Banff National Park, Canada

7/8/2022

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Downtown Banff

Sunset in Canmore

Downtown Banff

View of Banff from Mt. Norquay

Our first stop in Alberta, was in Canmore. Canmore is a cute little town right on the outskirts of Banff, just minutes away from the entrance to Banff National Park and downtown Banff.
We stayed at Mount Rundle RV Park. Although this park had fantastic mountain views, it was probably the most run down campground we have ever stayed. That didn't spoil our time, since we really only needed a place to park and sleep.

Mountains over Canmore

Via Ferrata at Mount Norquay

The Via Ferrata means "iron path." It is a trail made out of iron rungs, ladders, and permanently fixed obstacles. You can book a Via Ferrata tour at Mt. Norquay. There are a few adventures to choose from and you will have an experienced guide along the way. Unfortunately, Mia was not old enough for this adventure so the boys did the Alpinist 4-5 hour adventure while the girls enjoyed a day shopping and sightseeing downtown Banff.

Mt. Norquay Ski Lift

While the boys were busy climbing the mountain, we took advantage of the free shuttle from Mt. Norquay to downtown Banff. We enjoyed a little shopping, lunch next to the Bow River, a scavenger hunt at the Banff Park Museum, and got a complimentary ticket to ride the ski lift up Mt. Norquay to meet up with the boys!

Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake is the same color as Glacier Freeze Gatorade!!

Moraine Lake
The color of Moraine Lake is just unbelievable. Surrounded by the Valley of Ten Peaks, the lake is just stunning. We rented canoes to get away from the crowds. This is definitely a difficult lake to see because parking is limited. With a little planning ahead, you can book a shuttle. We were lucky to get a parking spot one day, but we also had a shuttle booked later in the week so we took in the views twice!

Lake Louise

Lake Louise
Another very popular spot in Banff National Park is Lake Louise. You can book a shuttle ahead if you are worried about parking. Since the lake is a short distance from the parking lot, it was very busy. I suggest walking past the main entrance to enjoy the scenery. We also hiked up to the Fairmont Lookout (1.6 miles) to get away from the crowds. There were many more trails we wanted to explore, we just didn't have the time.

Consolation Lakes

Consolation Lakes Hike (4.7 miles)
The sign at the beginning of the hike recommended to travel with 4 or more hikers due to bear activity. We did not see any bear on this hike. The trail was fairly easy until you get to the lakes. The kids had a blast hopping on the boulders around the lake. Climbing the boulders reminded us of Devils Lake in Wisconsin, only here we were surrounded by mountains!

Johnston Canyon Falls and Ink Pots

Johnston Canyon lower falls-1 mile
Johnston Canyon upper falls-3 miles
Ink Pots-7.3 miles
This is a very popular trail, so choose your timing wisely. We arrived around 2pm and there were only 12 parking spots left in both parking lots. The walk to the lower falls was extremely crowded. We chose to continue walking past all the view points for the lower and upper falls to try to beat the crowds. That strategy worked and once we past the upper falls lookout, we had the trail mostly to ourselves to the Ink Pots. At the Ink Pots, there were a handful of people, but not overly crowded. On our way back to the falls, we were able to stop at the viewpoints by about 5pm, the crowds died down.

Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots Hike

Boom Lake Hike

This is a fairly easy 6.4 mile out and back hike to Boom Lake. The lake was peaceful and no crowds! Not as popular of a hike, but still beautiful scenery!

Lake Louise Campground

This was our last camping spot for our trip and it was our favorite! The campground is in a great location, great pull through sites, close to hiking trails, and beautiful mountain views!