Best trails in Banff National Park
In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains. From that humble beginning was born Banff National Park, Canada's first national park and the world's third. Spanning 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world's premier destination spots.
Top trails
Visitor info
Banff National Park charges a fee to enter.
Parks Canada offers free admission and access to programs for support persons traveling with a visitor who has a disability and depends on the support person to travel and experience a Parks Canada destination.
The Banff and Lake Louise Visitor Centres are wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms and water fountains. They are also equipped with information and resources for individuals with hearing, vision, mobility, or cognitive disabilities.
Many museums are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers, with accessible restrooms and water fountains. Assisted listening devices and closed captioning are provided for video presentations. The Cave & Basin National Historic Site is a visitor favorite for its accessible features.
Additional information about accessibility at Banff National Park can be found on their website: https://www.banfflakelouise.com/accessibility.
Roam, Banff's public transport service, operates buses that are wheelchair friendly, with a fold-out ramp and low floor to assist in getting on and off. Visit the Roam Transit website for details: https://roamtransit.com/about-us/transportation-policies/.
The Banff Scooter Company at the Banff Train Station offers mobility scooter rentals.
The Banff and Lake Louise Visitor Centres are wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms and water fountains. They are also equipped to provide information and resources for individuals with hearing, vision, mobility, or cognitive disabilities.
Many of the museums are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers. Assisted listening devices are available, and closed captioning is provided on video presentations. The Cave & Basin National Historic Site is a visitor favorite, with facilities for those with hearing and sight challenges, an all-terrain wheelchair surface, a wheelchair-friendly bathroom, and guides upon request.
The Banff Upper Hotsprings has a water-accessible wheelchair. The Banff Gondola is fully wheelchair accessible.
Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available throughout the town of Banff, in the picnic areas near Lake Louise, and along the Bow Valley and Icefields Parkways.
All frontcountry campgrounds in the Banff area have accessible facilities except for Two Jack Main, Two Jack Lakeside, Mosquito Creek, and Silverhorn Creek Campgrounds.
All service dogs must have an Alberta Service Dog Identification Card to ensure access to public places.
Trail reviews for Banff National Park
Thoroughly enjoyed ride from Banff to Johnston Canyon on e-bike. 30 miles round trip. Great conditions and views.
Completed: September 21, 2025 * Art in Nature Trail * We did this “hike” — more of a relaxed paved walk — to enjoy the art pieces from Bow Valley Artists (65+ displays), and it was very nice to see and very unique to see art in nature! Plus, you walk along the Bow River until the Bow Falls which was also very nice! I highly recommend doing it if you are in town and looking for something “short and sweet”. The art exhibition runs until September 30th and it’s free. For more details: https://www.banfflakelouise.com/events/art-in-nature-trail On a side note, it was cloudy, a little smoky, and we even got some light rain — but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the walk! What I mean is, this trail can be enjoyed in any weather. It was very busy today (Sunday).
Great views of Banff and the valley. Hiked right up from town.
Pleasant home through the trees and beautiful lake view at the top. Would recommend as a moderate and quick day hike from Banff
Grind of a walk all the way up, follow the orange markers on the boulder field unless you want make it harder for yourself and face a hard downclimb. No scramble (can do a little by the summit if you want), no real exposure, not very technical, just a great workout with some amazing views on this iconic Banff mtn. No bathrooms or outhouses at trailhead! Roughly 6 hour out and back, go early as it gets busy in the late morning.
Beautiful easy hike around the lake with stunning views. Very little elevation, most should be able to easily complete it. The views of the lake are unreal and so are the mountains and all the scenery. Get ready to take plenty of photos. The trail is easily accessible from Banff town by catching the number 6 bus from Banff high school bus stop, which will take you directly to Johnson Lake.