Hiking Trails in Banff

On this page you’ll find my Banff trail guides plus useful things you should know prior to hiking in Banff.

If you’re a seasoned hiker in Banff and don’t need my pre-hiking tips you can

FAST FORWARD TO MY BANFF HIKE GUIDES

Find Every Banff Hike Here

My Banff & Lake Louise Map lists every hike in Banff with my own pictures, descriptions, trail stats, and links to external guides.

There are well over 100+ hiking trails and trailheads marked.

You can find easy trails, difficult scrambles, quick summits, and backcountry routes saved to the map.

The map is downloadable to the Google Maps app on your phone and receives automatic updates for life.

DOWNLOAD MY BANFF MAP

My Banff Hiking Gear Guides

Wondering what to pack or what to wear on a hike in Banff? I answer all those questions plus outline my favourite hiking attire, footwear choices, and gear in these posts.

Banff’s Hiking Season

Late April to end of May: lower elevation trails are usually snow-free, but significant snow still exists in the alpine. Avalanche risk is high.

June: some lower peaks are accessible, but there’s still risk for avalanches and tall peaks are snowbound.

July & August: are the best months for big summits and backcountry camping.

September: usually still nice for most hikes, but temps are becoming too cold to camp and snow may hit the high alpine.

October: early October is the best time to see golden Larch trees. By mid October snowfall is consistent which ends the regular hiking season.

November to early April: winter conditions and high avalanche risk.

Tips for Hiking in Banff

Here are a few useful tips for those new to hiking in Banff.

Take a conservative approach: Many Banff hikes are long, steep, and rocky. This can be exhausting and take a long time to complete for hikers not used to the local altitude and terrain.

Weather: I use Spotwx to find weather for Banff hikes. It’s usually very accurate for temperatures and cloud coverage, however sometimes it underestimates precipitation quantities.

Trail reports: for Banff hikes regarding snow, closures, and more can be found here.

Pets: are usually always allowed on Banff hikes as long as they’re leashed. If a dog is not permitted on certain trails or in a closure area, there will be signposts at the trailhead.

Safety & Wildlife for Banff Hikes

Here are some Banff hiking tips to keep you safe on the trail.

Satellite Device: I always carry a Garmin Inreach Mini 2 when I hike in Banff. Having a satellite device can save lives when unexpected accidents or wildlife encounters occur.

Wildlife: Banff is home to bears, cougars, and a plethora of other wildlife species. Always carry bear spray and know how to use it. To minimize the chance of wildlife encounters hike in groups of 4+, hike during daylight hours, and make lots of noise on the trail.

Daylight: make sure you budget extra time to complete Banff hikes so you don’t run out of daylight. I always pack this headlamp for early morning or afternoon hikes just in case.

Maps: having maps is always recommended to avoid issues with getting lost. Every year I purchase the Alltrails membership which allows me to download offline maps and track my location via satellite.

Avalanche danger: exists all winter into spring. I always recommend taking an avalanche course prior to hiking any trail outside the popular tourist hikes in Banff in winter. I use a combination of Caltopo, Alltrails, and the Satellite view on Google Maps to survey terrain for avalanche danger prior to hiking in winter/spring.

Extra Tips: always carry extra snacks, sun protection, and have the ability to filter water. I always carry cheese cloth and these tabs in case I need to filter water on-the-go.

Featured Banff Hikes

Here are my featured Banff hikes which are suitable for tourists new to hiking as well as advanced hikers.

25+ Epic Lake Louise Hikes

25+ Easy Hikes in Banff

10+ Lake Minnewanka Hikes

10+ Hikes at Moraine Lake

All Banff Hike Guides

If you’re specifically looking for Banff backcountry hikes – refer to this page. That page has campground booking tips, trail guides, plus useful information to know prior to your first backcountry hike in Banff.