Must-see attractions in Banff & Jasper National Parks

  • A woman hiking above a vibrant turquoise lake in Banff National Park.

    Banff National Park

    Banff & Jasper National Parks

    Of all Canada’s top sights, Banff National Park justifiably ranks as many people’s number one. As much a piece of history as a natural wonder, Canada’s…

  • Lake Louise; Canada

    Lake Louise

    Lake Louise

    Considered by many to be the crown jewel of Banff National Park, Lake Louise is nearly impossible to describe without resorting to clichés. This…

  • Moraine Lake.

    Moraine Lake

    Lake Louise

    The spectacular, deep teal waters of Moraine Lake are one of Banff National Park’s most iconic sights. The lake’s rugged and remote setting…

  • A 360 degree panorama of the Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, just before the

    Jasper National Park

    Banff & Jasper National Parks

    Encompassing 11,228 sq km of Rocky Mountains wilderness, including jagged peaks, vast forests, glacial lakes and the magnificent Columbia Icefield, Jasper…

  • June 7, 2015: The red-white snowcoatch bus carrying tourists to Athabasca Glacier.

    Athabasca Glacier

    Jasper National Park

    The tongue of the Athabasca Glacier runs from the Columbia Icefield to within walking distance of the road opposite the Icefield Centre. It can be visited…

  • Whyte Museum of Canadian Rockies.

    Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

    Banff Town

    Founded by local artists Catharine and Peter Whyte, the century-old Whyte Museum is more than just a rainy-day option. It boasts a beautiful, ever…

  • Details of the rock inside the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Sulphur Mountain, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

    Cave & Basin National Historic Site

    Banff Town

    The Canadian National Park system was effectively born at these hot springs, discovered accidentally by three Canadian Pacific Railway employees on their…

  • Gondola, Sulphur Mountain, Banff, Alberta, Canada

    Banff Gondola

    Banff Town

    In summer or winter, you can summit a peak near Banff thanks to the Banff Gondola, with four-person enclosed cars that glide up to the top of Sulphur…

  • Peyto Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

    Peyto Lake

    Jasper National Park

    You'll have already seen the indescribably vibrant blue color of Peyto Lake in a thousand publicity shots, but there's nothing like gazing at the real…

  • Man watching the sunrise at Vermillion Lakes, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

    Vermilion Lakes

    Banff Town

    West of town, this trio of tranquil lakes is a great place for wildlife spotting: elk, beavers, owls, bald eagles and ospreys can often be seen around the…

  • Banff Avenue

    Banff Town

    A little over a century ago, Banff Ave was Banff. Initially, the central street was home to little more than a handful of hotels, homesteads and trail…

  • Bow Falls

    Banff Town

    About 500m south of town, just before the junction with Spray River, the Bow River plunges into a churning melee of white water at Bow Falls. Though the…

  • Upper Hot Springs Pool

    Banff Town

    Banff quite literally wouldn’t be Banff if it weren’t for its hot springs, which gush out from 2.5km beneath Sulphur Mountain at a constant temperature of…

  • Marsh Loop

    Banff Town

    This 2.3km loop trail begins near the Cave & Basin National Historic Site and meanders through one of Banff’s most important areas of natural marshland…

  • Tunnel Mountain

    Banff Town

    It might be Banff’s smallest mountain at 1692m, but Tunnel Mountain is still one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks. The mountain’s distinctive…

  • Columbia Icefield

    Jasper National Park

    About halfway between Lake Louise village and Jasper Town, you'll glimpse the vast Columbia Icefield, covering an area the size of Vancouver and feeding…

  • Fairmont Banff Springs

    Banff Town

    Looming up beside the Bow River, the Banff Springs is a local landmark in more ways than one. Originally built in 1888, and remodeled in 1928 to resemble…

  • Lake Minnewanka

    Banff Town

    Lake Minnewanka (mini-won-ka) sits 13km east of Banff Town, making it a popular escape from downtown. The scenic recreational area has plenty of hiking,…

  • Weeping Wall

    Jasper National Park

    This imposing rock wall towers above the east side of the Icefields Parkway, a few kilometers south of Sunwapta Pass and the Banff–Jasper border. In…

  • Mt Edith Cavell

    Jasper National Park

    Rising like a snowy sentinel over Jasper Town, Mt Edith Cavell (3363m) is one of the park’s most distinctive and physically arresting peaks. What it lacks…

  • Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

    Banff Town

    The Luxton Museum recounts the story of Alberta's indigenous people, with a strong emphasis on the Cree, Blackfoot, Blood and Stoney nations. The displays…

  • Banff Park Museum

    Banff Town

    Occupying the oldest surviving federal building in a Canadian National Park and dating from 1903, this museum is a national historic site. Its exhibits –…

  • Saskatchewan River Crossing

    Jasper National Park

    This junction of Hwy 93 (the Icefields Pkwy) and Hwy 11 (the David Thompson Hwy) marks the site where 19th-century fur trappers crossed the North…

  • Sunwapta Falls

    Jasper National Park

    Meaning 'turbulent water' in the native language of the Stoney First Nations, the 18m Sunwapta Falls formed when the glacial meltwaters of the Sunwapta…

  • Old Banff Cemetery

    Banff Town

    Banff’s shaded cemetery is worth a visit, especially if you’re interested in the town’s history. Some of the gravestones date back to the 1890s; among the…

  • Columbia Icefield Skywalk

    Jasper National Park

    Winner of numerous architectural awards, this glass-floored, glass-sided, open-air lookout and walkway is suspended high above the Sunwapta River opposite…

  • Athabasca Falls

    Jasper National Park

    Despite being only 23m high, Athabasca Falls is Jasper’s most dramatic and voluminous waterfall, a deafening combination of sound, spray and water. The…

  • Lake Louise Summer Gondola

    Lake Louise

    For a bird’s-eye view of the Lake Louise area – and a good chance of spotting grizzly bears on the avalanche slopes – climb aboard the Lake Louise Gondola…

  • Morant's Curve Viewpoint

    Lake Louise

    Evoking oohs, ahs and countless shutter clicks from every traveler who passes near, this pullover and viewpoint on the Bow Valley Pkwy/Hwy 1A sits at a…

  • Icefields Parkway

    Banff & Jasper National Parks

    The Icefields Pkwy is often referred to locally as the ‘world’s most spectacular road,’ and it’s tough to argue. Stretching for 230km north from Lake…

  • Bridal Veil Falls Viewpoint

    Jasper National Park

    Near the Icefield Parkway's midpoint, just east of a dramatic bend in the roadway, this lookout offers amazing views southeast down the valley of the…

  • Crowfoot Glacier Lookout

    Jasper National Park

    From this pullover viewpoint on the Icefields Pkwy you can see the icy behemoth of Crowfoot Glacier nestled on the rocky flanks of Crowfoot Mountain,…

  • Forty Mile Creek Picnic Area

    Banff Town

    This popular picnic area sits just outside Banff's city limits off Mt Norquay Rd and is a good spot to crack open a hamper if you're short on time or…

  • Inkpots

    Banff National Park

    These six small ponds encircled by snowcapped mountains lie just over 3km by foot from Johnston Canyon. The pools get their name from the bright blue…

  • Norquay Chairlift

    Banff Town

    This open-air skiing chairlift remains open in the summer, taking you on a 15-minute ride to a viewing platform on Mt Norquay (2133m). You'll find a…

  • Mary Schäffer Lookout

    Jasper National Park

    Mary Schäffer was the first non-indigenous woman to travel through much of the Jasper region – this lookout gives you a glimpse of the scenery she loved…

  • Upper Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint

    Lake Louise

    The main viewing platform for Canada's ingenious spiral railway tunnels is off Trans-Canada Hwy/Hwy 1, 8km east of the hamlet of Field.

  • Rest Stop

    Jasper National Park

    Pause at this picnic area on the east side of the road between Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake and watch for bears and mountain goats.

  • Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint

    Lake Louise

    Canada's marvel of railway engineering, the so-called 'spiral tunnels,' can be viewed from this pull-out on the Yoho Valley Rd.

  • Surprise Corner Viewpoint

    Banff Town

    About 1.2km east of Banff Town, the Surprise Corner viewpoint looks out over the rushing white water of Bow Falls.

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