Banff National Park
We originally thought we would spend a lot of time in Banff National Park on our trip to visit Canadian National Parks for the summer. After driving by on the first day and seeing the crowds, we decided to spend our time visiting other parks in the area, and we are so glad that we did. We did hit the three big stops in Banff – Morraine Lake, Lake Louise, and Peyto Lake.
Hiking: Rockpile
Rockpile is the trail to Morraine Lake, it is uphill to the viewing area at the top, only 0.50 miles and 35 feet elevation change. It’s very crowded, so it can be difficult to go at your kid’s pace without the crowds behind you getting closer and closer. It is beautiful at the top. We saw people walking up the road that leads to Morraine lake, it is not worth that. If you can’t get a bus ticket, skip it!
Hiking: Lake Louise Lakeshore Loop
We had planned to do the Lake Louise Lakeshore Loop, but once we finally got a parking spot on our second try and saw the crowds around the lake we decided not to. We only stayed long enough to get a few pictures. Again, we saw people walking after not finding a parking spot, it really isn’t worth that walk. I would use that energy on a more difficult hike in Banff or at a surrounding park!
Hiking: Peyto Lake Viewpoint
Peyto Lake Viewpoint trail was 0.84 miles with 256 feet in elevation change. This was our most enjoyable stop in Banff, we happened to arrive right between tour groups and were able to really enjoy looking at this interesting lake. This is worth the stop, especially if you are traveling with kids!
