My Travels To: Banff National Park

Moraine Lake | Banff, AB

Ever since I saw photos of the emerald colored lakes and beautiful reflections of the mountains, I knew I had to go see it for myself in person. I finally made it happen in May when I traveled to Alberta, CA with two of my good friends.

We went the week of July 4th and we thought it was the perfect time to go since it was the beginning of summer but not too hot yet. But we were completely wrong - we were unlucky with weather because it rained 3 out of the 5 days that we were there and it was way colder than we anticipated. Temperatures averaged about mid 50's to low 60's (F) but felt a lot colder when it was raining. But the cold temperatures and rain didn't stop us hiking and going on adventures!

There are many accommodation options in the town of Banff but if you plan on renting a car, then you should consider looking in close-by towns outside of Banff. My friends and I decided to rent an Air BnB in Canmore for our stay, which is about a 25 minute drive from Banff and still has stunning mountain views. We rented a car - doesn't matter if you have 4WD or AWD but make sure you get insurance that covers broken windshields. Our rental car agent suggested to get it since a lot of roads in Banff are gravel roads and gravel can sometimes pop up and hit your windshield causing damage. Although nothing happened to our windshield, we did see a lot of other cars that did have cracked windshields so we were glad that we paid the extra bit to be safe than sorry.

Summer time is the peak season in Banff, mostly because it's the nicest time of the year which is great for hiking and outdoor activities. That being said, popular lakes, hiking trails, and the downtown Banff area will most likely be packed with tourists. Also, prices for hotels and Air BnBs will also be more expensive but you can probably find a cheaper option the farther away you stay from Banff.

Moraine Lake

On our first full day in Alberta, we woke up at 4:30am to try to beat the crowd heading to Moraine Lake. We got there at around 6am and there was already a decent crowd there. The parking lot is small and Moraine Lake is one of the top attractions in Banff so if you are planning to come here, plan to come early so that you can get a parking spot! There is a separate lot that you can park at, but much farther away and you would either have to wait for a shuttle or walk up yourself.

Nonetheless, Moraine Lake should definitely be on your list if you go to Banff and these photos explain why.

The mountain views and bright emerald water are absolutely unreal, and worth waking up extra early for. We were lucky that there were no clouds as the sun was coming out and we were able to see a beautiful reflection of the mountains and trees cast over the lake. When the sun is shining over the lake, you'll get to see the reflection and the water is less blue in color. However, when there are clouds, the reflection is gone and the water appears looking even more emerald and turquoise. This goes for Lake Louise, Peyto Lake and other lakes in the area as well. Depending on what you'd like to see, I recommend keeping an eye on the weather forecast and plan accordingly.

We hiked the Rock Pile trail, which is very popular and not really considered a hike since it starts right as you enter Moraine Lake and brings you up the rock pile so that you can see a view of Moraine Lake at a higher elevation. The trail consists of some stairs and rocks but it's super easy, and you can also venture out to other areas of the rock pile for photos with less people.

After snapping some beautiful photos at the Rock Pile, we started our 6.7 hike up Sentinel Pass. This trail is rated as "Hard" on All Trails, which is pretty accurate. My friends and I are not experienced hikers so this trail really tested our stamina and endurance. This hike is difficult due to the uphill steepness and rock scrambles but the views along the hike are so stunning - some may say it's worth it!

Banff Upper Hot Springs & Camping at Bow River

The day after the strenuous hike, we decided to treat ourselves to some much needed R&R. We drove to the Banff Upper Hot Springs (approx. 30 minutes away from our stay) and enjoyed a few hours in the thermal waters. This is a popular activity among many tourists and locals alike (especially families) so be prepared to be comfortable with several others in the geothermal pools with kids splashing their way around. The admission fee is pretty inexpensive at $8.30 per adult, especially since there is no time limit of how long you can stay. We didn't stay for long and it's not recommended for people to lounge in the pools all day since the heat can cause dizziness and light-headedness.

After having a nice lunch at Park Distillery Restaurant and Bar, we headed over to Snowtips-Bactrax to get our camping gear. My friends and I were all first-time campers, and we were completely lost on what we needed for our camping trip, but the guys working there were extremely helpful, and got us exactly what we needed without pressuring us to purchase extra things. For three sleeping bags, a three-person tent, tarp (since it was raining and was needed to keep our tent dry), cooking and gas supplies, two camping chairs, and some hand warmers (definitely recommend if you're camping during the non-summer months), the total was about $90 for a 24-hour rental.

We drove about an hour to our camp site at Bow River Campground, which has over 60 camp sites, some with electricity and running water, and others with basic amenities with most of them having vehicle access. We reserved a basic campsite, which was about $30 per night and included a picnic table, fire pit, and a water hookup. If you are a beginner camper like us, make sure to arrive at your campsite before the evening since it gets dark relatively early (with the exception of the summer months), and you want to make sure you have enough time to set up your tent. It took us about an hour to set everything up and make sure the tarp was properly covering the tent so that we wouldn't get soaked in our sleep. After, we took a walk around the campground and bumped into the campground host who was driving around selling firewood. The host was extremely nice and helpful. Once he learned that it was our first time camping, he offered to help us chop the wood and get a fire going. We spent the rest of the day making dinner and hanging out around the fire making s'mores and playing around with sparklers. Even though it was rainy and cold the whole day and night, it was such a fun experience. If you get lucky to camp here when it's warm and sunny out, I recommend bringing along your bathing suit and a floaty since there's an area along the river where you can hang out in the water.

Kananaskis/Spring Valley Scenic Drive

After packing our tent and camping supplies into our car, we decided to spend the day on a scenic drive since the weather forecast predicted rain for the whole day. We decided on the Kananaskis wildlife scenic drive which takes approximately 3 hours, but if you plan on making multiple stops to admire the scenery or search for wildlife, I would recommend going earlier in the day and reserving 4-5 hours for the drive. Since most of the drive is in the mountains, there are no lights and can get a bit scary driving in complete darkness, but would probably be great for stargazing since there is almost no light pollution once you're high up in the mountains.

I'm not sure whether it was because it was raining, but we didn't see many cars along our drive, and once we got up to Spray Valley, the drive was getting pretty scary since it was pouring rain, and most of the road was mostly gravel and we barely had any signal to check if we were going in the right direction. For reference, we had a Volkswagen Jetta rental and it made it through the drive perfectly fine, although I must admit, that it was definitely a bumpy ride and we had to drive slowly to risk any damages to the car.

When it wasn't pouring rain and the sun came out, we took the opportunity to make some pit stops to admire the beautiful views and snap some photos.

Big Beehive Trail and Lake Agnes Tea House

Reflection of Lake Agnes and Lake Agnes Tea House

On our last full day in Banff, we decided to hike the 6.5 mile Big Beehive trail and visit the Lake Agnes Tea House. The trail reaches the highest elevation at 7,450 feet at the peak and is definitely not an easy hike and is rated as moderate. There are some rock scrambles and steep narrow paths, but so worth it with a nice break for some tea and snacks at the tea house. The tea house is located approximately 2.2 miles into the hike, which offers a nice resting point with a beautiful view. The tea house is a small, cozy cabin that serves a wide range of teas, and some baked goods and snacks. Since the tea house is located on the mountain, the employees do the 2.2 mile hike up and down every day and ingredients such as flour and sugar are helicoptered in every once in a while. There is almost always a line especially during peak season, but they also offer teas and snacks to go if you'd rather not wait in line for a table. The employees do a really good job trying to turn tables as fast as possible, and is definitely worth visiting regardless of the wait time.

We continued our hike after having some hot tea and scones, and the view at the top was the cherry on top throughout the whole hike. At the top, you can see the Fairmont Lake Hotel and the emerald blue waters from Lake Louise down below, as well as a smaller lake to the left of Lake Louise.