Beautiful and exhilarating, the Canadian Rockies in general, and The Three Sisters in particular…read more When asked, a local tour guide said their individual names are Faith, Hope and Charity. Very nice. The second tour guide disagreed, saying their names are Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. I found this was repeated on Wikipedia ... and is there any higher authority? Why, yes, the lady at the Canadian Tourist Information Kiosk, who said the locals, the real people who live here, refer to the Three Sisters as Beebee, Ceecee and Deedee. So, what's in a name? The Three Sisters, by any name, are Beautiful and Exhilarating. Five-Stars.

As gorgeous as they are iconic - The Three Sisters stand guard over, no that's not right... The…read moreThree Sisters are all about fun, not protection. They're an icon for a town that exists for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. While The greatest cities in the world are know for and defined by their skylines, none of them even come close to Canmore's. Whether you'd prefer to enjoy them while camping, hiking, biking, or enjoying a glass of wine with a fine meal, Faith, Charity and Hope will make your experience all that much better.

Two Jack Lake. The most perfect place for a picnic…read more 5 stars - Early May conditions. The conditions were just right. In early May when all of the other lakes in Banff are still frozen, Two Jack was free flowing with that glacier blue water. Wow! The sun is perfectly placed when you go around noon. Bring a picnic lunch and soak it in. 5 stars - Peaceful setting. I hesitate to share this review with you because this place is not too overcrowded. After a stop at Lake Louise where we felt overwhelmed with the amount of people, we made a stop here and were so happy we did. With less people it felt so peaceful. And everyone here wasn't busy snapping pictures, but just there to enjoy the surrounding beauty of nature. That's what you should come here to do!! I'll be back to enjoy Two Jack Lake again soon!!

We adored this campground!…read more Location: In the heart of Banff National Park. An easy coupla right turns off the TransCanada. Up a beautiful mountain road going 50km/h it's a super nice drive. The campground is a few loops that are easy to access but the higher numbers are literally right next to the road with few trees as a barrier (i.e. roads are visible and cars are audible). Campsites: We stayed at site 46...it was a pretty good option but not the best. We were surrounded by a yurt on one side, a campsite on the other and 3 campsites in front of us all perfectly visible because the trees are tall and thin and sparse between the sites. But we had a beautiful view through the trees of this opening where the mountains and Two Jack Lake are visible. Sites 1-13 and 55-74 should be entirely avoided in my opinion....they are visible from the road and from them you can see and hear the road perfectly (almost no obstruction). Sites 14-35 are walk-ins and hit or miss with the choices...some are good choices because of the view of the mountains and lake...others suk cuz they're practically glued to one another with little buffer space. Sites 36-54 are a mixture of sites and yurts (that are so nice we actually ended up regretting not getting one of those despite being avid tent campers) the even numbers are mostly along the trail, mostly with view of mountains and lake, mostly beautiful sites. They are hit and miss because of the privacy (or rather lack thereof) between the sites...but the beautiful view and tranquility for the most part makes it worth it. I really loved site 42 but despite booking the very first possible day in January 2017 for June 2017 we still didn't get even one of the 4 sites we tried to get. Scenery: So pristine. So picturesque. So breathtakingly seriously awesome. And the smell of the mountain air and the pines in the forest oh wow! The brisk mountain air and the turquoise and marine blue lake surrounded by the snow capped moutains that bask in the sun in the almost neverending sun set (10pm still totally bright out!!)...oh wow! Weather: mountain weather... It rained a LOT. It was cold a LOT. It was a bit windy especially when it rained. The clouds swirled and whirled and for the most part you have no idea if it will rainy or be sunny from one minute to the next. And likely will end up being both. BUILD A WIND AND RAIN SHELTER ASAP! Commodities/Accommodations: - DOGS ALLOWED!! - Bathrooms: easily accessible and close at all times, clean, flushable toilets, hot water, those 15-second high pressured hot showers (loved those!), high pressure warm air hand dryer, never waited. - All-You-Can-Burn-Firewood : AYCBF!! There's a pile that they replenish several times through the day, it does get wet when it rains but the wood burned super well despite that (plus we gathered a bunch to keep dry under a tarp so that helped), help yourself to all you can carry there's always plenty!! - Fire pits are short iron rings with attached grills and two side plates...super efficient and perfect. - Picnic tables are gigantic, thick and immovable but usually close enough to the fire anyways so makes for nice dinners but u could still put a kitchen tent up if u wanted - Yurt sites seemed to have electricity access they also apparently came with propane and these kool stove things - Ice NOT AVAILABLE at the campground for purchase?!? No camp store on site. Had to drive to Banff (12 minute drive no biggy) and buy ice at a gas station (4$ per bag yo!!!) - Sites are usually big enough for any type of trailer/RV and / or tents n shelters combinations - there are large kitchen shelter structures u can bring ur firewood and use the wood stove n make a meal in the shelter in the rain, they're big enough for 4-5 familes to use at once but were usually empty. Prices: ~41$ per night June 2017 (National Park entrance fee waived with Parks Canada free entry for Canada's 150th anniversary so I have no idea how much more it woulda been)...seems pretty pricey but firewood included so not so much actually. Activities: Go see Banff and Lake Minnewanka while ur in the area! Each about 10 minutes either direction and both totally worth it!! Can purchase fishing licenses or rent boats from Lake Minnewanka. Plenty of hiking trails ...that make or may not be open due to wildlife... Wildlife: Bears, wolves: we didn't see any but there were sightings in the area prior to our arrival. Plenty of geese. Plenty of ginormous ravens. Herons. A few large mystery birds of prey. Long horn rams at Lake Minnewanka (guaranteed photo ops they're all chillin on the road). Elk (which kept their distance). Saw plenty of lil minnows in the lake but didn't end up buying licenses so didn't fish. A few mini squirrels or long tailed chipmunks...hard to say for sure. Plenty of deer. Very very few insects flying or otherwise...even the bees were awesome but huge (not aggressive or invasive, just hey how are u and fly away)

We did this for our last hike of our trip to Banff. Another couple we had met told us it was pretty…read moretough so I was a little worried, but it really wasn't bad...or perhaps I was just used to it after a week of hiking. It was steep, but not nearly as steep or long as the lake agnes tea house hike. Like everything else in Banff this hike was pretty crowded, but at least i knew we were in good company if a bear decided to join us. I forgot to bring bear spray so assumed one of the other 800 people on the trail had to have it. The view from the top was gorgeous - so we sat for awhile and enjoyed it. My legs were definitely tired when I made it down, but had enough energy to walk back to the Fairmont. For those staying at the Fairmont it's an easy walk to and from tunnel mountain.

Pretty sweet area to do some outdoor activity overlooking Banff and surrounding areas. Windy…read moremountain roads and overlooks are all around this are a.

I really enjoyed this campground…read more The weather was less than ideal, but I was happy for sheltered and warm showers and flush toilets. Spectacular views! The campground is more of a really nice parking lot. You drive up to your spot like you're parking on the curb in front of your house. It's easy. But. If you're big on site privacy there is really not so much here. Walking distance to Banff townsite. Mostly. It depends on what kind of walking or no walking you want to do. It's a good walk through the campsite, down along the road then a set of stairs. And you're there. No worries about parking in the townsite.

Honestly the saddest excuse for a campsite I have ever seen these past few years... Banff is a…read moreNATIONAL Park, it should be an example of how people all over Canada and the world get to experience what Canada's nature has to offer. Instead it has turned into a sorry excuse for a money grabbing extravaganza. The price has absolutely sky rocketed over the years, campsites are never cleaned, and snow removal seems to be non existent except for the main drive. The fire permit fee is mandatory even if you're not having a fire, and the wood is always, wet, rotten, or never properly dried in the first place. The showers have been under construction for the last two off-seasons, with no sign of anyone even working on them. Instead of a quick fix in the spring or fall, parks decides to capitalize on summer reservations, turn their profit, and not actually put it back into it facilities in a timely manner. At this point, Parks is pushing tourism to park illegally in Banff, as all they really offer is a washroom and there are several public ones readily available in the town. Parks Canada should be ashamed. This is a sad, sad excuse for a federally funded government agency. Check yourself.

Wonderful Spot to bring the whole Family together and enjoy the Canadian Rockies and so many other…read moregreat places like the trails and the Amazing Restaurant in Exshaw just a 10 minute drive from the Willow Rock Campground The Canadian Rockies Surrounding it are Just Magnificent

I wanted to give this review 2 stars based on my personal experience, but Bow Valley earns one more…read morestar for the potential I saw there. About 15 minutes before hitting Canmore on the way from Calgary, 10 minutes off the highway Bow Valley is a Provincial Park camp ground and day use park. A winding road took us toward the camp site, with great mountain views, a lake and picnic areas. $31 / night per lot, and another $23 for a second unit (tent) on the site. We arrived and checked in, met our friends there and got to setting up. Our site was pretty much in a field, NOTHING was level anywhere, rolls and dips, and a steady slope heading toward the back of the site. The overhead view on the website looked much nicer than the reality of the site. We were told that we can not set up anything on the grass, everything had to be on the gravel.. not very comfortable. So our tent had to go on a gravel slope? No thank you, we got our $23/night back and stayed in our friends trailer. Not a great start to the trip, but cold beer made the evening better. One big plus they have, is a very well maintained and clean bathrooms and showers. Much better than other sites we have gone to. So for the extra star, we walked around the site and made our way down to the river. The sites along the water are amazing! Lots of trees, well landscaped, and water access. IF we go back, it would have to be one of those sites. So great potential if you get the good spots. Basically from what we saw, half the sites were amazing, treed in proper camp sites, and the other half were in a field with landscaping done to resemble the surface of the moon. 2 Star personal experience, but one bonus star for potential! Either way, it is 45 minutes outside of Calgary, and a weekend getaway with friends is always good!

I did one of my trail runs with my running group here at Spray Valley Provincial Park. This was…read moredefinitely the most scenic run that I did during my trip. Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park located along the Spray River in Alberta, Canada. Spray Valley borders Banff National Park. The park features forests, alpine lakes and rugged peaks. Activities in Spray Valley include camping, hiking, canoeing and fishing. We ran on the Chester Lake Trail to beautiful Chester Lake. The views along the way were just breathtaking. At the lake, you get a glimpse of both Gusty Peak and The Fortress. The water was so clear and had a nice reflection of the surrounding mountains and clouds. I stopped at the foot of the lake to enjoy its beauty before jumping back onto the trail to finish my run. The trails in Spray Valley Provincial Park are a mix of easy, moderate and challenging trails. Spray Lakes West Campground is the main campground in Spray Valley. There are many lakes within the park with Spray Lakes Reservoir being the largest. The Smith-Dorrien Trail (also known as Spray Lakes Road) is a scenic drive on a dirt road that has incredible views of the valley and mountains. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicle parking.

A friend of mine recommended the Troll Hike in Kananaskis country so we ducked out of Banff for an…read moreafternoon of exploring the parks just outside. It was beautiful! Mountains galore and lots of great outdoorsy opportunities for winter and warmer weather alike. During our drive we happened to see a bunch of guys in a parking lot near the road loading and unloading kayaks. Most of the water we had seen had been frozen so I was curious to see what the river looked like so my husband and I pulled over. I read the little guide at the start of the trailhead and it informed us that this part of the river is rapids heavy and a well loved route for extreme kayakers, with a course mapped out with markers and everything. We took the short stroll to the water and enjoyed watching a few fellas do their thing in the raging water. The water was bright blue and SO beautiful. It was a highlight of our day and we didn't even plan on it! Check it out if you're in the area. I wish I could remember where exactly it was in the park, but follow the river and you should be able to find it!

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.