Winter Hikes in Banff National Park
You might think with cold snowy winters, that winter hiking is not possible in Banff…but that’s not the case.
There are a number of trails that are accessible all year round and generally won’t require the use of snow shoes to keep you from sinking in waist deep snow.
Below are my top 5 winter hikes in Banff that are accessible to people of all abilities. You shouldn’t need snow shoes for any of these trails (Unless you do them immediately after heavy snowfall), however you will need some good micro spikes.
1. Sulphur Mountain Trail
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 700m
Distance: 11Km
Sulphur Mountain is located in Banff and is a great winter hike! This trail is very well travelled all year round, which means it is always well compacted even in winter. This trail can become quite icy so you definitely want good ice cleats/microspikes, especially for the way down.
This hike starts at the Banff gondola, you can either drive to the trail head, or catch the number 1 bus from downtown Banff. From the upper parking lot, the trail is easy to find and follows a number of switchbacks as you make your way to the top. The hike up isn’t too scenic, but the views from the top are awesome, which makes it well worth the hike up.
A common mistake people make on this trail is not taking enough layers. The trail up through the trees is very sheltered and you will get very warm as you hike uphill. The summit however, is extremely exposed and it’s often very cold and windy at the top. If you are unsure on how to dress for winter hikes, then check out my post here on how to stay warm in winter!
Once you are at the top, it’s well worth taking the boardwalk to the viewpoint further across the ridge. This adds around 30 minutes, but you get a great 360 view from here, including a beautiful view of Banff nestled in the valley below.
I’d rate this hike as moderate, as it’s not technically difficult and it’s pretty short. But it does have some significant elevation gain that many people will find challenging. This hike is generally very accessible and if you do get to the top and find you are too tired for the hike down, you can always take the Gondola instead. If you do decide to take the Gondola, you will have to pay as they no longer offer it for free.
2. Tunnel Mountain
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 260m
Distance: 4.4km
Tunnel Mountain is a small peak located right in the centre of Banff. You can drive to the trail head or walk there from downtown Banff, but that will add a little extra distance to your hike. This is a very popular trail which helps keep the snow well packed down. You will still need micro-spikes though as it can be icy in places.
If you only have a few hours spare but are looking to do a hike around Banff, then this is a great option. At under 5km in length this is a short hike that only takes around 2 hours to complete.
Considering this is such a short hike, you still get some fantastic views on this trail. There are a number of viewpoints on trail, most of which are along the final ridge just before the summit. You certainly want to stop at these viewpoints, as they give you a spectacular view of the Bow Valley with Mt Rundle towering overhead.
The trail ends at the big red chairs. These chairs are famously placed all over the national park, in places you least expect to find them. There is an opening in the trees here that gives you a great view of Banff. This is a great place for a quick break before turning around to start the decent.
This is a great hike that the entire family can complete even in the winter. Microspikes are recommended and can be rented from one of the rental stores in town. Although I’d certainly recommend buying your own if you intend on hiking around Banff in the Winter or Spring.
3. Johnston Canyon
Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 120m
Distance: 5km
Johnston Canyon is one of the best destinations in Banff. This is an extremely popular place during the summer, but I actually think it looks even more amazing in the winter. The trailhead is a 25km drive from Banff along the very scenic highway 1A. During the summer you have a number of options for getting here, you can cycle, drive or take the public bus. Unfortunately, in winter you are a little more limited as the bus doesn’t operate and cycling isn’t a great option either. This means you have to either drive, or go with a guided tour.
The trail through the Canyon is always very well packed down throughout the winter as this is a very well travelled trail. It does get icy in a few sections, so I’d still recommend using microspikes, especially if you don’t have good hiking boots or are not comfortable hiking on compacted snow.
The waterfalls you normally see here during the summer are all frozen in winter, which make some amazing ice formations. This is a really popular ice climbing location, so don’t be surprised to see people climbing these huge walls of ice.
The ice formations in this canyon are well worth a visit, which is why this trail makes it onto this list. No visit to Banff is complete without hiking through Johnston Canyon, both in summer and winter.
4. Johnson Lake
Difficulty Rate: Easy
Elevation: 30m
Distance: 3km
Johnson Lake is a small lake located just outside of Banff. At the start of winter this lake can be a great place to go ice skating. This is wild ice though, so it’s up to you to check if the ice is thick enough to skate on. There’s a very small window to skate on any of the frozen lakes in Banff, as once it snows the ice is then covered for the rest of the winter.
Even if you can’t skate on the lake, it’s still worth a visit. There’s a short 3km hiking trail that goes around the lake and it’s one of my favourite short hikes in Banff. The trail is very scenic with great views of the surrounding mountains. You will feel like you are in a winter wonderland as you walk through the snow covered trees.
The trail is mostly flat with only 30m of elevation to gain. It’s not as well travelled as some of the other trails on this list, so you may encounter slightly deeper snow. Generally, you can manage on this trail without microspikes, but they are always good to carry anyway as you never know how icy it will be. If you are visiting after recent snowfall, it might be a good idea to wear gaiters to help keep the snow out of your boots.
This area doesn’t actually get that much snow, which is one of the reasons you can hike this trail all winter. If you are looking for a short, easy but scenic hike that’s close to Banff, then this is the perfect place to go.
The only way to visit this lake in winter is to drive or cycle as there is no public transport to this lake in winter. The lake is 11km from downtown Banff. If you are considering cycling there, you will want to use a fat bike. These bikes are designed to be used in winter and are better at travelling over snow and ice.
5. Lake Agnes Tea House
Difficulty Rate: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 400m
Distance: 7.5km
There are many hikes to do in the Lake Louise area during the summer, but in winter it becomes a popular area for a range of winter activities. The most popular thing to do here in winter is to Ice Skate on the lake, but there’s also lot’s of cross country skiing, backcountry skiing and ice climbing in this area too.
When it comes to hiking, you are a little stuck for options. Lake Louise receives significantly more snow than Banff and many trails are in avalanche terrain. The only winter hike I would recommend in this area is the trail to the Lake Agnes Tea House.
In winter the tea house is closed, so don’t expect to be buying lunch up there. But it’s still a beautiful hike up to Lake Agnes. The trail is normally well compacted but microspikes are essential. There are some stairs just before the lake that are extremely difficult to get up without having some form of microspikes.
Both Mirror Lake and Lake Agnes are both frozen all winter, but there are still some stellar viewpoints on the way up the tea house. I would try to save this trail for a sunny day to really maximise the views. This is a great winter hike if you are visiting Lake Louise, even if you have hiked it in the summer, it’s a totally different experience hiking it in winter.
Have you hiked any of these trails in winter? Or maybe you have some other trails that you think should make the list? Let me know in the comments below.