september 2023

Banff National Park

Where: eastern side of Chesapeake Bay

Directions: If you are coming from Calgary, the most common route is to take the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) westbound. This scenic drive takes you through the Canadian Rockies and offers breathtaking views.

Good to Know:

* Dogs are allowed on park trails on leash.

* An off-leash dog park is on Hawk Avenue in the town of Banff.

Why so good: 

Why are dogs not allowed much past the parking lot in our national parks? We have all heard the common refrains - dogs will bother the people, dogs will scare the wildlife, it is not safe for dogs. Canadian national parks attract just as many visitors - in the millions - and support just as much wildlife as their American counterparts. Yet dogs are allowed nearly everywhere in Canadian national parks.

In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs at the foot of Sulphur Mountain, known today as the Cave and Basin. Almost immediately the area was protected as a federal reserve and in 1887 “Rocky Mountains Park” was increased to 673 square kilometers to become Canada’s first national park and the world’s third. A town was built to entice tourists to the area and named Banff after “Banffshire,” a village in Scotland that was the birthplace of two Canadian Pacific Railway officials.

Banff National Park is an outdoor wonderland, containing over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) of trails, more than any other mountain park. Your dog’s list of favorites will include...

* Fairview Mountain Lookout Trail. This healthy climb up a forested trail with a steep descent to the South shore of fabled Lake Louise is a good trail to get away from the crush of people you will find in the parking lot. This wide and soft dirt trail narrows as it jaunts along the lake with excellent water access for your dog.

* Johnston Canyon. This popular tourist walk uses boardwalks clinging to canyon walls early on; it leads to Lower Falls and Upper Falls and can go further up Johnston Creek into woodlands and meadows.

* Moraine Lakeshore. An easy, flat walk along the north shore of Moraine Lake stares into of the Valley of Ten Peaks. The trail stays right on water most of the way. You can also take the dog on the Rockpile with large boulders to scramble on at east end of lake.

* Mistaya Canyon. This short, paved descent into a limestone gorge sculpted by rushing meltwaters of Mistaya River is worth having to navigate your dog through the tourists.

* Parker Ridge. This is a steep, open climb through rocky tundra that switches 800 feet up the mountain to a treeless ridge with spectacular views of Saskatchewan Glacier. The rocks scattered along the trail contain fossil corals indicative of an ancient seabed.

* Sunshine Meadows. This is a ski area accessed by shuttle bus. You can walk your dog up the road to the ski lodge and pick up the trails from there. Save this effort for athletic dogs ready for a long, rewarding day on the trail. These trails skip over ridges of the Great Divide, completely above the treeline with flower- filled meadows, eventually leading to Rock Isle Lake and loops around for a trip of several miles.