The Sightseeing Quick Tour provides you with an overview of a few of the premier drives and attractions found in Banff National Park. For more detailed information about each section, follow the link below the accompanying photo.
Highlights:
One of the world’s most spectacular mountain highways. Unsurpassed mountain scenery paralleling the Great Divide, including the Columbia Icefields, Bow and Crowfoot Glaciers, Athabasca Falls and Peyto Lake. Grizzly and black bears, moose, caribou and other large wildlife.
Activities:
Sightseeing, photography, wildlife watching, walking, hiking, fishing, picnicking, ice tours.
Location:
North-south highway route between Lake Louise and Jasper. Fifty minutes west of Banff, two and a half hours west of Calgary, three and a half hours west of Edmonton.
Time:
One way: 5 hours.
Return trip: Full day.
Highlights:
Bears, elk and other large wildlife, wildflowers, Bow River, Castle Mountain, Johnston Canyon, the Sawback Range.
Activities:
Sightseeing, photography, wildlife watching, picnicking, walking, hiking, biking, fishing.
Location:
Scenic route paralleling Highway 1 between Banff and Lake Louise. Accessed five minutes west of Banff or directly from Lake Louise village.
Time:
Minimum of 1.5 hours.
Highlights:
Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, Johnson Lake, the ghost town of Bankhead, bighorn sheep, coyotes, elk and other large wildlife.
Activities:
Sightseeing, photography, wildlife watching, walking, hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, picnicking, biking, cross-country skiing.
Location:
Scenic route linking the town of Banff to Lake Minnewanka and the swimming hole at Johnson Lake. Accessed directly from Banff Avenue in downtown Banff.
Time:
1.0 hour.
For further information on other scenic attractions in Banff National Park, including Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, please visit the Sightseeing section of the Canadian Rockies Net.