Craig Copeland - Done in a Day Banff: The Ten Premier Hikes!

The first people on earth were hikers and campers. So today when we walk the earth and bed down on it, were living in the most primitive, elemental way known to our species. Were returning to a way of life intrinsic to the human experience. Were shedding the burden of millennia of civilization. Were seeking catharsis. Were inviting enlightenment.

hikingcamping.com publishes unique guidebooks - literate, entertaining, opinionated - that ensure you make the most of your precious time outdoors. Our titles cover some of the worlds most spectacular wild lands.

Hiking and camping in the wilderness can be dangerous. Experience and preparation reduce risk, but will never eliminate it. The unique details of your specific situation and the decisions you make at that time will determine the outcome. Always check the weather forecast and current trail conditions before setting out. This book is not a substitute for common sense or sound judgment. If you doubt your ability to negotiate mountain terrain, respond to wild animals, or handle sudden, extreme weather changes, hike only in a group led by a competent guide. The authors and the publisher disclaim liability for any loss or injury incurred by anyone using information in this book.

Trip Locations map

The Hikes

Trips at a Glance

The trips are listed according to difficulty, starting with the easiest and working up to the most challenging. After the trip name is the round-trip distance, followed by the elevation gain. Some trips have shorter or longer options.

Your time is short, but the mountains are endless. So here you go: the ten Banff-area dayhikes most likely to make you say Wow! Plus our boot-tested opinions: why we recommend each trail, what to expect, how to enjoy the optimal experience.

We hope our suggestions compel you to get outdoors more often and stay out longer. Do it to cultivate your wild self. It will give you perspective. Do it because the backcountry teaches simplicity and self-reliance, qualities that make life more fulfilling. Do it to remind yourself why wilderness needs and deserves your protection. A bolder conservation ethic develops naturally in the mountains. And do it to escape the cacophony that muffles the quiet, pure voice within.

The town of Banff (pronounced Bamph) is in the lower left-hand corner of Alberta, and in the lower right-hand corner of Banff National Park. By car, its 850 km (528 mi) northeast of Vancouvera long days drive. Its 400 km (250 mi) southwest of Edmonton, via Jasper and the Icefields Parkway. And its 128 km (80 mi) west of Calgary.

Flight times to Calgary International Airport (YYC) are 80 minutes from Vancouver (YVR), three hours from Los Angeles (LAX), and less than four hours from Chicago (ORD).

Most people reach Banff via the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1) from Calgary, where a million people live near the Bow River. Just 45-minutes beyond the city limits, the prairie abruptly ends as you pierce a wall between worlds: the Canadian Rockies.

Within an hour youll pass Canmoregritty coal-mining hamlet turned posh resort village. Youll glimpse it, however, only if you tear your gaze from the towering peaks that gird the Bow River Valley.

Just beyond Canmore, enter Banff National Park. To see the entry-fee schedule before arriving, visit www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff, click on Visit, then click on passes and permits.

Fifteen minutes farther, youll reach latitude 51 10 39 N,

longitude 115 34 24 W. Welcome to Banff, highest community in Canada: elevation 1383 m (4537 ft).

Because our emphasis here is efficient use of limited time, we dont expect you to read the rest of this introduction. Not immediately, anyway. If youre a novice hiker or tentative in new territory, you should read the second half about wildlife, bears, and lightning.