Banff National Park - The Oldest National Park of Canada

Banff National Park is the most beautiful location of Canada. It is famous for its amazing coloured lakes, majestic mountains and endless outdoor adventures. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park. It is located in the Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta. It was established in 1885. The park spans 6,641 square kilometres of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. It has a rich heritage as one of the world’s most awe-inspiring mountain destinations. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley. Banff National Park has a subarctic climate with three ecoregions, including montane, subalpine, and alpine. Banff National Park wildlife includes mammal species such as the grizzly, cougar, wolverine, elk, bighorn sheep and moose, along with hundreds of bird species. Enjoy watching them but keep a safe distance, never approach a wild animal or feed them. The bustling town of Banff and hamlet of Lake Louise are uniquely located in the National Park.

Lake Louise, a hamlet located 54 km northwest of the town of Banff. It is a home to the landmark Chateau Lake Louise (Chateau Lake Louise is a Fairmont hotel on the eastern shore of Lake Louise.) at the edge of Lake Louise. Moraine Lake (Moraine Lake is a glacially fed lake in Banff National Park) provides a scenic vista of the Valley of the Ten Peaks (Valley of the Ten Peaks is a valley in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, which is crowned by ten notable peaks and also includes Moraine Lake), located 15 km from Lake Louise. Lake Louise is one of the most visited lakes in the world and is framed to the south-west by the Mount Victoria Glacier.

Lake Louise

The Icefields Parkway is a 230-kilometre-long road connecting Lake Louise to Jasper, Alberta. It’s on the list of many publications as one of the most beautiful scenic roads on the world. The Parkway originates at Lake Louise, and extends north up the Bow Valley, past Hector Lake, which is the largest natural lake in the park. Other scenic lakes near the parkway include Bow Lake, and Peyto Lakes, both north of Hector Lake.

Bow River

Banff National Park has numerous large glaciers and icefields, 100 of which can be observed from the Icefields Parkway. Small cirque glaciers are fairly common in the Main Ranges, situated in depressions on the side of many mountains. Peyto Glacier (The Peyto Glacier is situated in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada) is one of the longest continuously studied glaciers in the world. Glaciologists are now researching the glaciers in the park more thoroughly, and have been analyzing the impact that reduced glacier ice may have on water supplies to streams and rivers. Estimates are that 150 glaciers disappeared in the Canadian Rockies (areas both inside and outside Banff National Park) between the years 1920 and 1985. Another 150 glaciers disappeared between 1985 and 2005, indicating that the retreat and disappearance of glaciers is accelerating. In Banff National Park alone, in 1985 there were 365 glaciers but by 2005, 29 glaciers had disappeared. The total glaciated area dropped from 625 to 500 square kilometres in that time period. Under the Köppen climate classification, the park has a subarctic climate (The subarctic climate is a climate characterised by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers) with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. The climate is influenced by altitude with lower temperatures generally found at higher elevations. Being influenced by altitude, snowfall is also greater at higher elevations. As such, 234 cm of snow falls on average each year in the Banff townsite, while 304 cm falls in Lake Louise, which is located at a higher altitude.

Banff National Park A Canada Landscape, Alberta

 Banff National Park is the most visited Alberta tourist destination and one of the most visited national parks in North America, with more than three million tourists annually. A park pass is required for stopping in the park and permit checks are common during the summer months, especially at Lake Louise and the start of the Icefields Parkway. Anyone who visits Canada should undoubtedly have this one on their travel list.