointed not to see any wildlife, but we got some great views of the forest and surrounding scenery. After the hike we drove to Calgary for our flight home.