Day 1: Jewel Falls and Barrier Lake

We kicked off with a 6-mile (10K) loop around Barrier Lake. The first part feels like an easy stroll on a service road, but don’t miss the crucial right turn that actually takes you up the mountain. It finally feels like a real trail hike at that point, winding through the forest, gaining elevation, and earning you some solid views along the way.

Jewel Falls themselves? They’re fine. Not the biggest or loudest waterfall I’ve seen, but worth the effort as a destination to anchor the hike. On the way back, the trail hugs the lake while you’re surrounded by the sharp, snow-streaked ridges of the Canadian Rockies—beautiful and calming in that way only mountains can be.

Day 1, cont.: Canoeing the Bow River

Our Scottish guide, Fergis, from Banff Canoe Company took us on a wonderful canoe tour of the Bow River (the calm part before the falls) along the town of Banff. It was about a 1 hour adventure out and back taking in the beauty of the national park with Fergis providing wonderful tidbits of information about the park, specific mountains, and anything else we could think to ask him about.

Day 2: Chester Lake Hike

Day two started with a 1.5-hour drive from our lodge deeper into the park for a hike to Chester Lake. This trail is 5 miles round-trip, but don’t let the distance fool you: the first two miles to the lake are a steady uphill grind. It’s a real trail, rocky and gravely, but clear and well-traveled.

Once it finally levels out, you arrive at a broad meadow with Chester Lake tucked beneath the peaks. The lake itself is small, but the surrounding mountains are what you’re really there for—big, dramatic, and unforgettable. We managed a few stretches of jogging, and the return trip (blessedly downhill) took about 1 hour and 45 minutes round-trip. All the while, you’re in thick pine and conifer forest that gave off a Smokies vibe, just with taller mountains and that constant anticipation that a bear might wander across your path (none did, thankfully).

Day 2, Part 2: Via Ferrata Rock Climbing Adventure

After the morning hike, we had the opportunity to take on the (beginner level) Via Ferrata hike in Banff. Our guide, Zach was outstanding in safety, directions, and providing plenty of interesting facts about the sites and national park. This was a pretty easy path for a Via Ferrata (the scariest part is the start and end when we weren't clipped in), but they also offer a much longer version. Our total adventure was about 2.5 hours, with the longer one estimated to be be 5-6 hours total. 

Day 3: Canmore Nordic Trail + Bow Falls

Our final day featured the Canmore Nordic Trail, a 10K hike that truly felt like walking through the woods. Gorgeous meadows broke up the forest, giving you those classic Rocky Mountain vistas that are perfect for pausing and soaking in the quiet beauty.

In the afternoon, we wandered the town of Banff itself, making sure to walk up to Bow Falls, where the river roars past town in a picturesque cascade. We wrapped the day with not one but two stops at Three Bears Brewery, where I discovered their Copper Ale—a crisp, well-balanced beer that I cannot recommend enough if you’re in town.