8 of Banff National Park's best day hikes

24.07.2024 - 15:39 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Louise

Jul 23, 2024 • 9 min read

With its reputation for delivering some of Canada’s most iconic scenes on a sweeping scale – think unbelievably blue lakes backed by majestic snow-capped peaks – it’s easy to see why Banff continues to reign as the country's most-visited national park. More than four million people visit the park annually, yet it’s surprisingly easy to get away from the throngs of tourists, thanks to an extensive maintained system of 1600km (1000 miles) of hiking trails.

Some of the most popular tracks start directly from the Lake Louise and Banff townsites, with others easily accessible via the park’s shuttle and transit options. From short family-friendly outings to full-day adventures to challenge more experienced hikers, here are Banff’s best day hikes for every skill level. 

Best one-hour hike
1.4km (0.8 miles) one-way; 60 to 90 minutes; easy

Lake Louise doesn’t have a monopoly on stunning mountain lakes. You can see the blue-green Vista Lake straight from the parking lot, but it’s well worth the short and sweet downhill stroll to its shores. What goes down must come up, though. It’s about a 120-m (400-ft) climb back up to the parking lot, so make sure your water bottle is full. 

Then again, if one hour doesn’t seem to be quite enough, continue down the trail another 3.6km (2.2 miles) and you’ll arrive at Arnica Lake. It’s a challenging but rewarding 580-m (1900-ft) climb along the Continental Divide through fields of alpine wildflowers (in the summer months) and golden larch trees (in the autumn).

Start/finish: This out-and-back hike can be accessed from the clearly signed Arnica Lake trailhead on Hwy 93, about 8km (5 miles) south of Castle Junction on the south side of the road. The parking lot is small, so it pays to arrive early, especially during the autumn larch season.

Best for families
10km (6 miles) of trails to choose from; 4 to 5 hours; easy to moderate

In the summer, Sunshine Village – one of Banff’s most popular ski resorts – transforms into Sunshine Meadows: a family-friendly hiking oasis with over 10km (6 miles) of trails to choose from. 

This really is a choose-your-own-adventure destination, with the added bonus of a fun gondola ride up to the trailheads. (In other words, you can reach such great heights without actually having to hike up to them.) There are relatively flat options available for little ones, but the most popular trail crests the Continental Divide to a viewpoint at Rock Isle Lake. 

Start/finish: Sunshine Village ski resort can be found 8km (5 miles) west of Banff on Hwy 1. A free shuttle operates daily from the Banff townsite, with no reservations necessary. However, to access hiking trails, you must pay for the gondola ($68 adults; $19 children) from early