Banff National Park - General Park Information

The park, which is open all year, has about 354 kilometres (219 mi.) of scenic roads. Hwy. 1 to Vancouver and Hwy. 93S (Banff-Windermere Hwy.) are open year-round, as is the northern end of Hwy. 93N (Icefields Parkway) from Lake Louise to Jasper; check locally for road conditions. One- or multiple-day bus tours of the park's major points of interest also are available.
More than 1,300 kilometres (800 mi.) of trails traverse the park. All activities involving an overnight stay in the back country require a wilderness permit offered at information centers and park warden offices in the Banff and Lake Louise townsites. Public campgrounds in the park are available by reservation, with some sites set aside on a first-come, first-served basis; phone (877) 737-3783, or (866) 787-6221 in Canada.

If such potentially risky activities as mountain climbing or hiking away from designated trails are planned, visitors should register their trips in person at a park warden office or information center. Upon return, notify the warden office or information center in person or by phone. Phone (403) 762-1550 for back-country travel information, including weather and avalanche bulletins.
Lake Louise's waters, about 4 C (39 F), are too cold for swimming but are ideal for boating. Motors are not permitted; motorboats may be used only on Lake Minnewanka. Cruises on Lake Minnewanka are offered during the summer. Skating, skiing, curling and hockey are available in the park in winter.

Park naturalists conduct interpretive programs at major campgrounds most evenings and at key attractions daily throughout the summer. Bankhead, a once-booming mining town 4.8 kilometres (3 mi.) northeast of Banff, has a self-guiding trail with explanatory signs and a mining exhibit. The trail is open daily 24 hours.

Special events include the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the Banff Mountain Book Festival. Both are held late October through early November. The Banff Summer Arts Festival, held May through August, also provides additional activities for visitors to enjoy.
Throughout the summer guides and outfitters offer fishing, hiking and float trips. Saddle horses are available for trips through the mountains to glacier-fed lakes, and helicopter tours can be arranged outside the park boundaries in Canmore and in Golden, British Columbia.

Information, interpretive program schedules and back-country trail tips are available at Banff Information Centre, (403) 762-1550, 224 Banff Ave., and Lake Louise Information Centre, (403) 522-3833, on Village Road; topographical maps and trail guides are sold at both locations. The Banff center is open daily 8-8, late June to mid-Sept.; hours vary rest of year. The Lake Louise center is open daily 9-7, late June to mid-Sept.; hours vary rest of year. Audiotape tours by CCInc. Auto Tape Tours are available at the Banff Information Centre at the Friends of Banff outlet; phone (403) 762-8918.
Fishing is permitted; national park fishing permits are sold at park information, administration and warden offices as well as at some boat concessionaires and tackle shops. Check at the information centers in Banff or Lake Louise for a summary of park fishing regulations.

Hunting is strictly prohibited; visitors entering the area must have firearms dismantled.
ADMISSION to the park for 1 day is $8.90 per person; over 65, $7.65. Admission for two to seven persons in a private vehicle for 1 day is $17.80. An annual pass, valid at all Canadian national parks, is available. AXMCVI.
PETS are allowed in the park but must be leashed, crated or physically restrained.
ADDRESS inquiries to the Superintendent, Banff National Park of Canada, P.O. Box 900, Banff, AB, Canada T1L 1K2; phone (403) 762-1550.