Heading to Banff for a hiking trip in the middle of September! 🏔️🥾 I’m looking for some hidden/lesser-known hiking spots with AMAZING views. If you have any secret gems, please private message me instead of commenting lol 👀 I’d really appreciate it!

Hey all, we are going on a tour of the Athabascar Glacier next week, and in all the pictures I have seen of the people walking on the glacier itself, they just seem to be in normal every day shoes? I assumed it being a glacier it would be slippery so need boots etc?

Is there a required footwear? The tour guide just says "comfortable shoes"

The forecast for this weekend is looking quite rainy.

We planned to visit Yoho on Saturday, have Lake Louise shuttle tickets on Sunday (planned to hike Little Beehive), and Johnston Canyon / part of Icefields Parkway on Monday.

Should we change our plans around or do anything other than pack a rain jacket and hope for isolated mountain rain?

Gear used: fuji x100v for photo and iphone 17 pro max for the video.

Taken during the afternoon, i especially like the way the intense sunlight cause the view to look just a bit blurry, it's so unreal, this lake is much more beautiful than any photo can show.

Just spreading some information to save others some grief.

I was with my son - we were planning on summit-ting Temple on August 31st. We arrived at 4:55 am and I dropped my son off at the bus while I went looking for parking (which was way, way in the back of Lake Louise Inn). I arrived at the meeting place out front at 5:02 and watched the bus drive away even though my headlamp bouncing while I was running after it would have been totally visible to the driver.

I found there were 5 of us that were blown off and left behind that day as we commiserated in the parking lot.

My son told me that apparently the driver Marc was being totally unreasonable and wouldn't wait. He thinks this was no small part because there was no room on the bus (oversold). He got the last seat.

I'm lucky my son was old enough and strong enough to do the climb solo. To break up a climbing group could have ended badly.

Avoid.

Heard another bus incident and a mechanic was hurt.

If you were scared to hike alone due to wildlife, would it be weird to wait for a group to start hiking at a trailhead and either start right behind them or ask if you can hike behind them? Is this a normal thing?

Tips to relieve anxiety and fear of bear encounters to the point of not even wanting to go. We love travel and bringing our dog along. I see so many amazing hikes that I want to do so badly but I can’t get over the fear of dying from a bear. And I feel even more scared doing it with my dog. Any advice?

Traveling to Banff with my wife and dog for 2 weeks in mid September. TBH we are both very terrified of bears when it comes to hiking. We REALLY want to hike Smutwood Peak. We are equipt with bear spray but just want some advice on doing this with a dog. Will it be busy enough to not feel alone and feel a little bit of comfort? Any advice or confidence boosters would help!! Thank you!

I found this map dated from 2023. I was wondering if all of the locations were still current and if the red chairs are still at these locations in 2026. My wife and I would like to locate them all on our trip later this month. Thanks for any info!

One of the best vacations for our family.

Hi!!! Coming to Banff September 11th. I’m so beyond excited. Was curious has anyone taken any pictures this past week? I know it snowed, so I was curious to see how the park looks. Rain, snow or shine idc just curious. I’m from the east coast where September weather is unpredictable. I’m curious can it be snowing one day in Banff and in the 50’s the next?

In the past, I've just bought them over the summer. This year since I don't physically live in Alberta anymore, wondering how late they sell these tickets. If I fly into Calgary can I just grab them at the NW Costco the day before I use them? Or do I need a friend to go grab them for me now?

I am planning a trip to Banff from SW Ontario, with a budget of about $800-$1500 and no car. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for places to stay or any tips that would allow me to get the most out of my trip on a tight budget.

I'm visiting this month for the first time. Staying at Rim Rock for 5 nights.

-We are coming to both enjoy the sights and have a relaxing trip, enjoy some nice dining. A medium/long hike or two is definitely in the cards, location of hike is TBD. What would be the best hike we couldn't miss? Second best?

-I priced out a shuttle to/from the airport. A car rental seems to be marginally less expensive - but that doesn't include gas and/or parking fees we might incur. Putting cost aside - is a car recommended?

-What are maybe the top 3 must do things with a 5 day trip?

Thanks for the input!

hi everyone! my husband and i will be visiting banff this week and are looking for somewhere to have a nice dinner for our anniversary.

for some context, we are 25f and 30m and are pretty adventurous with trying new dishes and cuisines. our favourite place we've ever eaten as a couple was in a small town on vancouver island, a restaurant in a renovated old house with amazing, creative food, but really intimate and not fussy feeling. we've never been to banff before and i know there's a lot that caters to really wealthy tourists, so i'm not sure if a similar vibe would exist 😅 we're not staying in the park so would be open to suggestions up to about 1hr drive away as well. thank you in advance!!

Hi All, please give me honest opinions. I am thinking of doing a single-day trip and back from Canmore to Jasper to see Lake Maligne, Columbia Icefield Adventures, Athabasca & Sunwapta Falls. Is this feasible and doable? Will be doing this with my spouse and 2 kids, ages 8 and 11.

If yes how early would you plan on leaving and by what time do you all expect to be back to Canmore?

Please note the other attactions Bow Lake and Peyto lake we are keeping for another day because the current weather forecast shows cloudy and would want to see the lakes on a better sunny day.

This is my thoughts on what we would do each day. Let me know what else I should add or if I have enough and all the must dos.

Day 1 (This Thursday woohoo!): wake up in Calgary. Head to banff in early afternoon. Johnston canyon hike. Dinner in banff. Hot springs. Drive to air bnb in golden.

Day 2: Yoho national park. Natural bridge. Takakkaw falls. Emerald lake. Anything else?

Day 3: Ice fields parkway: stop at every lake up until the glacier viewpoint and glacier road then back to golden?

Day 4: drive back to banff for roam shuttle res to lake Louise and moraine lake. Dinner in banff then back to Calgary

Do I need to find time to go see like Roger’s pass and to drive up Mount revelstoke? Any cool mountains we can drive up then hike around closer?