A trip to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies is a must-do in any lifetime, but the popularity of the destination can make for a crowded vacation. We visited during a peak travel time, but our experiences at even the most popular locations were not hampered by crowds in the least. As you’ll see in the pictures below, it looked and felt as though we had all that beauty to ourselves. I’m sharing my five best tips on how to avoid crowds in Banff, just like we did, and come home with amazing pictures and memories. You’ll also want to be sure to check out my complete Banff Travel Guide for planning tips and trip inspiration.
How to Avoid Crowds In Banff
During our trip to Banff, I posted daily recaps on the Such the Spot Facebook page. One of the comments read,
“Did you have Canada to yourselves this week? I’m amazed by the absence of people in your photos.”
In reality, there were throngs of people visiting at the same time we did, but we managed to avoid crowds in Banff and take in several of the area’s most amazing experiences in almost complete solitude. Here’s how we did it.
1. Get an Early Start
We visited during the summer when the sunrise took place each morning right around 5:30. On the days that we visited the most popular lakes, trails and vistas we tried to arrive around 7 am. Johnston Canyon, for instance, is a very popular hiking destination in Banff, though you’d never guess it judging from the photo below. There were only a handful of other people on the trail that morning.
We took full advantage of the solitude by searching for the infamous ‘secret cave.’ The good news is that we found it and we had it to ourselves for close to forty minutes before a few more adventurous hikers came wandering down the trail.
Before our trip, I kept reading that to avoid crowds in Banff, you have to arrive to the most popular destinations early. I was frustrated, though, because while the typical advice was to arrive early, nobody really specified what ‘early’ meant. After having experienced it for myself, I can tell you that the best way to avoid crowds in Banff is to arrive to the most popular destinations within two hours of sunrise. Depending upon the destination, crowds begin to form by 9 am (which was just over three hours after sunrise during our trip). Arriving early was–hands down–the easiest and most successful thing we did to avoid crowds in Banff.
2. Stay Outside of Banff
Banff National Park was quite different from our American National Parks in that the town of Banff is located inside the park boundaries, whereas U.S. National Parks tend to be fairly limited with regard to accommodations available within the parks. The town of Banff, while fun and scenic, is quite crowded. Every time we stopped in during our stay, the streets were swarmed with people. There were long lines at the best restaurants and throngs of people window shopping and clogging sidewalks. My tried and true advice is that if you want to avoid crowds in Banff, you should consider a stay in nearby Canmore.
We stayed at the Rundle Cliffs Lodge in Spring Creek and truly loved every minute of our stay. There were a variety of lodging options so as to accommodate couples, singles and families of all shapes and sizes. The resort grounds are gorgeous and the pedestrian access to charming downtown Canmore can’t be beat.
A stay in Canmore will not leave you wanting when it comes to shopping and dining options. For those who opt for accommodations with a kitchen, there are two full-size grocery stores in town. For those who would rather dine out and do a little souvenir shopping, Canmore has you covered. We enjoyed breakfast at the Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. no fewer than three times during our stay. For dinner, the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. is a sure bet. Also, stop in at Stonewaters for some unique souvenirs and to sample artisan chocolates at the Jacek Chocolate Couture boutique in the rear of the store.
3. Enjoy a picnic breakfast
While several of your fellow tourists will be hitting the trail with a picnic lunch, you should consider packing a picnic breakfast instead. Just stop in at one of the local bakeries (try Rocky Mountain Bagel Co or Wild Flour) and choose a selection of muffins or pastries. Together with some fresh berries, granola and juices from the grocery store, you’ve got the makings of a yummy morning on hand.
A picnic breakfast like the one we enjoyed at Lake Minnewanka is super trail-friendly and allows you to get out and about while everybody else is sleeping in. You can hike to a stopping point and then spread a blanket and enjoy the scenery and solitude.
Be forewarned that you might draw the attention of cute little critters, too.
4. Canoe on Emerald Lake
If you want to spend some time canoeing on the beautiful turquoise waters of Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, you aren’t alone. Far from it, in fact. There were times during our trip that the canoes were so numerous out on the lake that it probably would have been hard to score one of those coveted Instagram pictures without several other tourists crowding your shot. Rest assured; a quick trip to neighboring Yoho National Park will afford you the opportunity to snap a beautiful, crowd-free canoe picture.
Emerald Lake is every bit as shockingly turquoise as Lake Louise, if not more so. Another benefit of opting to canoe at Emerald Lake is that it is significantly less expensive than doing so at Moraine Lake or Lake Louise.
Here’s an insider tip for you: if you’re concerned about taking your camera out onto open water in a canoe, you probably needn’t be. I took both my “real” camera (a Canon 5D Mark iii) and my iPhone in the canoe with my husband and our two children. All of us and my equipment made it back to the dock dry, after about a 45-minute ride. If you’re still not sure, ask at the dock about renting a dry bag. We did so and paid less than $5 for it. I kept my camera and phone in the bag during our trip around the lake, and only took them out of the bag for brief periods of photo taking. It worked perfectly for us.
While you’re there, take some time to hike the easy lakeside loop. Going clockwise around the lake offers an easy scenic trail for the first half of the hike followed by a slightly more rugged trail for the second half. About 3/4 of the way through the trail, you’ll come to an awesome lookout spot. It’s a great spot to set up a tripod, or snap a selfie.
5. Think like a bear
We had high hopes of seeing wildlife during our trip. The good news is that we were successful in glimpsing longhorn sheep, elk and even a grizzly bear. The bad news is that we had to hit the road really early to do so.
Before our trip, I read that our best chance to see wildlife was in driving the Bow Valley Parkway. Apparently, bears like to meander along the roadside, grazing on greens. That’s exactly what we spotted them doing one morning. We were quite lucky in that our bear hunt yielded views of four different bears, one elk and one herd of longhorn sheep.
So, how’d we manage to see such a variety of wildlife on so frequently-traveled a road? We set out on our journey within an hour of sunrise. In an effort to avoid the heat, bears tend to seek food within an hour of both sunrise and sunset. At that time of the day, there were very few cars on the Bow Valley Parkway, but there was an abundance of wildlife. From a safe, unobtrusive distance in our car, we were able to observe the animals going about their natural behaviors. It was absolutely amazing to watch a grizzly cross the road ahead of us and a black bear, feeding in a patch of dandelions.
Thinking like a bear, and arriving to the Bow Valley Parkway within an hour of sunrise will not only increase your chances of seeing wildlife, but it will also help you to avoid crowds and maximize your opportunity for snapping some gorgeous photos along this beautiful stretch of road.
Have you ever been to Banff National Park? Do you have any tips to add for visitors who are curious about how to avoid crowds in Banff? Share them in the comments!
You might also enjoy:
Banff Travel Guide: Everything You Need To Know Before You Go
We plan on being in Alberta around the middle of August. Would love yo have info on Icefields parkways, banff and Jasper.
We are going to Banff the first week of October. What type of camera bag did you use? I have a Canon Mark 5D as well but all my camera bags are big and bulky. I want to be able to streamline as much as possible. TIA
You are in for such a treat, Victoria. It’s breathtaking. I use a Lowepro camera backpack every time I take my camera on trips with me. It’s super convenient and keeps my gear well protected. https://amzn.to/2LGssH5 This is an affiliate link to the newer (and probably slightly better since mine is several years old now) version of what I have.
Thank you so much for the tips. I too love staying in Canmore. Please continue sending tips. What time of the season did you go? Spring? Summer? Late summer?
We were there in early July, Lorraine. It was a lovely time to visit to be able to have access to Morraine Lake. I definitely want to return in the fall and maybe sometime in the winter, too! When will you be visiting?
Hello! Thank you. Visiting Banff and staying in Canmore at the end of June. As far as the early mornings go, do you have to wait until a certain time to enter the parks? I would love to see the sunrise one morning:).
I travelled to Jasper more growing up, went to Banff a bit. One trip in May we saw 9 black bears and one grizzly! Looking to visit again soon with my own family. Thanks for the info, especially about Canmore!
I definitely hope to make it to Jasper when we return to the Canadian Rockies. I’d love to hear your must-sees!
Can you tell me a little about parking? Did you take the shuttles? Was parking an issue?
The only place where parking was problematic for us was Lake Louise. When we arrived early, it was not a problem. But then one time we went in the afternoon and parking was not available. If you follow the advice in this post and arrive early, you’ll be fine with parking across the board.
Great advice! Thanks!
Where is this boardwalk photo taken?
That was snapped one one of the walking trails that lead away from the condo I mentioned.
Would you recommend making this trip in late May? Not sure about weather, lake conditions and tourism at that time of year?
A late may trip most likely would allow for more snowy views. And you’d be in off-season so you’d probably score a great deal on accommodations. I think you’d be right there on the cusp of them reopening the road to Moraine Lake so you’d have to consider that. And then, the only other downside I can think of is that the wildlife might not yet be super active. Let me know what you decide; I’d love to hear about your trip!
How were the crowds for you in early July? I am planning a trip to take my 76 yr old dad and I’m not sure if early July (after Canada Day) arriving the 3rd or 4th, or the next week would be better vs late July. Late July seems to yield higher hotel costs for some reason. Thanks!
It’s a popular summer destination, for sure. The crowd levels were high. We were able to visit just about every major site with very little crowding by strategizing our arrival times. If you have no choice but to visit during peak hours, it may not be worth it for you, depending upon your crowd tolerance.
Thanks so much for all this information. I found it extremely helpful. We have been to Banff twice, but many years ago. I think it has gotten much more popular than our first trip some 20 something years ago.