Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
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…
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Banff Town
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 – though its few city blocks do manage to squeeze in a surprising amount of commercial hustle and bustle.
A resort town with boutique shops, nightclubs, museums and fancy restaurants may seem incongruous in this wild setting. But Banff is no ordinary town. It developed as a service center for the park that surrounds it. Today it brings in busloads of tourists keen to commune with shops as much as nature, alongside artists and writers drawn to the Rockies' unparalleled majesty. Whether you love or loathe Banff's cosmopolitan edge, wander 15 minutes in any direction and you're back in wild country, a primeval world of bears, elk and wolves.
Explore Banff Town
- Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
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…
- Cave & Basin National Historic Site
The Canadian National Park system was effectively born at these hot springs, discovered accidentally by three Canadian Pacific Railway employees on their…
- UUpper Hot Springs Pool
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…
- FFairmont Banff Springs
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…
- Banff Gondola
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…
- Vermilion Lakes
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…
- BBanff Avenue
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…
- BBow Falls
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…
- MMarsh Loop
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…
Latest Stories from Banff Town
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Banff Town.
See
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
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…
See
Cave & Basin National Historic Site
The Canadian National Park system was effectively born at these hot springs, discovered accidentally by three Canadian Pacific Railway employees on their…
See
Upper Hot Springs Pool
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…
See
Fairmont Banff Springs
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…
See
Banff Gondola
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…
See
Vermilion Lakes
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…
See
Banff Avenue
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…
See
Bow Falls
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…
See
Marsh Loop
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…
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