Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Banff/Lake Louise

My family is lobbying for me to take them in August to Banff/Lake Louise and escape the hot, humid Atlanta weather.

Any suggestions
with kids 15 and 5?

Where to stay?

What to do?

What NOT to do?

Lots to do out this way, but The only suggestion I can make to a tourist would be to book early!
If you do not like humidity, maybe take them to Drumhellar to see the Tyrell Museum and the badlands!
Inlaws are down there and we have made a point of going to see it every time we go down.
It's always different!
Cat

Went there about 5 years ago on a business trip and stayed some extra days with the kids. I stayed at the Banff Ptarmigan Inn. Nice place and of course, crawling with fellow tourists. Short/easy walk to the downtown touristy shops. Price wasn't too bad but I'm sure it has gone up. If you can afford it, stay at the Chateau Lake Louise. We flew into Calgary and drove over (about 1 hour IIRC). It was in May and still chilly. I ended up having to buy a fleece jacket while I was there. It is some of the prettiest scenery in North America with the exception of Alaska (as long as Steelhead stays out of the pic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />).

RH

If you're not fixed on August you should try the first two weeks in July and take in the Calgary Stampede. It's quite the institution with the whole town partying 24/7. Then head out to the mountains and Banff.

I would love to see the Stampede, but the schedule is stuck in August.

Any fishing about for day trips worth knowing about?

If you are driveing make sure you go to Glacier National Park in Montana.Outstanding.

I have been to that area a couple of times. Last time my wife and I stayed at Chateau Lake Louise. Banff Springs is very nice (not sure if that is the right name, offhand). We went the first week in Sept. last time and that was a beautiful time. Went up to see the glacier on the road to Jasper. We didn't do any fishing but I saw quite a few fisherman in the area so there must be some places to go around there.

Banff - expensive, but you will see more oriental tourists that way. Jasper - seems to be more family oriented vacation for the regular guy. That said, there are places to stay CLOSE to Banff (Canmore or even Calgary), so by all means stop in Banff as well. See the glacier (forget the name) between those two places.

Three thumbs up to the Tyrell museum in Drumheller - world class.

Maligne (?) canyon, lots of areas to hike around, beautiful lakes to fish, or just simple camping to enjoy the surroundings.

What a great way to escape Atlanta! Warm dry days, cool dry nights.

The Bow River runs thru Banff,it's a fair brown trout river up there.There's the Kananaskis Lakes,full of rainbows,bulls and cutthroats.They're located off hiway 40 south from the #1 hiway on the way to Banff.If you go in there there's a good number creeks that hold cutthroats and lots of beaver ponds full of brookies.These creeks are all accessable from the road.

Good wildlife viewing in the Kananaskis too,lots of elk,bighorn sheep,moose and deer,also a good chance to see a grizzly and lots of black bears.

If you do decide to travel north from Banff towards Jasper on the Columbia Icefields Parkway there is a good book showing hiking trails. It's called "The David Thompson Highway: A Hiking Guide". The book outlines several different hikes in various areas there detailing distances (in kms) and which way to go at intersections on the trail. Lots of good cutthroat waters in the Rockies.


SS

I would second a trip to Drumheller. A little further east and you come to Dinosaur Provincial Park. Swing south east from there and check out Cypress Hills. Incredible country side. (Even if I do live there.) Banff/Lake Louise area is real nice too, but the is so much more to Alberta. Couple hours south of there and you find the Crowsnest Pass with fantastic fishing and history. Mountain views the works. If you check out the SE while in Alberta, give me a pm before you come up. Can probably fix you up with local info if I'm here. Planning a trip to Branson sometime this summer.

If you find yourself in Baniff, be sure to visit the Baniff Springs Golf Course late in the afternoon. The elk visiting the course are phenominal. Last time I was there, it was in the fall and the elk were bugeling and fighting and just being elk. They can be very dangerous as they are wild and not tame but they are all over the course. You can drive around the course and enjoy them without any cost of worry about tresspass.

Spent a summer in Banff in the 80's. Driving in an ambulance by an open field on edge of townsite there was a tour bus stopped. A couple of guys were trying to ride an elk! Parks people were going nuts tryin to stop these idiots. Was priceless to watch, fortunately our assistance was not required. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />