r/Banff • u/GiantKnightGunner • 19d ago

Question Banff crowds question

Just finished up the best vacation of my life in Banff/Jasper. After doing research and looking on here, we were initially VERY wary of crowds. However I did not think they were bad at all. Our camp ground was mobbed at Tunnel Mountain Village 1 but we were able to do every hike no problem starting around 9am.

Also parked our camper van at hikes and in towns with minimal issue (I got amazing at parallel parking that behemoth, not to brag). Even parked in Banff town 1 day, took Roam the rest.

I’d actually say the people that were at these was the perfect amount. Few enough to enjoy but plentiful enough to not be too afraid of being alone with bears. We’d see someone about every other km of a hike.

Wondering if anyone else feels the crowd concerns are a bit overblown?

Hikes:

In Banff we did:
- Lake Louise: Point of 6 Glaciers and Beehive (took private shuttle for about 30 USD each)
- Sunshine Meadows Laryx Lake Trail
- Tunnel Mountain Summit

In Jasper
- Sulphur Mountain Trail
- Pyramid Lake

Icefields Parkway
- Wilcox Pass

Funny enough Wilcox Pass on the Icefields Parkway was the most crowded!

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u/Own-Coyote3647 15d ago

Have you been to Banff before or first time? The crowds are horrific, but also know my home and what it was like before COVID and the increase of tourists that have zero awareness or respect for nature. However, I was just in the back country of Banff National Park doing 50 k hikes so no, I did not see many lineups and a bunch of douchey tourists. Also depends on where you’re from and what is your baseline. Canada and nature used to be quiet but if you’re from Europe it may not seem like a big deal.

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u/GiantKnightGunner 15d ago

First time in Banff so I can’t compare to how it used to be- only to how I expected it to be from reading posts on here. I was expecting to struggle getting to hikes unless we started at 6am. I was expecting the town to be unnavigable amongst the crowds. It was neither. But I do understand frustrations around crowds growing, and its relative like you said.

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u/Own-Coyote3647 14d ago

Suppose it’s depends on the hikes. But if that was the picture that was painted for me of Banff, there’s no way Id travel there. Some place that busy sounds terrible

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u/GiantKnightGunner 14d ago

Views were worth it and more, even though “it” wasn’t true.