WELCOME TO BANFF NATIONAL PARK

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Banff Activities

MOUNTAIN BIKING
AND CYCLING GUIDE
Welcome to Banff, Canada's first and most famous National Park. Its spectacular landscape of rugged mountains, broad valleys, glaciers, alpine meadows and turquoise lakes provides habitat for a variety of species including golden eagles, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bear, and cutthroat trout.
With more than 190 kilometres of mountain bike trails and numerous road riding options, biking is an excellent way to explore this special place. Trails range from easy to difficult and the biking season typically extends from May to October. This guide will help you plan an enjoyable biking experience, while keeping the park's natural environment as pristine as possible.
Mountain Biking in a National Park
Banff National Park supports the use of bikes as a means of appreciating and enjoying the tremendous natural values preserved within the park. If your objective is freeriding or downhilling, please consider areas such as Golden or Fernie, B.C. or Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, where these activities are both appropriate and encouraged.
Responsible Mountain Biking
Mountain biking in a national park comes with stewardship responsibilities. Riding non-designated or closed trails, building new trails, or riding offtrail displaces wildlife and destroys soil and vegetation. These activities are also illegal and violators may be charged under the National Park Regulations. Good stewardship of the park and respect for other users will help ensure that mountain biking continues to be a permitted activity within Banff National Park.

  • Mountain biking is allowed only on designated bike trails. It is your responsibility to know where you can and cannot legally ride.
  • Avoid riding during extreme conditions; wet, muddy or very dry trails are more likely to be damaged.
  • Help preserve the quality of our trails. Ride, don't slide - avoid skidding your tires by hard braking. Ride over obstacles, not around them. If obstacles are above your skill level, walk your bike.
Keep trails open by setting a good example of environmentally sound and socially responsible off road cycling.
Rules of the trail
  • Ride on open trails only.
  • Leave no trace.
  • Control your bicycle!
  • Always yield trail.
  • Never scare animals.
  • Plan ahead.
Safety
You are responsible for your own safety. Be prepared for a breakdown or accident. Know how to repair your bike and carry the tools and parts to do so.
  • Choose rides that match your abilities. Be conservative - start with easier, short trails. Park staff or bike shop employees can help you select a suitable route.
  • Wear a helmet and appropriate safety gear.
  • Bring extra food, water and clothing. Mountain weather changes quickly and it can snow any month of the year. Surface water may be contaminated with Giardia.
  • Always tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back.
  • Travel with others and keep your group together.

Skating on Ponds, Lakes and Rivers
Skating on natural ice in the Rockies can be a wonderful experience, but it also involves some serious risks. Here are some things you should know.
Parks Canada does NOT mark off places for safe skating, or mark potential hazards. If you choose to skate on natural ice, you do so at your own risk.
  • If you are not sure if the ice is thick enough, stay off it.
  • Never skate alone.
  • Don't skate in the dark.
ICE THICKNESS
- The Red Cross recommends an ice thickness of at least 6" for safety; the thicker the ice, the better. It's up to YOU to assess the thickness of the ice. The best way to do this is with a drill, and to check in several locations. We do not recommend skating at night or on snow-covered ice because you cannot see how thick the ice is. Water vapour above the ice, or creaking and cracking noises, indicate weak ice.
- The thickness of natural ice varies from place to place. Ice forms over shallow, still water first and is thinner over areas where the water is flowing. One pond may be in good condition while another one nearby is not safe. And ice thickness can vary from place to place on any pond or lake. Be especially cautious around inflow and outflow areas. When the weather is warm, the thickness of natural ice can change from day to day.

Photography
Early and late in the day is usually the best time for photography and nature watching. Please treat the landscape and its inhabitants with respect; stay on established trails to avoid trampling vegetation and always give wildlife plenty of space.

The Mountain National Parks include Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho, Mount Revelstoke, Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks. These parks span some of the most spectacular, ecologically significant areas of the Canadian Rockies and offer a vast range of unparalleled film and photographic opportunities. In the interest of protecting the park's resources while ensuring visitor experiences are not impacted, these activities are subjected to certain restrictions and special considerations.
To film or photograph in the national parks, an application must be submitted to Parks Canada ten days prior to activities. If approved, a Film/Photography Permit will be issued which outlines conditions and supplementary requirements associated with the production. The following information will assist in the preparation of a film/photography application.