Backpacking Banff – The Bow River Trail

My 48 hours in Banff were going to be jam packed with business meetings and dinners.  The opportunities to explore and visit Banff’s main attractions were going to be non-existent on this trip – at least the attractions that cost money.

Backpacking Banff – Bow River Trail

On our way to dinner to the Banff Springs Hotel on our second night, we decided to walk along the Bow River Trail.  The walk between Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel to the Banff Springs Hotel would take us about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace.  And boy, was it worth it!

Walking along the Bow River Trail

At an elevation of 4,537 feet (or 1,383 metres), Banff is the highest town in Canada.  It is weird to think that Banff sits at that high of an elevation as the drive from Calgary is a gradual, two-hour uphill climb through the Rockies.  Walking along the Bow River Trail you can actually stop by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to learn more about the history and culture of this part of Canada.

The view from Banff Pedestrian Bridge

Although, we did not have time to stop in at the Whyte Museum, here are some interesting facts about Banff:

·       Banff National Park was established in 1885 as Canada’s first National Park

·       Banff National Park covers 6,641 km² (2,564 miles)

·       The Town of Banff has a population of 7,500

·       Banff residents lease the land their homes sit on through Parks Canada

·       The tree line lies around 7,500 feet (2,300 metres) on average in the Canadian Rockies

·       Open all year round, Banff National Park’s peak season is July & August

Bow Falls

·         Banff National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984

·         Banff National Park is managed by Parks Canada & visitor permits are required

·         Banff receives 4 million visitors annually & skiing was introduced in 1909

·         Banff is named after Banffshire, Scotland – the birthplace of two of the original directors of the   Canadian Pacific Railway

·         Banff National Park is home to seven National Historic sites

My first glimpse of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Once we passed Banff Avenue, we crossed over the Bow River using the Banff Pedestrian Bridge.  As we got closer to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the trail became more isolated as it steered further away from the main road of Banff in a narrow, tree lined pathway.  The detour was worth it as we spent a few minutes admiring Bow Falls.  

Beautiful Banff & the Bow River

Shortly after the walk past Bow Falls, I caught my first glimpse of the legendary Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.  In only a few minutes, we would have dinner here in this National Historic Site of Canada.  But for now, I made sure to savour every moment that I could on the journey to the hotel.  It would be worth it to “work up an appetite” in this case.