BanffNationalParkOverview

　　AfteraneasyhiketothetopofTunnelMountainjustoutsideBanfftownsite,Itakeadeepbreathofthefreshpine-scentedairthatrushespastonabriskwesterly.Fromthesummit,IoverlooktheturquoisebendsoftheBowRiver,andseethepeaksthataresynonymouswiththeparkriseabruptlyfromthevalleyonallsides.Frommyvantagepoint,thebustlingcommunityofBanffisrevealedasbutatinysquareinthevastandvariedquiltofCanada'sBanffNationalPark.

　　Over100yearsago,in1896,AmericanexplorerWalterWilcoxwrotethatthisspotwas"thebestplacefromwhichtogetagoodgeneralideaofBanffanditssurroundings."Wilcoxknew—hemadethefirstrecordedvisitstomanyplaces—thattherewasmuchmoretoexperiencebeyondtheenvironsofthetownsite.

　　TheBowRiver,whileamajorwatershed,isbutoneofhundredsthatbeckonforexploration.AsIsoakuptheviews,IvisualizeotherfavoritescenesofthisrenownedpreserveintheCanadianRockies.TunnelMountainisaspotI'venevertiredof,andhavereturnedtodozensoftimes.ItepitomizesthebeautyandthewildnessthatareatthecoreoftheeternalappealofBanffNationalPark.Thehikeservesasagentleintroductiontothiswildernessgem,Canada'sfirstnationalpark,establishedin1885.

　　BanffAppeal

　　Whatarethedrawsforvisitors?Well,forastart,allthatopenspace.OverfourmillionoutdoorenthusiastsvisitBanffNationalParkeachyear,butyouwouldn'tknowit.With7,000squarekilometersofruggedRockiestopography,thereislotsofroomtoroam.Theparkprotectsacornucopiaoflandscapes:iconicpeakslikeCascadeMountainandMountVictoria,deeplakesfedbyvasticefields,rushingrivers,forest-filledvalleys,andflower-bedeckedalpinemeadows.

　　Banffisalsohometoanabundanceofuntamedanimals.Amongthewildlifearesuchtotemiccreaturesasgrizzlybears,wolves,moose,elk,andmountaingoats.Thenofcoursetherearetheactivitiesvisitorscanenjoy.Banff'svariedterrainattractsthewholespectrumofoutdoorenthusiasts,fromdayhikerstobackpackers,sportclimberstoalpinemountaineers,flatwaterpaddlerstoextremekayakers.Plusthere'swinter,withlotsofopportunityforpursuitssuchassnowshoeing,iceclimbing,andcross-countryskiinginallitsforms.

　　BanffNationalParkisreadilyaccessibleaswell.ItliesclosetoCalgaryInternationalAirportandistraversedbytheTrans-CanadaHighwayandtheworld-renownedIcefieldsParkway.Theparkhasawell-developedinfrastructureofcampground,hostel,andhotelaccommodations,andboastsanextensivenetworkofhikingtrails.

　　BanffNationalPark—whichhappenstobepartofaWorldHeritageSite—isasuperbchoiceifsearchingforadestinationfullofadventurerepletewithamenities.Checkitout,andexperiencethewondersoftheCanadianwilderness.