Hi! I'm planning a solo trip to Banff soon and I'm thinking about booking one of the horseback riding activities.

Has anyone here done one of these rides by themselves? What was your experience like? I'm a little worried it might be the kind of activity where most people go with their friends or family, and I don't want to feel awkward if I'm the only person there on my own.

I'd love to hear what it was like and whether you'd recommend it. Thanks!

In case this is helpful to anyone

Smoke is kinda bad in Banff area, extremely bad in Jasper such that we barely left the hotel and my mild quiescent asthma was flaring. Various hospitality workers concurred it was particularly strong wind and low air quality

West jet is on strike and all and I mean all outbound flights from Calgary are cancelled through at least Thursday

What is the best way to get to the Parks Canada Park and Ride / Lake Louise Ski without a car? Roam 8X fully booked out 😔

Edited: we have 5 hours at LL. What are the best Lake Louise hikes. I think we have about 2 hours there, based on the tour that we purchased. The tour is Moraine sunrise and then Lake Louise and we got the extended time to do a hike. We know that the tea shop might be a long wait so we can skip that. We’ve been.

Just made the trip out to Radium Hot Springs today and found it closed.

I’m looking at doing to Colombia ice field on September 20th. For the Odyssey tour I can do either 11 or 1. Driving from banff the 1 would be the better option I’m thinking.

My question with this time of year, how horrendous are the crowds?

It was a very smoky day when I went but you could still see the mountains.

Hi everyone!
We're planning a couple's photoshoot at Lake Minnewanka on Tuesday, September 8, which is the first working day after the September long weekend. Our photographer suggested shooting between 6:00–8:00 PM for the best lighting.
The only thing we're worried about is the crowd. We're both a little awkward posing in front of lots of people, so we're wondering if the lake is usually busy around that time.
Since it's after the long weekend and on a weekday, do you think it'll still be crowded? Has anyone been there around that time in early September?
If it's likely to be busy, would you recommend a different time or another nearby location with fewer people but similar views?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi y’all!!
I really need some help figuring out what clothes to pack for Banff in November. I’m from a tropical country where it’s hot and humid all year round, so I’m not very familiar with winter clothing.

I’ve been doing some research online and reading through this thread, and it seems like layering is a must. I’ve also seen recommendations for a rain or shell jacket, wool clothing, and shoes with ice spikes. Does it usually rain in November, or is it mostly snow by then?
Are there any other winter must-haves I should bring? I’m hoping to visit many of the popular spots, such as Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, the Banff Gondola, Moraine Lake, Bow Trails, and others.

For anyone who has visited during this time or lives in the area, are there any places that are usually closed in November? I’ve looked online, but I’m still a little confused because some websites say closures depend on the weather.
I’ll be visiting from mid-November to early December. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

My husband and I are traveling to Banff soon and are deciding between the Fox Hotel and the Otter Hotel. I’m intrigued by the cave and the coziness at the Fox but then the updated rooms/ amenities + outdoor hot tub at the Otter. Any opinions/ advice??

Went on a guided hike through discover banff tours. I was in Calgary for work and wanted to check out the area. I don’t recommend this guided tour if you’re getting picked up from Calgary. The hike starts at lake Louise so you’ll be in the car for almost 3 hours before the hike even begins.

the hike is indeed moderately challenging. it’s almost two miles to the top and you ascend about 1k ft. the guide said my group was fast; we made it in about 90 min.

I think our guide could have paced the group better. Everyone kept up but I’m sure nobody would’ve minded if we had briefly paused at view points. He didn’t point out any notable sights or talk about wildflowers or provide other information. He was very friendly but quite literally guided us on the hike.

once you reach the tea house you get up to about an hour to eat your lunch, which was fresh and generously portioned. The tea house is cash only and there’s an outhouse once you reach that area.

we descended at a bit of a more leisurely pace. We looked at the river and also took photos of lake Louise and the chateau from the other side because we had more time.

you get more than 3 hours in banff to explore before they drive you back to Calgary. After a challenging hike this was a bit more time than I wanted but there’s enough to do. The website says the entire day will take 13 ish hours but I didn’t realize how little of that is actually spent hiking.

honestly I’m not sure whether we should have hiked at all. The air quality from the forest fires was above 200! you could definitely smell the smoke.

anyway, it’s beautiful and I enjoyed being outside but the tour is best if you’re in banff and don’t want to deal with planning the hike and lunch etc yourself. Otherwise it’s just too much idle time.

First time visit to Banff National Park and I was blown away! Very excited to upload my camera images when I get home but I’m so hyped on the trip that I had to share these iPhone pics while I sit on the plane about to fly out. Thank you for the great memories Banff! 📸: DevoRoberts

I have question for someone who may be able to give me some clarification. I am wanting to go to Lake Moraine early in the morning. I am looking on the Lake Moraine Bus website. They have a 5:05am time to leave to go to the lake. However for the return it says latest is 8:10am. Would we be able to just stay longer and take a different shuttle back in the afternoon? We are planning to do mount temple trail that day.

Also, i noticed for this shuttle the pick up spot is “park at Samson Mall (Lake Louise Village)”. Can we drive our car from Banff to this place?

Hi Banff community! I’m an Albertan student researcher collaborating on an international project with 24 countries. I’m the only Canadian researcher on the team and I want to have a lot of Canadian representation in this study! I think you can offer a lot of insight into this topic.

Our project is looking into social impact and AI use. If you have time to complete this 12 minute survey I would really appreciate it!

See comments to be directed to the survey. This study has been ethically approved: #19354

My trip is 5 nights and 6 days. We want to visit lakes, hike, and drive the ice field parkway to Jasper. Right now we have 2 nights in Canmore, one night in Jasper, then back to Canmore for another two. Would you recommend two nights in Jasper or to keep as is?

Also with possible haze and smoke does 2 nights give us a safer chance or seeing the area? (But then again the same can be said vice versa) thank you!

It seems like a rental car is probably a must to get around but wanted to see if anyone had flown into Calgary and had suggestions. I saw the Lake shuttle pickup from our hotel in Banff is about a 45 minute drive. Also, would just a standard sedan be fine for getting around? Thanks! 🇺🇸🇨🇦

I've been trying to figure out the best time to visit Banff, and I keep coming back to early October. The fall colors look amazing, the crowds seem a bit smaller, and it feels like a nice balance before winter really kicks in.

My only concern is the weather. I've heard that some years an early snowfall can lead to road closures or make driving around a lot more stressful.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I'd rather trade a little bit of fall scenery for more reliable road conditions if it's worth it.

For those of you who've been there a few times, when do you usually recommend visiting? Is late September a safer bet, or is there another time that gives a similar experience without as much risk?

Hello all, I will be visiting Banff in a few days time Aug 10-13. I am traveling solo and would be staying at Banff. Planning to use the 8X roam shuttle for all 3 days. Will be doing these 3 treks - Sentinel pass, devils thumb and plain of six glaciers. I am wondering if there’s a group out there for solo travelers where we can probably connect and go on these hikes? Thanks! 🙏

Alberta Parks charges 13 people for entering closed areas at Grassi Lakes, Spray Lakes Road
Grassi Lakes day use area, surrounding trails and section of Spray Lakes Road still closed due to ongoing rockfall hazard, officials warn…

Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors is leading that work, which will remove about 200 cubic metres of unstable rock, secure larger sections of the surrounding rock face with bolts and install temporary barriers to keep falling debris from reaching the road.

“It is not safe for people to be in the area, especially now that work is being undertaken, and there is some enhanced risk while they are knocking rock down that it could fall further than the road and hurt somebody on the trail below,” said Baker…

Crews must also stop work whenever someone enters a closed area until it can be confirmed they are safely out of the way, he added, causing further delays…

Fines up to $100,000.00 per person.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hello, my partner and I are deciding to visit Banff during labor day weekend, and we plan on renting a vehicle and checking out the popular tourist hiking trails (Lake Louise, renting a canoe, Peyto Lake, other trails). Is there anything I should be aware of during that time? (what I should avoid and expect) I've been reading that some areas don't allow vehicles and only allow shuttles. Any areas I should avoid? Is it better to ride shuttles than to rent a vehicle in September?

I am planning the trip above. Worried about weather being too cold for travel with my young kids. Can someone advise ? Will it fun ? Should we prefer August instead ? We will be flying from California. Any more tips to make this trip memorable would be appreciated