We arrived in Banff National Park at the end of the Canada Day long weekend, so on the way from Calgary to Banff we saw a traffic jam of more than 50 km on Trans Canada Hwy 1, fortunately in the opposite direction.
So we were even more excited that we managed to book two nights at the Two Jack Main campground a few days ago. Literally the last, but in two different campsites, which we don’t mind at all. We could only look forward to exploring the park and its beauties on the hiking trails.
The campground is located in the forest, about 10 km from Banff. And with a regular bus connection to the town of Banff. We were also very pleased that, even in the middle of the forest, Starlink provided us with internet. The entire area is otherwise completely without a mobile signal.
Thanks to the nearby bus stop to Banff, we first took a short tour of the town. More photos of Banff.
The first trail we chose on our hike through the Canadian Rockies was Stewart Canyon. Also because its beginning was only 3 km from our Two Jack Main campsite, by the beautiful Lake Minnewanka. There was no problem with parking at the day parking lot. And as is usual in national parks in Canada and the USA, the beginning of the trail is crowded. After 1 km it is better, after 2 km it is standard, but after 3 km we feel alone on the trail. Although according to the recommendation on the sign, we should walk in a group of 4 people. So we prefer to turn on the bear bells. Even more so when another tourist warned us that a black bear was walking by the trail. But we did not meet him. But the Cascade River canyon was worth the effort. More photos of Stewart Canyon Trail.
One of the most popular trails in the area is Johnston Canyon. And although we don’t like crowded places, this canyon was also one of the places we visited. The Johnston River Canyon was very beautiful. However, we had to wait in a 30-minute line to get a closer look at the main falls. More photos of Johnston Canyon Trail.
On the way from Two Jack Main to Lake Louise Campground, we stopped at the short trail to Silverton Falls. The trailhead is located on Bow Valley Scenic Byway 1A, like many other trails. Bow Valley is a nicer alternative for getting between Banff and Lake Louise. More photos of Silverton Falls Trail.
Lake Louise offers only one campground for travelers of our type. It has almost 200 sites, but for this destination and in the high season, it is simply not enough. We were even more pleased when we got two nights in a row through the national parks reservation system. That’s the basics… we still have to get a parking space by the lake somehow. And we managed to do that… before seven in the morning, we took the penultimate spot. Then we had a leisurely breakfast. And at nine we set off on a hike to Lake Agnes around Mirror Lake. The trail was crowded… but it was worth it. More photos of Lake Louise & Lake Agnes & Mirror Lake.
One of the other iconic lakes in Banff National Park is Moraine Lake. We wanted to see it, but the road leading to it is not allowed for private vehicles. From the Park & Ride location, which is actually a parking lot at the Lake Louise ski resort, there is a shuttle to Moraine Lake. The shuttle is managed by the national parks every 30 minutes. However, you can only book it 48 hours in advance. At the visitor center, we were warned that reservations start at 8:00 in the morning and you need to have fast fingers. We had those… but due to the wooded area at the Two Jack Main campground, we had a slow Starlink. So after a long fight, we grabbed two spots in the early evening. There is also a private shuttle to Moraine Lake. However, it costs 10 times more than in the national park (11 CAD per person), and mainly because it departs from the town of Lake Louise, where parking is very difficult, and it is 2km away from the campground. RV parking is even prohibited at the visitor center.
And of course, Moraine Lake did not disappoint. It showed itself to us in all its beauty. As did hundreds of other visitors. More photos of Moraine Lake.
Adjacent to Banff National Park are two national parks on the territory of British Columbia. They are Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park, which we describe in another post under British Columbia. So we had to visit them as a turn-off to the province of British Columbia. After we returned from them, we stayed in Two Jack Main Campground once again and took a hike to Two Jack Lake & Cascade River, before we headed to Jasper National Park.
After this wonderful stay in the Banff National Park area, the Icefields Parkway scenic route awaited us, on which we took a short walk to the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park.
In Jasper National Park, we were lucky to get the last spot in the campground Wapiti. But we were not lucky with the weather, which just started to deteriorate. Honestly, we were not very sorry about it. After the extensive fire a few years ago, nature looked very sad and gloomy. So hopefully, until our next visit, it will recover and be more beautiful.
July 2025