As far as off leash parks go, this one is actually rather small, especially for the middle of…read morewilderness, like Canmore is, and kind of boring. But, when the bears aren't around, I'll go into the forest behind (which is technically not off-leash) and there's better scenery, a lake, etc. and makes for a more interesting, longer walk. Lots of people do it, but I won't say it never gets patrolled. However, the background imagery cannot be beat! I've never had issues with parking - it's very easy to find. May be a little hard to turn left into the dog park if traffic is heavy but otherwise it's a good place to let your dog blow off some steam if you're not going to take him/her for a hike. Review #2 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge

Quite the view, too bad most of the hiking spots were closed due to bear activity. Anyways, made…read morethe best of my day by taking photos with a group of friends and chilling near the lake. Oddly enough you can swim but only at your own risk. I'd imagine it would be very cold. Parking lot is fairly big with an open field next to parking lot for your dogs. There is an outhouse next to the lake which is nice. There is Canmore which is not a far drive away from this lake. People are quite friendly. If your brace enough to swim in the lake go for it, there is no life guard on site at all or ever I suppose. I would definitely comeback again just to enjoy the scenery. Mountains in the distance, what else can you say. Benches and rocks everywhere along the lake. Recommended for any adventurist or picnic's.

What an amazing time I had at this park! I am a big National Park junkie back in the U.S. and was…read moreexcited to visit my first Canadian National Park. I came with my running group and they combined our runs with various activities around the park. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. It is known for its mountain peaks and turquoise glacial lakes (Lake Louise and Moraine are the two popular ones). Banff offers year-round outdoor adventures like hiking, wildlife viewing, cycling and skiing. The Town of Banff has lots of shopping and restaurants for those that aren't into the outdoor activities. Banff National Park is located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains and has several large glaciers and icefields. Nearby are Yoho, Jasper and Kootenay National Parks. The Town of Banff is at the center of the park in the Bow River Valley. The park itself has a variety of recorded mammal species. Banff National Park has been successful at reducing the number of animals killed on the roads by building wildlife crossings. We drove under a number of these while driving through the park. They are such a clever idea. My running company booked three runs in and around Banff National Park. The views were gorgeous as we did our trail runs. When I first arrived, we took a tour bus to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake (in nearby Yoho National Park). I really enjoyed the beauty of those lakes and was able to do some photography work at them. They are just as pretty in person as the pictures that you see on the internet. The huge crowds in the summer was the only downer part. For activities, we canoed down the Bow River. That was a lot of fun and we got great views of the mountain ranges while on the river. We also did the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay. It was my first time doing one of these and it was easily one of my favorite activities. On my final day, I took the Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. You can see the whole Town of Banff from there and the breathtaking mountain ranges all around. The Town of Banff has lots of retail stores, gift shops and restaurants. I ate very well on this trip. Overall, Banff was an amazing experience for me. The flight to Calgary from Arizona wasn't too long and my running company did a great job in booking all of my activities. I look forward to a trip back someday!

We took a trip to British Colombia and Alberta this Fall to visit Canada's national parks. Out of…read morethe three we visited, Banff was by far our favorite! It's Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885. It's located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The highlights of our time in Banff included Lake Louise, Banff Gondola, Sulphur Mountain, Bow River & Falls, Fairmont Banff Springs, Bow Valley Parkway, and so much gorgeous scenery along the way. We didn't see much wildlife in Banff while we were there, but did bring one can of bear spray to take on hikes with us, just in case. You can purchase national park passes at the ranger stations at all entrances of the park. For the 2 of us, it was $22 CAD/day. This park lives up to all it's hype and I would highly recommend.

Really nice area Love being able to walk to Cochrane city…read morelimits without actually leaving the country side I look forward to doing some running out here sometime, maybe some riding

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is a brand spanking new park just 2 km outside of Cochrane. I've been…read morereading a bit about the park online, so decided to check the park out yesterday with my best friend. There aren't any signs up yet for the park, so if you're heading out, you'll want to look for Glenbow Rd. Coming from Calgary, Glenbow Rd is on the left hand side of the highway, and Range Rd 35 on the right. Be careful, the highway is busy and there's construction as well, it looks like they're twinning it the rest of the way to Cochrane. If you want to play things on the safe side, drive on through to the first subdivision at the top of the hill in Cochrane. Then turn around and head back the other direction. Now your turn will be on your right and you won't need to cross traffic on a busy highway. Once you turn onto Glenbow Rd, follow it all the way down. Yes you're on the right track. At the very end of the road you'll come across the parking lot for the park. Drive slowly, there are plenty of twists and turns in the narrow gravel road that even going 40 around them felt a little risky. Bring your own water, there are no fountains here, at least not yet. Also, if you're in need of a washroom, your only bet is a couple of outhouses in the parking lot. Use them before you hit the park. As you descend the first hill into the park, you'll come across the Visitor Centre. There were a couple of park stewards there to answer questions and chat with visitors who stopped in. The Visitor Centre has a few artifacts and information posters about the history of the area, the park, etc. From there, the park is yours to explore! If the prairie lands and the hills and a big, blue, open Alberta sky take your breath away, be prepared to be awestruck as you make your way through the various paths. This park is BEAUTIFUL. Five stars for scenery. We passed people walking, riding their bikes, even roller blading (ok, so the bikers and roller bladers passed us...). Dogs are allowed so long as they're on a leash. There are two main (paved) pathways for those of you with wheels. For the rest of us, there are also some gravel paths to take through different areas of the park. We ended up taking the first switchback path down one side of the hill, and then decided we wanted to find our way down to the river. You can, but its a bit of a walk. At any rate, the park may be open, but it isn't quite finished yet. Some things I'd like to see as it's developed are more picnic sites further along the walking trails, washroom facilities along the way, and perhaps a few other destinations in the park, like pointing the way to one of the old camping sites marked by rock circles they mention in the Visitor Centre. Also, the park is using QR codes on some of the information plaques around the park. I scanned a couple of these excited to see what they might bring up, but all I got was the same map of the park I was already looking at. While I'll admit this did come in handy 15 minutes later when there was no plaque in front of us, while at the plaque, I was disappointed that it didn't let me in on some additional facts about the park or something else that would have been a fun surprise. What's the point of scanning something if I'm only going to see what I'm already looking at? Otherwise, the park's off to a good start. Go check it out! But remember, be wary crossing the highway traffic, dear yelpers, it's not the safest move just yet.

Absolutely breathtaking! Pics don't do this garden justice! Definitely one of most beautiful…read moregardens we have been to (and we have been to many many gardens including Buchart in Victoria). Free to enter, free parking too! We spent about 2 hours here just soaking in all the manicured beauty! And an easy walk to all the shops and cafes in Banff Village :)

It's a free garden just outside of downtown. I found it quite bland just because everything is…read morequite artificial and not very natural but it is a free attraction near town, so there's that. Quick 30 minutes walk through the garden.

I can't believe there's only one other review for this beautiful park in the heart of Banff town!…read more Just a few minutes walk from downtown Banff and perfectly situated along the Bow River, Central Park is a huge park for everyone to enjoy! My first time here was actually in summer of 2019 and they happened to have live music one afternoon at the gazebo. So many people were spread out around the park relaxing on the grass, picnic blankets or sitting at one of the many picnic tables just enjoying the sunny day, hanging out and listening to the local artist/band while soaking in the gorgeous views of the mountains and Banff town! More recently, my hubby and I were back in town for the 2023 Banff Marathon/Half Marathon/10K weekend and the race hub was set up at Central Park (race packet pick up, expo, pre-race festivities, and start/finish area). We loved getting to do "Yoga in the Park" here as part of the Banff Marathon festivities and just hang out here before and after the race itself. If I lived in Banff, I'd probably be here everyday! It's just the most picturesque place to go for a run, walk, have a picnic, take your kids to play in the playground or just run around on the grass. They even have a farmers' market and craft market here from time to time (possibly weekly), and a large public washroom/restroom building by the main parking lot. Not to be missed when in Banff!

What a great place to be on Canada Day! Live music, dancing, drums, fireworks, everyone in red -…read morefrom head to toe. Great to see the community to come together to celebrate their country. Shout out to Amelie Patterson. Awesome performer- hope she comes to SF one day.

Great viewpoint and the perfect spot to capture those iconic postcard quality pictures of Fairmont…read moreBanff Springs, Bow River, and the Rundle Mountains. This viewpoint is located between Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Road. The drive to this viewpoint does go through some residential areas, however it is scenic and worth the journey. There's a very small parking area and this lot does get busy. Surprise Corner provides a breathtaking vantage point of the Rundle Mountains. There's a trail connected to the parking area that goes down to the Bow River. This is called the Hoodoo Trail and is a lovely walk down to the river. There's also an elevated platform across the street from the parking lot. This does require ascending a flight of stairs. If you are visiting during the winter months, traction shoes help quite a bit. The parking lot does get a little icy and slick.

I had been trying to get some good shots of the Fairmont Hotel, but could not find the perfect…read morespot. Then our bus drove a little ways out of town to a perfect spot to take an photo of this iconic hotel. This platform was built with the distinct purpose to allow people/tourists to take a photo of the hotel and surrounding area. There is additional signage that talks about the arts programs that have long been a part of the Banff community. So glad that we had this opportunity.

Absolutely gorgeous falls! A must-see while visiting the town of Banff. The parking lot is decent…read moresize, and well maintained. You can see the falls from the area right across the parking lot. If you want a view from above, you can take the stairs trail up to the top. Such beautiful scenery and the sound of the waterfall is therapeutic. There are places to sit and eat and enjoy the waterfall at the base and riverbank. Such an awesome viewpoint. Would highly recommend!

Great parking space. It got chilly and windy but the falls was so far the widest though shortest…read moreI've seen. The sound of the falls just couldn't be beat regardless! Great stop!

We made reservations in advance via Pursuit Pass for departure time and return time. Print out all…read moretickets in advance in case of SOS before arrival for faster check-in. If you're taking a free shuttle from Brewster Transportation, there are certain areas in Banff where shuttle will pick up and drop off passengers. Allow over an hour before departure time: 1) Park your vehicle in free or paid public parking. 2) Walk to designated shuttle area(s). 3) Shuttle(s) will make multiple stops prior to arriving at Sulphur Mountain. We enjoyed the magnificent scenery from various elevation levels indoors and outdoors. Highest peak at 7,846 ft. There's a plethora of information to read, washrooms, hydration station to refill water flask(s), casual and fine dining, observatory deck, fireplace, gelato cart, gift shop, Starbucks. We spent about a little less than two hours exploring everywhere on upper level before descending and catching the shuttle. Worth the exhilarating and fascinating experience!

The Banff Gondola is a to do while in Banff. If you're not a mountain climber but you want to get…read morethe effect of being right up there with them, this is the easiest way to do it. I was late a half hour from my designated time slot however the ticket desk folk were forgiving and shifted my time to match my arrival. The gondola will get you up 7,486 feet = 700 meters in the air to view the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains. The 360 degree views are amazing and they allow you to stay up on the viewing deck/boardwalk for at least 90 minutes. It's actually a nice walk and the views change as you move along the path. The altitude might get to some folks and there's a lot of stairs to climb so if you're not active, you may need to take more breaks. Thankfully the path has a lot of benches/viewpoints along the way if you need to catch your breath. I also managed to catch some wildlife and came across a family of non-threatening mountain sheep. Disclaimer: At best stay on the wooden boardwalk. There is a portion of the trail that is outside the designated leasehold area which are not guarded by rails. I can't remember exactly where this is but you'll know when you see it. It's mostly rock/gravel covered with no railing. The drop is sudden and one wrong move will cause you to fall over 7,000 feet. Your doom is either that or risk running into a bear if you go off path. The parking situation is decent as long as you don't go during prime hours. You will have to pay a separate fee to park your car if you're driving in as this location does not honor the Parks Canada parking pass (even if it's for Banff/Lake Louise). There are dining options if you want to eat lunch or dinner up above. Sky Bistro has some pretty sick views. On the way out they have a gift shop and Starbucks. Definitely do the Banff Gondola as a half day trip. It's fun and you won't regret it.

This new playground opened the week we were visiting Banff so we were one of the first ones to use…read moreit! This was perfect since we had kids with us. We explored it one night after skiiing as it stays light here pretty late. The location is inside of Sundance PArk, which has a path across the bridge back to downtown. We drove, however, and parking was easy up the path in a large lot, near the ball fields. Once there, our kids explored. The whole thing felt so natural and it fit in so well with the surroundings. There was something for all ages and the backdrop was the best playground backdrop ever, with the looming mountains hovering above. The center piece in my opinion was the two story climbing structure with a slide that comes down. It will be interesting to see how this holds up over the years with the harsh winters, but I am sure they thought of that.