Short Scenic Sights Near Banff

Banff is beautiful, but sometimes those hour long hikes to get a wonderful view just aren’t possible (especially during winter time).  When pacing Banff Avenue over and over just doesn’t cut it anymore, here are a few suggestions to try.  There are many many more sites in Banff, but the ones listed here are under a 15 minute drive from town centre, offer some great views, usually have parking nearby, and are our personal faves.

Follow the signs from Banff Avenue to Surprise Corner for an amazing view of the Bow River, the Banff Springs Hotel, and Sulphur Mountain.

Or, better yet, go and visit the historic (and possibly haunted) Banff Springs Hotel and wander around its halls. The hotel’s rear balconies offer great views of Sleeping Buffalo Mountain (aka Tunnel Mountain) and the surrounding river valley.

While at the Banff Springs Hotel, be sure to check out Bow Falls, just down the street.

For a quick glimpse at the Hoodoos, take Tunnel Mountain Road up from the town centre.

Two Jack Lake has a beautiful shoreline to wander up and down on.

Lake Minnewanka. A stunning man-made lake, and the only lake in the national park that allows motorboats. If motorboats aren’t your thing, there’s also scuba diving, even in winter.

Vermillion Lakes is the closest collection of lakes to the town centre. There are three lakes in total and in winter, due to the flow of hot springs, the third one doesn’t completely freeze over near the shore which makes for some great reflection pictures.