TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
Photo by Vlad Umnov
Don’t miss the sign 1A!
The Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy-1A) is a scenic, winding route between Banff and Lake Louise, and a quieter alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway.
This 48-kilometer paved road has roadside pull-offs, scenic views and picnic areas.
Photos: Vlad Umnov
Scenic spotÂ
Nice place to have a quick stop and enjoy the scenery. The surrounding nature, mountains and Bow River are incredibly beautiful.
And – if you are lucky – to meet Rocky Mountain bishop sheep.
Photos and videos: Vlad Umnov
This horseshoe-shaped pond is called Mule Shoe Lake. It was once a large bend, or meander, in the Bow River. When the river found the shortcut, the meander was abandoned.
This is a peaceful place surrounded by a rare montane forest. It is a great place to stop for a picnic or scenic break.
Photos: Vlad Umnov
National park with hiking trails & bridges to waterfalls, ridges & blue ‘ink pot’ spring pools.
The well-maintained trail winds through lush evergreen forests, with suspended catwalks guiding hikers to the lower and upper falls.
Accessible year-round, the canyon transforms in the winter, offering a magical experience with snow-covered trails and frozen waterfalls.
Plan to spend 1.5-3 hours here.
Photos: Vlad Umnov
Open May – October
If you have time, stay in Johnston Canyon for one to two days. It would be a unique experience.
Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows has been proudly family owned and operated since 1926 and is ideally located at the trail-head of historic Johnston Canyon.
We offer 42 heritage bungalow/cabin accommodations in a variety of sizes and amenities. Within the lodge, a market/cafe and a restaurant bistro enhance your stay with us.
Photo: Vlad Umnov
Scenic spot
The Castle Mountain Lookout hike in Banff National Park is one of the best panoramic viewpoint hikes.
The mountain’s castellated, or castle-like, appearance results from erosive processes acting at different peak layers of softer shale and harder limestone, dolomite and quartzite.
Photos and videos: Vlad Umnov
Castle Mountain Internment Camp, established in 1915, was the largest internment camp in the Canadian Rockies. Several hundred enemy aliens, ostensibly citizens of countries at war with Canada, were held there at any one time. However, the vast majority were immigrant settlers, primarily of Ukrainian ethnic origin.
The camp held immigrant prisoners of Ukrainian, Austrian, Hungarian, and German descent.
Photo: Vlad Umnov
It takes an average of 3 h 11 min to complete this 7.2-km out-and-back trail. This is a trendy area for hiking, snowshoeing, and running.
Photos: Vlad Umnov
Scenic spotÂ
Morant’s Curve is a beautiful area that the Canadian Pacific railway passes through along the Bow River.
The spot was made famous by Nicholas Morant, a staff photographer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He took photographs for the company during the mid-20th century. Many images of the trains travelling through the curve were used for CPR promotional materials.
Photos: Vlad Umnov
