Banff National Park: Natures Beauty Exemplified
Banff National Park is a protected paradise in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It is a vast and stunning landscape with miles of mountains, glaciers, lakes, and dense forests. With so much surrounding beauty and abundance of outdoor fun available to visitors’, it’s no wonder it is one of the most sought out destinations in the world, welcoming millions of people every year.
British Columbia borders Banff National Park in western Alberta. Calgary is the largest nearby town, about an hour and a half away by car. The highly traveled Trans-Canada Highway passes through the park, along with the small towns Banff and Lake Louise.
In 1885, the park was established after Cave and Hot Springs became a designated reserve. Lake Louise and the Rocky Mountain’s Columbia Icefield became included into the park once it was expanded. This icefield feeds eight major glaciers in the alpine region.
Over time, glacial erosion developed many hanging valleys with waterfalls. It also contributed to the jagged mountain peaks towering above the land. Mistaya and Johnston Canyon are among many gorges also formed here. Johnston Canyon has a cascading waterfall flowing out of it seasonally. When this waterfall freezes in the winter, people enjoy ice climbing in the canyon.
Banff National Park has three main ecoregions – alpine, subalpine, and montane. More than half of the park’s area consists of dense forests. Willow, aspen, spruce, fir, and maple trees are part of the small montane region of the park. Glacial valleys and meadows are part of the park’s alpine region.
The lower montane region of Banff National Park is where the most wildlife can be found. The park has 56 mammals that call it home including bears, cougars, otters, elk, Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep, moose, caribou, and beavers.
Banff National Park is on the eastern side of the Continental Divide and receives almost 20 inches of precipitation every year. The warm Chinook winds keep winter temperatures in this region tolerable, ranging from 6-degrees F to 24-degrees F in the town of Banff. Summers are mild with average July temperatures averaging 45 to 70-degrees F.
Each year, people come from all over the world to explore this Canadian gem. There are numerous resorts and luxurious hotels including the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise. During their stay, visitors like to take advantage of the mountainous terrain by downhill and cross-country skiing. Hikers will find many day and backcountry nature trails. Climbing is a great option, and mountain climbing is a popular activity at the park all year.
Summer activities include visiting the local hot springs or swimming, canoeing, and kayaking in on one of the park’s lakes. Other ways to explore this rugged landscape include mountain biking and horseback riding. At this Canadian park, many adventures are possible. A variety of rentals are available around the lakes where people can boat and fish in the summer or ice skate and ice fish in the winter. Banff National Park is a land full of adventure any time of the year.
For more information on available lodging and activities around Banff National Park visit www.NationalParkReservations.com also visit www.Resorts-360.com to learn more about how you can earn free vacations and get paid to travel!
