Trips
- > Adult-Only Adventures
- > Romantic Vacations
- > Honeymoon Trips
- > Custom Adventures
- > National Park Adventures
- > Banff National Park
- > Bryce Canyon National Park
- > Corcovado National Park
- > Crater Lake National Park
- > Galapagos National Park
- > Glacier Bay National Park
- > Grand Canyon National Park
- > Grand Teton National Park
- > Kafue National Park
- > Kenai Fjords National Park
- > Lower Zambezi National Park
- > Namib Naukluft National Park
- > North Cascades National Park
- > Pacific Rim National Park
- > South Luangwa National Park
- > Tortuguero National Park
- > Yellowstone National Park
- > Yosemite National Park
- > Zion National Park
On Top of the World in the Canadian Rockies: Adventures in Banff National Park
With every stomp of your crampon-clad boot, you make your way up the face of Athabasca Glacier – Banff National Park's giant slab of stunning white ice, thousands of years old and thicker than a skyscraper is tall. Crisp, thin air fills your lungs. Peter Lemieux, the Canadian Rocky's leading expert in glacier hiking, guides the way. You pause for a photo-op and click! there you are: on top of the world in Alberta…just you, Athabasca, a big blue sky and, of course, your trusty ice axe. Now that'll be one for the fridge.
It's day 5 of your Banff & Lake Louise vacation. You've hiked the wildflower amphitheater of Ptarmigan Cirque where you and your fellow Austin-Lehman adventurers were the only living souls in sight (save for the occasional flock of big horn sheep). You've trekked over Sentinel Pass, tackled the class III and IV whitewater rapids of Kicking Horse River and browsed the internationally acclaimed shops and galleries of Banff. The hardest part of this vacation, no doubt, will be going home.
Relax your mind, energize your body ignite the adventurer within with Austin-Lehman Adventures as we explore the towering peaks, glistening glaciers, alpine meadows, boreal forests and countless species of wildlife of Banff National Park.
Did You Know…
- In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains. Their discovery marked the humble beginning of Banff National Park, Canada's first national park and the world's third.
- Banff took its name from the original Canadian Pacific Railway station, which is believed to be named after the county town of Banffshire, Scotland. The Canadian Pacific Railway, interested in attracting tourists, built the majestic Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise.
- Banff National Park is home to 6,641 square kilometers (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers. Together with neighbor parks (Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay) it forms a huge protected area of the Canadian Rockies, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Canadian Rockies have been very heavily glaciated, resulting in sharply pointed mountains separated by wide, U-shaped valleys gouged by glaciers (in contrast to the American Rockies, which are more rounded with river-carved V-shaped valleys).
- Alberta's inspiring mountain scenery was the backdrop of the Oscar-winning film, Brokeback Mountain.
Curious to learn more? Click here for more information on Austin-Lehman Adventure’s Alberta vacations:
Alberta – Banff & Lake Louise Adventure
Alberta – Banff & Lake Louise Family Adventure
Banff – Lake Louise Hiking Only Adventure
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