The Canadian Rockies - grand masterpiece of the West. From quiet meadows to thundering waterfalls, towering peaks to misty canyons, Banff offers a unique assortment of sightseeing and leisure activities. Are you looking to find that perfect virgin powder for your first run of the day? Or perhaps strolling through Banff's wonderfully eclectic shops and boutiques is more to your liking. Whatever your style, Banff has something for you.
Banff offers a wide variety of accommodations, three world class ski resorts, daily interpretive tours and activities and transportation options for all of your Banff vacation needs.
The Town of Banff is located in the Bow Valley in Canada's oldest and largest Federal park, Banff National Park, a World Heritage Site.
After the discovery of the Hot Springs in 1883, near the current town site, the park grew in size from a few square miles to its present size of 6,641 square miles. Banff is 120km (75mi) west of the city of Calgary and is accessible via the Trans Canada Highway. At an elevation of 1,375 m (4,530ft.) Banff is the highest town in Canada and is home to 7,500 permanent residents.
Surrounded by rugged peaks, glacier fed rivers and clear mountain lakes, the town of Banff is one of the most famous and frequently visited tourist destinations in the world.
To meet the demand of the increasing amount of visitors, both from North America and around the world, Banff is very commercially active. There are over 50 hotels in the town alone and they range from small 20 room motels up to the magnificent 750 room Banff Springs Hotel (recently renamed the Fairmont Banff Springs). Dining is Banff’s specialty, over 60 restaurants from fast food to fine dining, from wild western to Japanese!! Banff has it all. The downtown core is made up of hundreds of shops, stores, and galleries and is alive with activity every day of the year.
Can anyone live in Banff? No! Because the town is located in the National Park the land itself is "Public Land" and is "leasehold" as opposed to "freehold". Leases are granted on a 42 year renewal basis to individuals who meet the "Need to Reside" criteria. Individuals who work in the park, or operate a business in the park along with retired individuals who have lived in the park for five consecutive years after being employed there, qualify as to the regulations set out by the Town of Banff and are permitted to live there on a full-time basis.
Approximately 5 million people visit the Park annually. A year round tourist resort, Banff attracts sightseers and backcountry users alike in the summer months, along with golfers, birdwatchers and fishing enthusiasts. The mild winters and abundant snowfall brings out the cross-country and downhill skiers, dog sledders and snowshoers.
Canmore is located on the beautiful Bow River just 100 kilometers (66 miles) west of Calgary, Alberta.
The town of Canmore sits at the east entrance to Banff National Park, a World Heritage Site, and just 15 minutes drive to the town of Banff. The incredible beauty of Kananaskis Country, Alberta’s most significant Provincial Mountain Park system, borders us on the south and east. See Recreational Activities for more on this pristine park.
Canmore occupies the montane zone on the lower slopes of the Bow Valley and has unusually mild winter weather due to frequent warm Chinook winds that drift into the valley from the Pacific coast. It is the ideal winter climate for downhill and cross country skiing and the moderate summer weather is perfect for golfing, hiking, fishing and mountain biking, to name just a few of the outdoor pursuits available to residents and visitors.
The setting is awe inspiring with towering mountains acting as guardians over this small town in the river valley. Access is easy with the Calgary International Airport just an hours drive away on the scenic Trans Canada Highway. The Town of Canmore was settled in 1883 during the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, thanks to the abundance of high quality steam coal nearby and grew steadily to a population of 450 in 1888. The last coal mine closed in 1979 when the workings were sealed and the land reclaimed. However, the miners, trappers and early explorers were not the first to visit the Bow Valley. Early evidence of campsites and pictographs on nearby canyon walls attest to native occupation of the valley dating back thousands of years. Native tribes from the foothills and plains used the mountain passes to trade with other groups to the west. Interestingly enough, Canmore was part of Banff National Park from 1902 until 1930 and continued as a game reserve until 1956. In the last two decades, Canmore has become home to many people seeking a quieter more relaxed life style. It has also become a destination choice for many visitors to the Canadian Rockies. The present population of Canmore stands at approximately 11,500 full-time residents and 3,700 part-time or recreational homeowners.
Canmore came into worldwide prominence during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics when we hosted the Nordic ski events at the newly developed Canmore Nordic Centre. This fantastic facility features over 70km of trails winding through forested bench land above the Bow River, trails that in the summer are taken over by hikers and mountain bikers.
The citizens of Canmore are made up of a diverse mix of cultures, age groups and occupations. The common thread is our love of the small town atmosphere, our pristine environment and most of all, the quality of life this brings to our residents and visitors. We are proud of our heritage and our mining history, a record of which can be leisurely viewed at the Canmore Museum and Geosciences Centre. The local arts community is a vibrant one with their work in evidence in the many local galleries and shops. There is fun for everyone here and the summers are packed with festivals and special mountain events.
Wildlife in the Bow Valley abounds, with Elk, Mountain Sheep, Deer, Black Bears, Cougars, Coyotes and many other species making the valley their home. As a significant number of residents and visitors also share this grand natural space, much research, thought and action have gone into making this coexistence a workable reality. Hundreds of acres of wildlife habitat and movement corridors have been set-aside as conservation areas in order to help maintain a healthy ecosystem. The same sense of stewardship is also being applied to preserving the integrity of the Bow River, which flows south from the Bow Glacier, through Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore, and Calgary. The Bow River is one of the premium trout fishing rivers in the country and we want to keep it that way.