Banff / Lake Louise Traveler

[Rich]

On the heels of OPK's request for Idaho information, my wife and I are planning a trip to Banff and Lake Louise this July. We're staying at the Fairmont Hotel in Banff and planning a day trip to Lake Louise. We have 5 days in the vicinity. Best places to go, best places to see, best places to eat? Best hikes? Places to avoid? All info welcome, and thanks in advance!

[Lid]

Such a beautiful area! I'd recommend a day trip to Moraine Lake, I love Lake Louise but might actually like Moraine even better. Recommend the hike to the Plain of the Six Glaciers teahouse at Lake Louise. I'll have to go back and see if I can remember any restaurants we liked in Banff.

[4xduke]

We have a place in the little town of Canmore, just outside the Banff park, so have spent quite a bit of time up in that part of the world. So many things to do up there - it would help if I knew level of fitness, how long you want to hike in a day, how much you want to hike with the hordes (July there will almost certainly be hikes that require traveling in tight groups of four hikers because of bears), etc. What kinds of restaurants you like (looking for poutine?). Wildlife siting important? Golf?

Moraine is beautiful - summer you'd need to get there early or late as the parking lot fills up pretty quickly and the rangers are increasingly discouraging parking on the side of the somewhat narrow road that leads to the lake). Plain of the Six Glaciers is a nice, but crowded hike (1/2 day or longer if you come back from the teahouse on the skyline trail and go to the Lake Agnes Teahouse and/or do either Little or Big Beehive). From Moraine you could hike to Larch Valley and on to Sentinel Pass (also crowded) or the far less traveled Eiffel Lake hike that goes along the Valley of the Ten Peaks toward Wenkchemna Pass.

If you want to see ancient fossils, there are guided trips by Parks Canada to the Burgess Shale from Stanley Glacier trailhead (reservations required). Caving near Canmore (with a rappel inside the cave) - google Rat's Nest Cave tour. Via Ferrata just opened at Norquay just across the interstate from Banff - haven't done it yet, but probably will this summer. Athabasca Glacier along the Icefields Parkway toward Jasper is worth a look with lots of interesting sites to see along the way (Peyto Lake lookout, Mistaya Canyon, etc) - plus they just opened a skywalk like the one at the Grand Canyon just north of the Icefields (haven't seen that one yet either). A very nice hike near the Icefields is Helen Lake (1/2 day or more depending on whether you continue past the lake up to a prominent ridge/pass). Tons of people take the gondola up Sulphur Mountain in Banff - tons. Pleasant boat tour on Lake Minnewanka very near Banff.

You'll have light until well after 10 that time of year, so a lot can be done each day - or you can just relax in the hot springs.

I might be able to help more if you want to tell me more about the kinds of things you're interested in.

[OldPhiKap]

Sounds great Rich! Best to you and your better half. Look forward to hearing about it!

[77devil]

I recommend a side trip to Takakkaw Fall in Yoho National Park with lunch at Truffle Pigs in the town of Field.