I realize I am super behind in writing about my Banff/Jasper trip! After my last post, the WiFi service was really spotty and the summer flew by in a snap. Was too busy living it then sit at home and write content! Good thing I kept meticulous notes on my iPhone during the trip though :)
DAY 2: Banff
The schedule on this day, which I mapped out in advance and we kept for the most part, was as follows:
Morning, 6-9 am : Visit Johnson Canyon
9-10 am: Drive back to Banff town and grab quick breakfast
10-10:45 am: Drive to Sunshine Village to take the gondola up
11:30 am - 1 pm: Hike at the top around Sunshine Meadows
3-4 pm: Returned to Banff, grab lunch and rest at hotel.
4 pm: Leave to drive to Lake Minnewasaka
5-6 pm: Lake Cruise
6-7 pm: Drive over to Tunnel Mt. just to have a look
7-8 pm: Check out Fairmont Banff but also end up at Bow Falls
After 8 pm: Dinner and sleep
So we crammed A LOT in on the second day, see below for notes and observations.
Morning light in the town of Banff
Johnson Canyon
Our second day in Banff started off with waking up before the crack of dawn to beat the crowd at Johnson Canyon. Very happy we made this effort as by the time we left, we noticed a plethora of more people and it wouldn’t have been as relaxing or nice since the pathways are a bit narrow.
We left the hotel (Mount Royal) at 6 am to get to the canyon, which was about 45 minutes away from town. Upon arrival, there was plenty of parking but was completely full by the time we returned to the lot at 9 am. There are clean bathroom facilities here next to the parking lot. As you can see from the map below, it should take about 30 minutes to walk to the Lower Falls and from there, another hour to the Upper Halls.
The trail is easy to follow. Most of the walk to the Lower Falls will be right along the canyon on these ramps. It’s pretty scenic, cool, and a bit misty down here. The walkway is a bit narrow (can fit two people comfortably side by side but probably not much more than that) which is why starting the trail early with the mass amounts of tourists is well worth it.
Upper Falls
We made the (not fatal) mistake of bypassing stopping at the Lower Falls first and went straight to the Upper Falls. The walk to the Upper Falls is longer and more inland, not along the canyon. The path isn’t too difficult, but it is longer and has more ups/downs than the Lower Falls trail. Once you get near the end path to the bottom of the Upper Falls, you can take another path upwards to the top for an overlook of the Upper Falls. We skipped that portion since we were tired and had a busy itinerary for the day. If you plan to go further up, plan for another 30-45 minutes.
Upper Falls was very nice to see though. You get to stand on a platform above the river rushing below down to Lower Falls. When we reached here it was still pretty empty but on the walk back down to Lower Falls, we started to see more and more people coming up the route. By the time we reached Lower Falls, I really regretted not stopping there first!
The view of watching the water rush down from Upper Falls downstream
Lower Falls - you can get more up and personal to it via a small hole in a cave.
When we reached Lower Falls, there were more people arriving. I had failed to notice that you can get up and close to the Lower Falls via a small tunnel in a cave, which holds about maybe 4-5 people at a time on a small standing area. It wasn’t terribly crowded, but compared to the fact that there was NO ONE here when we first arrived, I regretted not stopping to see this first and breezing on by on the way back. If it’s super crowded and you’re unable to get into the cave, it’s not the end of the world. The view is not going to be that much better or anything, but knowing that we could have seen it crowd-free earlier pained me, lol. By the time we returned to the parking lot, it was about 9 am. We were starving and decided to head back into town for a quick breakfast at McDonald’s before shooting back out to Sunshine Village.
OVERALL: Johnson Canyon is worth seeing, it’s an easy/medium level hike and enjoyable for all. Definitely try to start this as early as you can in the day, and bring a snack/water.
SUNSHINE VILLAGE
Next up in the jam packed day was a visit up to Sunshine Village. The weather forecast for Banff the time we were here at the end of June was mostly rainy. Sunshine Village is a ski resort about 20 minutes from Banff, but the attractions all sit at the very top of Sunshine Mt. We booked our gondola tickets in advance and I am very glad that we planned to come during the start of peak season as otherwise, the gondola/access up here is closed. So the day we went was the very first day of gondola operation (the last Friday in June).
As we drove from Banff to Sunshine, the rain and mist did NOT let up. I was very sad since the prior day we could not see anything at the top of the gondola in Banff. However, as we neared closed to Sunshine Village, it suddenly cleared up and the area lived up to its name!
We arrived by 10:45 am (I had booked for 11 am) and off we went! This gondola ride was LONG because this mountain is HIGH. Also, be sure to dress warmly—it was much colder and windier at the summit. The gondola was a nice leisurely 20 minutes long but once we got off, we still had to head over to another ski lift to get to the very top! This ski lift takes you up to Sunshine Meadows, where you can see a few lakes and go for a hike. Before you get on the second lift though, there is a nice lodge where you can have lunch/grab a Starbucks coffee, use facilities, etc. You also have the option to walk up to Sunshine Meadows but that walk is not short. From what we saw on the second chairlift, it’s quite steep and long.
If you plan to come to Sunshine Village, it’s better to go on a day where you don’t have anything else to do in the morning. There is so much to see up in Sunshine Meadows and the last gondola ride down is at 5 pm. If you can start earlier in the day here, you’d be able to see more. However, what we saw was sufficient for us (since it was cold and early in peak season). On a warmer day you’d probably want to spend more time here.
By the time we reached Sunshine Meadows, it was about 11:30 am and we walked around and down to the Rock Isle lookout and back and finished by 1 pm. By time we took the two lifts down the mountain, it was about 3 pm in the parking lot. So yes, start early if you can!
View of Sunshine Meadows from the top of Sunshine Mt. (2 ski lifts up and 45 minutes later from the bottom!)
Rock Isle lookout — one of the many things you can see up at Sunshine Meadows
After we finished with Sunshine Mountain, we headed back to the hotel to rest up and have some late lunch. The town of Banff is very cute with lots of restaurants but also pricey. Think I just ended up getting a Subway sandwich because I wanted something quick and take a break on my bed!
LAKE MINNEWASAKA CRUISE
Since we were going all out on this trip, we bought the Ultimate Explorer Banff pass, which allows you to do three activities, such as the Banff Gondola, the Columbia Icefield Adventure and Skywalk, and the Lake Minnewasaka Cruise. While Banff Gondola and the Columbia Icefield activities were great, this cruise is SKIPPABLE! Only do it if you if you’re taking little kids and want an hour of boat cruising time without having to do any physical exertion. Our boat cruise was far from being relaxing, as there were tons of kids/families on the boat and the boat is not really that nice, nor there is not really a platform to stand outside or take pics in. There is a small area in the back of the boat, but it’s not really a ‘must do.’ Going down to the lake is recommended as it is beautiful, but to go out on the lake is not necessary. Plus the windows on the boat don’t make it optimal for good picture taking.
We took the 5 pm cruise, which is the last cruise of the day. They also offer a booze cruise but I think renting a canoe would be more interesting.
Lake Minnewasaka
After returning to shore by 6 pm, we drove over Tunnel Mt. trailhead to check it out since it was nearby (the lake is about 15-20 min. from town). It was getting dark at this time so we didn’t try to do the trail, but wish we had time! This trailhead overlooks the town of Banff and there is limited parking, though you could walk from town to do it.
BOW FALLS
At around 7 pm, we decided to head over to Fairmont Banff to check it out. It’s open to the public and we parked nearby on the street. We ended up wandering around the grounds and finding a path in the back of the hotel (near the German restaurant!) to Bow Falls. Since we missed this the day before due to the wandering elk, we took the opportunity to check out Bow Falls and so glad we did! It was very pretty and lots of public parking next to it. The sun was starting to set lower so the lighting for pictures around this time was great, too.
Bow Falls Lake at around 7:30 pm in late June
Bow Falls
This was the last thing we saw before heading to dinner and much needed night of sleep! A great packed day 2 of the trip though!