Banff

National Park

(Parks Canada)

Alberta

Established: 1885

1,641,027 acres

Annual Visitors: 3,609,639 (in 2014/15)

Official Site: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BanffNP

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BanffNP

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parks.canada

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7ABD4B2249F753EB

Banff National Park (French: Parc national Banff) is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. Located in the Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, Banff encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.

The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. In the early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by war internees from World War I, and through Great Depression-era public works projects. Since the 1960s, park accommodations have been open all year, with annual tourism visits to Banff increasing to over 5 million in the 1990s. Millions more pass through the park on the Trans-Canada Highway. As Banff has over three million visitors annually, the health of its ecosystem has been threatened. In the mid-1990s, Parks Canada responded by initiating a two-year study, which resulted in management recommendations, and new policies that aim to preserve ecological integrity.

Links

Banff National Park | Alberta CanadaThe elements that make the Canadian Rockies a year-round dream destination converge in perfect harmony in Banff National Park. Established after railway workers stumbled onto a thermal hot spring, Banff became Canada’s first national park in 1885 and today

National Geographic: Banff National Park

This Canadian park boasts some of the world's finest unspoiled ecosystems.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/parks/banff-canada-park

Parks Canada worried spilled grain will attract grizzly bears in Banff National Park | The StarParks officials have dumped two roadkill carcasses in an area west of the spill site to keep the bears away from the grain.

Banff National Park, CanadaThe birthplace of Canada’s national park system, Banff was established in 1885 in the Canadian Rockies, within the western province of Alberta. Lonely Planet sums its scenic wonders up best, “Mountains, big mountains, are all over the place. Fast-flowing rivers chart their own course through the hills. Enormous glaciers flow down the peaks and nearly touch the road. Lakes are the color of turquoise, so blue that you have to wonder if there is something unnatural behind their hue.”

FORBES: THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL PARKS

5 - Banff National Park, Canada

The birthplace of Canada’s national park system, Banff was established in 1885 in the Canadian Rockies, within the western province of Alberta. Lonely Planet sums its scenic wonders up best, “Mountains, big mountains, are all over the place. Fast-flowing rivers chart their own course through the hills. Enormous glaciers flow down the peaks and nearly touch the road. Lakes are the color of turquoise, so blue that you have to wonder if there is something unnatural behind their hue.”

21 Breathtaking Things To Do In Banff National Park - Crazy Family AdventureHere are 21 unbelievable things to do in Banff National Park. Stand on a Glacier, ride a gondola and take in the breathtaking scenery to name a few!

Banff Ski Areas Shrinking To Protect Wildlife, Allow New DevelopmentNew legislation was hinted in the back pages of the federal budget.

Corbella: Future of Banff skiing threatened in Liberal's budget bill avalancheTwenty-three little words — buried in the recent federal Liberal government’s 349-page budget bill — will shrink the amount of space available for Albertans and tourists to ski in…

Spring is here and the bears are out in Banff National Park — including the one they call The BossParks Canada has been worried that spilled grain from a derailed train in the park on Feb. 28 would attract hungry grizzlies

The 8 most beautiful national parks around the worldFrom Namibia to China, Iceland to Canada, these 8 national parks are home to raw nature, at once wild and breathtaking, where usual human activity is barred and it is the creatures who write the laws of the land.

Banff National Park (Canada)

The Rocky Mountains in the Banff National Park top the list of some of the most beautiful natural spectacles worldwide. In the state of Alberta, the area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and is home to lakes, forests, sloping valleys, waterfalls and glaciers, notably Moraine Lake, which changes from emerald to turquoise depending on the position of the sun. The Upper Hot Springs reaching 38 degrees are nature’s answer to a relaxing bath.