If you’re seeking adventure on your summer Canadian road trip, there’s hardly a better place to start than with some of the best hiking in Banff National Park.
Situated in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, Banff is among the best places to go in Alberta, one of best outdoor destinations in Canada and a superb place to visit all year round.
One of the best times of the year to visit Banff, however, is in summer as hiking season gets into full swing. The assortment of hiking trails in Banff National Park seems nearly endless, offering hikes ranging from easy walks to glacial lakes to more advanced treks to vertiginous summits.
Looking to explore the vast wilderness of Banff? Get started with this guide to the best hiking trails in Banff National Park, Alberta…
Looking for more ideas for your trip? Check out our Canada Guide for First-Time Travellers for more recommendations on when to visit, where to go & what to do!
Top hiking trails in Banff National Park
Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots
Among the top places to visit in Banff, Johnston Canyon is as impressive a natural destination as any in Alberta. For hikers, the Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots Trail is one of the best places to experience the canyon in its full glory.
The Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots Trail is famous for its majestic waterfalls. As you power along the 11.7-kilometre return trip, you’ll slip by the canyon’s famous Lower Falls (1.2 km) and Upper Falls (2.7 km) before stumbling upon the Ink Pots.
Showing off the geological wonders of Banff and the Canadian Rockies, the Ink Pots are a series of five colourful hot springs set to a magnificent Rocky Mountain backdrop.
At the time of writing (summer 2020), the road to the Johnston Canyon parking lot & trailhead is closed. If you make a lunch reservation at the nearby Blackswift Bistro on the Bow Valley Parkway, however, Parks Canada will allow access to the road.
- Distance: 11.7 kilometres (return)
- Time: 5 to 6 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Parker Ridge
Located along the world-renowned Icefields Parkway near the edge of Jasper National Park, the Parker Ridge Trail is one of the quickest hikes in Banff, rollin’ in at just 5 kilometres return.
Don’t let the shorter distance fool you though: This steep, but relatively easy, hike unleashes some of Banff’s most spellbinding alpine scenery!
When you finally reach Parker Ridge, you’ll get to witness the majestic Saskatchewan Glacier melting into a bright turquoise pool at the head of the Saskatchewan River.
One of the most popular times to climb along the Parker Ridge Trail is in the morning to catch a dramatic sunrise bathing the mountains in soft light.
- Distance: 5.1 kilometres (return)
- Time: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Sulphur Mountain
One of the most accessible of these best hikes in Banff, the Sulphur Mountain Trail is a favourite for visitors and locals year-round. Snaking up to the summit of the namesake mountain, this 5.5-kilometre-long trail negotiates a series of switchbacks up through forests and alongside alpine scenery to a lofty attitude of 2,451 metres.
Reaching the summit of Sulphur Mountain, you’ll be treated to majestic views over the Bow Valley. On Sulphur Mountain there’s also a handful of things to check out including a restaurant, gift shop, weather station, and the Cosmic Ray Station, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you’re tired after the hike up Sulphur Mountain, you can choose to ride the Banff Gondola back down to the base of the mountain. The downward trip on the gondola is free after 7pm year-round.
- Distance: 5.5 kilometres (one-way)
- Time: 90 minutes to 3 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
Tunnel Mountain
Even more accessible than Sulphur Mountain, the Tunnel Mountain Trail starts a short 15-minute walk from the centre of Banff Town.
The easy 4.5-kilometre-return hiking trail moves up 266 metres along a series of gradual switchbacks to the summit of its namesake mountain where you’ll get to enjoy incredible views over the town of Banff, the Bow Valley, Rundle Mountain, and the Vermillion Lakes.
As this day hike is relatively short and not overly steep, the Tunnel Mountain Trail is one of the best hikes for less experienced hikers or for families travelling to Banff with kids.
- Distance: 4.3 kilometres (return)
- Time: 3 hours
- Difficulty: Easy
Lake Agnes
Another relatively easy hike in Banff National Park, the Lake Agnes Trail scales up 466 metres towards the historic Lake Agnes Tea House. Built on the shores Lake Agnes in 1901, this world-famous teahouse offers fantastic lakeside views and a relaxing refuge for hikers looking to rest their weary legs.
Along the Lake Agnes Trail, starting near the legendary Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and climbing towards Mirror Lake, you’ll get to check out incredible views over Lake Louise and towards the Nokhu Crags.
If you’re looking for a more challenging hike in the area, continue along the northern shores of Lake Agnes along The Big Beehive Trail, ascending the mountain of the same name.
- Distance: 7.4 kilometres (return)
- Time: 2 to 3 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Plain of Six Glaciers
One of the most famous places to go hiking in Banff National Park and among the best hiking trails in Lake Louise, the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail offers up some of the most breathtaking mountain views in the area. (And as you know that’s not a small statement—at all!)
The trail is one of the top things to see in Lake Louise, famous for its views onto the legendary Chateau Lake Louise hotel. Where the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail truly shines, however, is in witnessing the glacial icefields cascading from the mountainside into the crystalline waters of Lake Louise.
Keep in mind that this 14.6-kilometre-return hiking trail is often busy in the high of summer tourist season and is moderately difficult. Fortunately for hikers, there’s a teahouse, about 1.5 kilometres short of the trail-end, to stop for a break.
- Distance: 14.6 kilometres (return)
- Time: 4 to 5 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass
If you decide to visit Banff in autumn, don’t miss out on Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass. This moderately difficult hike starts at the Moraine Lake parking lot, winding through a series of switchbacks and dense forest before settling down towards the beautiful Larch Valley.
In September and November, the valley’s distinctive larch trees turn from green to bright yellow and orange to create a scene like none other in the Banff & Lake Louise area.
After reaching the end of the Larch Valley trail, it’s another 1.5 kilometres to Sentinel Pass. Climbing about 180 metres in elevation through a series of switchbacks, the Sentinel Pass Trail ends with spectacular views over Paradise Valley.
- Distance: 10.9 kilometres (return)
- Time: 3 to 5 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The Big Beehive
From the Lake Agnes Tea House, walk along the northern and eastern lakeshore towards The Big Beehive Trail. Not to be confused with the easier Little Beehive Trail closer to the tea house, The Beehive Trail is a moderately challenging Banff hiking trail, negotiating a series of steep switchbacks towards the summit of its namesake mountain.
Reaching the top of The Big Beehive, you’ll get to enjoy spectacular views over Lake Louise including the legendary Fairmont Lake Louise Hotel. While the “official” trail is 10.3 kilometres long (there-and-back from the hotel), the hike to the summit is only 1.5 kilometres past the end of the Lake Agnes Trail, adding only about an hour to return trip.
- Distance: 10.3 kilometres (return)
- Time: 4 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Moraine Lake
Hands down, Moraine Lake is one of Canada’s most spectacular outdoor gems. The scenes you’ll discover as you gaze upon this iconic glacial lake from every angle, with its ever-changing blue and green hues, are nothing short of breathtaking.
The two main hikes at Moraine Lake—The Rockpile Trail and The Lakeshore Trail—are among the easiest Banff National Park hiking trails, ranging from less than 1 kilometre to just 2.6 kilometres with relatively little elevation gain.
The biggest challenge to hiking at Moraine Lake is avoiding the crowds. In the height of Banff’s tourist season, you’ll need to arrive early in the morning to snag one of the very limited parking spots here. And, yes, we do mean very early. Like 5:30am to 6:30am early. (Apologies to all the night owls!)
Visiting in the fall shoulder season before Moraine Lake freezes for the winter and spring is a good compromise. The road to Moraine Lake is closed in winter and accessible only via a (likely quite chilly) walk from Lake Louise.
- Distance: 0.8 kilometres (Rockpile Trail) to 2.6 kilometres (Shoreline Trail)
- Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
Helen Lake
If you’ve got an Icefields Parkway itinerary in the works, make sure to set aside half a day for a hike to Helen Lake. This moderate to difficult hiking trail begins just south of Bow Lake across from the Crowfoot Glacier viewpoint along the famous Icefields Parkway about 38 kilometres north of Lake Louise.
Once you’ve hobbled through the first few kilometres of heavily tree-rooted forest paths, the trail opens up to lovely wide meadow. Soon, your efforts will be rewarded with incredible views of the Bow Valley that get better the closer to you get to Helen Lake.
Finally reaching Helen Lake, you can add a little more pep to the hike with an extra scramble to the top of the ridge around the lake. From the lake, you can also continue your hike with a challenging scramble up Cirque Peak or a hike towards Dolomite Pass.
- Distance: 12.6 kilometres (return)
- Time: 3 to 4 hours
- Difficult: Moderate to Difficult
Bourgeau Lake & Harvey Pass
As one of the longer day hikes in Banff National Park, the trail to Bourgeau Lake & Harvey Pass won’t be for everyone. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for adventure and have got a day to spare in Banff, this outdoor paradise makes for a wonderful addition to your itinerary.
The first part of the trek to Bourgeau Lake powers through about 7.5 kilometres of long switchbacks that carve through a lovely forest. On the journey, you’ll weave around and about Wolverine Creek, crossing a few times, before the trail opens and steepens for the final ascent to the lake.
Although you can end your hike at the emerald-hued Bourgeau Lake, if you’ve got some gas left in the tank, follow the rugged trail onwards to Harvey Lake and Harvey Pass.
After you reach the lovely Harvey Lake two kilometres later, it’s just half a kilometre to Harvey Pass where you’ll get to enjoy stunning views over the Canadian Rockies including Mount Assiniboine.
- Distance: 20.4 kilometres (return)
- Time: 6 to 8 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Peyto Lake & Bow Summit
Not that there’s been any shortage to choose from, but there’s one more dazzling lake to add to your Banff hiking wishlist: Peyto Lake.
Perched perfectly at 1,800-metres elevation in the Waputik Valley, the area surrounding the blue-green wonder of Peyto Lake hit a home run with one of Banff’s most family-friendly trails.
While many first-time visitors stick to the short trek from the Bow Summit parking lot to the first Peyto Lake Viewpoint, there’s more to see just beyond. Less than half a kilometre up Bow Summit from the often-crowded wooden platform you’ll find another viewpoint with even more spectacular views of Peyto Lake and the surrounding Rocky Mountains.
- Distance: 2.7 kilometres (return)
- Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
When to go hiking in Banff
While you’re able to hike all-year-round on some hiking trails around Banff, the best time to go hiking in Banff is generally between June to August. In the summer months, the weather in Banff is at its best with plenty of warm sunny days with blue skies.
The only drawback of travelling to Banff in summer is the crowds. With Banff’s immense popularity with local, national, and international visitors, the hiking trails around Banff National Park can become severely overcrowded at times.
If you don’t miss slightly cooler temperatures, the shoulder seasons of spring and fall are great alternatives. You’ll need to bundle up a little more for your hike, especially if you’re travelling to Banff in autumn, but you’ll be able to enjoy a little more serenity along with cheaper prices & better availability at the top hotels in Banff.
One thing to keep in mind with travelling to Banff in spring, however, is that the glacial lakes—like Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Peyto Lake—are still frozen, often into June.
