5 Best Sights in Banff National Park, Alberta

This site commemorates the birthplace of Canada's national parks system, which began with the protection of the Banff hot springs in 1885. You'll find restored historic buildings, a plaza, and splendid interpretive displays about Banff and the country's other national parks. An interpretive trail explains the area's geology, plant life, wildlife, and history. While walking past the cave's pools, keep an eye out for the park's most endangered species: the Banff Springs snail, which makes its home in the warm mineral waters, cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Children under age 17 enter the site for free, and combo tickets that include admission to Banff Upper Hot Springs are available.

Powerfully rugged mountain scenery, glaciers, waterfalls and icefalls, and wildlife: the Icefields Parkway reveals all of these and more as it snakes its way along the 230 km (143 miles) connecting Banff National Park with Jasper National Park. It is an absolute highlight of the Canadian Rockies.

You could drive this winding road in three to four hours, but your trip will more likely take a full day when you add in stops. The road rises to near the tree line at several points, and the weather can be chilly and unsettled at these high elevations, even in midsummer, so it's a good idea to bring warm clothing along. Only one gas station, open seasonally, operates on the parkway, so check your car's gas gauge before setting out.

Elk, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep are fairly common, and occasionally bears and mountain goats come into view. In summer, alpine wildflowers carpet Bow Pass and Sunwapta Pass. The most dramatic scenery is in the northern end of Banff National Park and the southern end of Jasper National Park, where ice fields and glaciers become common on the high mountains flanking the parkway. (Ice fields are massive reservoirs of ice; glaciers are the slow-moving rivers of ice that flow from the ice fields.) Scenic overlooks and signposted hiking trails abound along the route.

Rushing water has carved a path through this must-see limestone canyon. The first 1.1 km (0.7 mile) is a paved walkway that leads to the 10-meter (33-foot) Lower Falls. From here, a slightly more rugged 2.7-km (1¾-mile) trail leads to the nearly 30-meter (100-foot) Upper Falls and a 5-km (3-mile) trail runs to the Ink Pots—six green pools filled with springwater. It takes four to five hours round-trip to complete. Moderate.

Named after Bill Peyto, a mountain guide, and early park warden of Banff National Park, Peyto Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Canadian Rockies. The viewpoint for this brilliant turquoise glacier-fed lake is a short 20-minute stroll from the parking area just off the Icefields Parkway. At the lookout, you'll get a view of Peyto Lake, Peyto Glacier, and the Mistaya Valley. Interpretive signage along the trail explains its history and provides information about flora and fauna in the area. The lookout is accessed at Bow Pass, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway; it's wheelchair accessible from the upper parking lot that tour buses use.

Year-round, the park offers the Xplorer Program for kids age 6 to 11. Pick up an Xplorer Booklet at one of the park's visitor centers. Kids who complete at least six of the booklet's 22 activities receive a souvenir.