 | Banff is known for its snow-capped peaks and turquoise lakes | | | | | Good heavens, I love a giveaway. Who doesn't? So imagine my delight when I read that Destination Canada and Parks Canada are giving away 4000 year-long passes to visit any of their 48 national parks – free of charge (click this link to enter). So it's fortuitous that we are spotlighting two of Canada's best outdoor playgrounds, Alberta's Banff and Jasper National Parks. | Meet Lonely Planet writer, British Columbia resident and lover of national parks far and wide, Brendan Sainsbury. A British expat, extreme outdoorsman and avid trail runner, Brendan has traversed and written about Banff and Jasper for years. Check out his insider recommendations for an unforgettable parks-focused trip to western Canada below. | | | | | Director, Newsletter Content | | | | | Take notes! Here are some of Brendan's recommendations in Banff and Jasper, including places to stay and delicious treats to eat. | | Spot wildflowers along Healy Pass in Banff | | | | | | | Get above the treeline. Hike Healy Pass, accessible via Sunshine Meadows in Banff. In late July you'll see wildflowers, lakes and maybe even bears (hopefully in the distance). | | | | | Have tea above Lake Louise. You can hike up from the Chateau Lake Louise and have tea and scones at one of two historic teahouses: Lake Agnes Teahouse is heavenly | | | | | Chow down like a champ in Banff. Park is a great restaurant and distillery. Grab a cup of coffee at God's Earth Coffeehouse, probably the best in Banff. Grab a pastry from Evelyn's. | | | | | Stay on the cheap in Jasper. The Athabasca Hotel is economical, dependable and only a short walk to The Bear's Paw, which has the best baked goods in Alberta (also coffee). | | | | | Rent a bicycle. This is a great way to get around. You can cycle to the trail heads or just to see the main sites. | | | Banff and Lake Louise: winter wonderlands | | Lake Louise, Brekke atop Chateau Lake Louise, a Jasper waterfall | | | | | Check out the latest in our Epic Hikes series, traversing 50 of the Americas' most rewarding treks and trails, with first-person accounts from writers who have hiked them. | | | Here are some tidbits of my conversation with Brendan: we talk about his favorite hikes and haunts and the best these parks have to offer. | | | | Hello, little chipmunk, hanging near Glacier Lake | | | | | I'm a full-time writer, mainly about travel, fitness, outdoor excursions. I am British. I have lived in Canada for the last 18 years, in British Columbia. I've contributed to 60 Lonely Planet books, including hiking guides for Banff and Jasper. | | | Do you consider yourself an avid outdoorsman? | I'm very much outdoors-oriented. I love trail running. I'm considered quite mad because everyone sees me out running every day. I don't make a habit of these kinds of races, but I've done a marathon across the desert.
The hardest thing I've done is a 100-mile, self-sufficient race across the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, quite near where I live. Steep trails, drinking from rivers, I love that sort of thing. | | | | | Jasper is well set-up for astro-tourism. It's a dark-sky preserve, and you can see the northern lights. | | | What is special about Banff and Jasper National Parks? | As Canadian national parks go, they're very unique, because they both have town sites. Banff is the third oldest national park in the world, and it's really wild despite its main thoroughfare with restaurants and shops. Jasper's a bit bigger, a bit more remote, more wild. If you like it a bit more rugged, that's a better place. | | | When did you first visit these parks and towns? | Right after I got married, about 18 years ago. But later I went for Lonely Planet to write about Banff and Jasper National Parks. I know Jasper a bit better because I've covered it more times, and I've also been there in the winter. | | | | | "Even in the height of tourist season, if you know where to go, you can be on your own within seconds." | | | Do you recommend traveling to these places in winter? | Yes, they both have ski areas that are so excellent, including Norquay, Sunshine Meadows and Lake Louise in Banff, and Jasper has Marmot Basin. There's also some excellent cross-country and backcountry skiing, where you can get out into the wilderness, with ski-in, ski-out accommodations like Skoki Lodge in Banff and Tonquin Valley deep in Jasper's backcountry. | | | The railway! The private Rocky Mountaineer is fantastic, but it costs a lot of money. But there's also very affordable Canadian train service from Vancouver to Jasper. You leave Vancouver in the afternoon, and you wake up in the Rockies, near Mount Robson. I highly recommend arriving by train. There's something about it. | | | | | Consider staying in Canmore. It has more lodging options, is less crowded, and you can take a bus or cycle into Banff. | | | What's your favorite hike in Banff? | It's a difficult one, so experts only. But it's only about 5 miles from Banff Avenue in town. It's called Cory Pass, it's very steep, rugged and has great views. You can see Banff a long way away. It's very challenging, but there are not many people on it. | | | Are there easier trails? Or more accessible experiences? | The good thing is Banff is accessible for people who are not wilderness freaks or can't hike up mountains. You can get a bus or take a gondola to the top and still experience the beauty of the outdoors.
In Jasper, there's a great trail system accessible from town. The trails are safe and pretty flat, but you're surrounded by these cathedral-like mountains. | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
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