Camping 99 Destination Series: Banff National Park© Thomas Stephens Sr.
Jul 20, 1999
This is the tenth in a series of articles that offer suggestions for your 1999 camping/vacation destinations. The articles share our personal experiences at these great places and provide links to more explicit information on attractions, parks and campgrounds.
Nestled on the eastern slope of Canada's Great Divide and endowed with some of nature's richest treasures, Banff National Park is a diamond in the rough. Her snow-capped mountains glisten in the sun, while her emerald lakes reflect their awesome beauty. Rivers flow clean and swift through the park, and elk, deer and bighorn sheep graze in green meadows. Black bears, moose and mountain goats amble across her wide valleys and hide in dense conifer forests. Imagine an ideal National Park; a park where scenic beauty is paramount and outdoor recreation is abundant. Banff is all this - a showcase for nature's works and a playground for outdoors enjoyment.About the ParkBanff National Park covers 2,564 sq. miles and spans three Eco-regions. The park is located about 80 miles west of Calgary, Alberta and some 530 miles east of Vancouver. The Trans-Canada Highway (#1) dissects the park, east to west, while Highway 93 runs north to south. It borders three other beautiful National Parks: Yoho, to the east, Jasper, on the north and Kootenay National Park to the south. Banff is open to the public year round. Gorgeous Lake Louise, with its famous Chateau, and Banff Township are both within the park boundaries. There is no park in the world that offers more spectacular scenery, better outdoor recreation or camping pleasures. A campout in Banff is truly an unforgettable experience.Park Attractions and ActivitiesBanff National Park provides endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and sightseeing. It would require an extended stay at the park to experience all the enjoyments that Banff has to offer.Scenic DrivesThere are many wonderful scenic drives in the park. The Bow Valley Parkway runs along Highway #1 between Banff Township and Lake Louise (35 miles). The Bow River, Castle Mountain and Johnston Canyon are but a few of the beautiful attractions along the way. Lake Minnewanka Road leads from Banff Township to this lovely man-made lake. Bankhead Ghost Town, wildlife and Johnson Lake supplies wonderful sights and activities on the drive. Probably the most famous drive is the Icefields Parkway. Some of the worlds most awesome mountain highway, the drive offers spectacular vistas, glaciers, lakes, rivers and wildlife viewing opportunities. We drove as far north as the amazing Columbia Icefields and loved every minute of it. We even saw a couple of black bears to boot! The Parkway travels from Lake Louise to Jasper Township, a 145 mile drive one-way.
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