Visit Banff National Park

Surprise Corner is a pull-off on Buffalo Street where the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel appears suddenly against a backdrop of Mt. Rundle and the Bow River gorge below. It is consistently ranked among the most photographed viewpoints in Canada. Bow Falls is a 5-minute walk further along the trail: a 9-metre glacially-fed drop into a narrow canyon, accessible from the Bow Falls parking area or on foot from the townsite. Both are free and require no reservation.

The Townsite

Surprise Corner and Bow Falls

Banff Avenue is the main commercial street: two kilometres of independent restaurants, outfitters and shops with Cascade Mountain closing the view at the north end. Five minutes west by car is the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, where the 1885 discovery of sulphur hot springs by three railway workers led directly to the creation of the national park. The site now houses a Parks Canada interpretive museum and the original cave pool, which has been preserved but is no longer open for swimming.

The Townsite

Banff Avenue and Cave and Basin

Vermilion Lakes Drive runs 4 kilometres west of the townsite along three shallow, interconnected lakes. At dawn and in the hour before sunset, Mt. Rundle reflects in the still water as cleanly as a mirror. Elk are common in the meadows year-round; beaver lodges dot the shoreline, and ospreys nest on snags above the water in summer. The road is paved and flat, accessible by car or bicycle. No facilities on the lakeside road itself, but the drive is one of the quietest in the park at peak season.

The Townsite

Vermilion Lakes

The Banff Gondola climbs 698 metres in eight minutes to the summit of Sulphur Mountain at 2,281 metres. From the upper terminal, a 1-kilometre boardwalk leads to Sanson's Peak, the highest point on the ridge, with a 360-degree panorama across six mountain ranges and the Bow Valley below. The summit complex includes the Sky Bistro restaurant and an interpretive exhibit on the mountain's weather-monitoring history. The gondola is one of the most visited attractions in the Canadian Rockies; book in advance during July and August.

Up the Mountain

Banff Gondola

The Upper Hot Springs pool sits at the base of Sulphur Mountain, fed by a natural mineral spring at 37-40°C year-round. The bathhouse was first opened in 1886, making it one of the oldest continuously operated hot springs facilities in North America. The outdoor pool has unobstructed views of Mt. Rundle and Norquay across the valley. Towel and swimsuit rentals are available on site. Admission is $8.30 CAD for adults. The springs are open every day of the year, making them a reliable destination even in a January snowstorm.

Up the Mountain

Banff Upper Hot Springs

Tunnel Mountain is the closest true summit hike to the Banff townsite: a 5.4-kilometre return trail with 300 metres of elevation gain, typically 2.5 hours for a comfortable return. The summit sits at 1,690 metres and gives a broad elevated view over the townsite, the Bow River valley, and the ring of higher peaks that frame the park. The trailhead is at the end of St. Julien Road, an easy walk from Banff Avenue. The route is well-maintained and heavily used; it is one of the few Banff hikes where you are unlikely to feel alone even at shoulder season.

Walks and Viewpoints

Tunnel Mountain

The Hoodoos are columns of sedimentary rock 10 to 30 metres tall, formed over thousands of years as water and wind eroded the surrounding softer rock while harder capstones protected the columns below. The viewpoint is on Tunnel Mountain Road, adjacent to the Tunnel Mountain Village campground, with a large parking area, accessible paved walking paths and interpretive panels explaining the geology. The Hoodoos can be combined with the Surprise Corner to Hoodoos Trail: a 4.8-kilometre route with 350 metres of elevation gain that links both viewpoints above the Bow River.

Walks and Viewpoints

Hoodoos