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Banff Town

British Columbia & the Canadian Rockies Travel Guide

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Gondola, Sulphur Mountain, Banff, Alberta, Canada

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Overview

It seems hard to believe when you first lay eyes on Banff Town, but this overgrown village of less than 10,000 souls is the largest metropolis in the entire national park. Thankfully, Banff has largely avoided North America's notorious penchant for sprawl 鈥� though its few city blocks do manage to squeeze in a surprising amount of commercial hustle and bustle.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • 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鈥�

  • 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鈥�

  • 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鈥�

  • 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鈥�

  • Banff Avenue

    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鈥�

  • Bow Falls

    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鈥�

  • Upper Hot Springs Pool

    Upper Hot Springs Pool

    Banff Town

    Banff quite literally wouldn鈥檛 be Banff if it weren鈥檛 for its hot springs, which gush out from 2.5km beneath Sulphur Mountain at a constant temperature of鈥�

  • Marsh Loop

    Marsh Loop

    Banff Town

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

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