Journal destination
Stories from this city location. Explore published field notes, guided trips, and local perspectives.
The collection
01Walk onto blue ice beneath towering peaks and learn the story of a glacier in retreat. Athabasca Glacier is one of the most accessible and instructive glacier experiences in North America — and a reminder of landscapes in flux.
02A quick walk from Banff’s main street delivers the visceral experience of mountain water: Bow Falls is compact, loud, and immediate. This guide explains why it’s worth the stop and how to fold it into a full-day Rockies plan.
03Moraine Lake’s turquoise bowl and the Valley of the Ten Peaks are compact, cinematic, and uncompromising. This guide gives you the backstory, seasonal timing, and practical tips to experience the lake on your terms—sunrise, shuttle, or a long hike into Larch Valley.
04At 7,875 ft, Sunshine Meadows is a short ride from Banff yet worlds away — a high-alpine mosaic of lakes, wildflowers, and knockout views of Mt. Assiniboine. Ride the gondola, take the Standish chair to the viewpoint, then choose a loop that fits your day.
05A compact refuge five minutes from downtown Banff, Johnson Lake delivers mirror-surface mornings, easy lakeside loops, and intimate mountain views. Ideal for quick hikes, paddling, and wildlife watching, it’s a small escape with big rewards.
06Stretching along a glacial valley, Lake Minnewanka is Banff’s largest lake and a versatile playground for hikers, paddlers, anglers and photographers. Here’s how to read the landscape, plan your visit, and experience the lake like a local.
07A teardrop of turquoise high in the Canadian Rockies, Peyto Lake delivers one of Banff’s most dramatic viewpoints with minimal hiking—and maximum reward. Here’s how to make the most of a visit, year-round.
08From a bracing summit outside Canmore to stargazing beneath the Milky Way, this is a practical, inspired guide to moving through the Canadian Rockies like a thoughtful adventurer.
09A ten-minute ascent takes you from town to a windswept boardwalk atop Sulphur Mountain. The Banff Gondola is a compact, high-reward alpine experience—perfect for photographers, families, and anyone wanting panoramic Rockies access without an all-day trek.
10A ride up Sunshine Village’s gondola drops you into a high-alpine landscape of bowls, wildflower meadows, and long vertical runs. Here’s how to make the most of winter powder and summer trails with practical tips for every season.
11A quick climb above Banff yields one of the best vantage points in the Canadian Rockies. The Tunnel Mountain Summit Trail is short, accessible, and delivers a 360-degree view that makes a half-day feel like a genuine mountain day.
12A short ridge above Banff that rewards small effort with sweeping valley views, close wildlife encounters, and easy access by foot or e-bike. Tunnel Mountain Drive is a compact introduction to the Canadian Rockies with big returns for minimal exertion.
13Sulphur Mountain crowns Banff with a ridgeline that’s as accessible as it is dramatic—hike steady switchbacks for a workout, or take the Banff Gondola for a quick ascent and expansive panoramas across six mountain ranges.
14A compact canyon carved by relentless water and framed by suspended catwalks, Johnston Canyon delivers waterfalls, dramatic limestone walls and a winter-only ice spectacle—all within an easy half-day from Banff.
15Step onto an ancient slab of compressed snow and meet a landscape in motion. The Columbia Icefield is a lesson in glacial power—accessible by Ice Explorer, Skywalk, and guided hikes—and a place where practical planning meets raw alpine theatre.
16Bow Lake is a compact, glacier-fed jewel on the Icefields Parkway that delivers dramatic alpine scenery with short hikes, clear photographic light, and access to longer mountain routes — an ideal day trip from Banff.