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Sundance Canyon in Banff National Park

Sight · Banff National Park

Sundance Canyon

A tight gorge and small waterfall reward the long approach.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Type
Sight
Nearest trail
0.5 km
Audio stories
4 nearby
  • Trailhead
  • Parking
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Cave and Basin: Springs and Stories

Overview

About Sundance Canyon

Why stop

  • A Bow River panorama breaks up the long approach.

Heads up

  • Mosquitoes can be heavy by the shaded river in summer.
The path starts in forest and opens to a mountain panorama across the Bow River after 1 km, then climbs steadily away from the river. You can cycle the paved approach, but leave your bike at the rack where the pavement ends; the canyon loop is hiking-only. Cave and Basin, at the start, has paved parking, accessible stalls and flush toilets, picnic tables and EV charging. Those facilities are at the trailhead, not the gorge.
Parkwolf’s verdictMake the approach work for you

Map

Where it is

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Full map
SightSundance Canyon51.15235, -115.61402
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Plan your stop

Before you go

8 active Banff alerts

  • ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
  • ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
See all 8 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Banff Tour Guide

Your drive to Sundance Canyon, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Banff audio tour

Recorded for this place

Cave and Basin: Springs and Stories
0:00 / 0:34
“Cave and Basin National Historic Site is coming up, with a small cave, warm mineral springs and short boardwalks. I'd allow two to three hours for the exhibits and walks, rather than just ducking into the cave.”

Plays as you drive up to Sundance Canyon in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Fan at the Canyon Mouth
  • The Historian Who Designed Locomotives
  • The Branch That Takes Root
  • Vermilion Lakes: Docks and Wetlands
  • 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
tesja22App Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Sundance Canyon

What you’re signing up forSundance Canyon is a water-filled gorge reached by the paved Sundance approach from Cave and…

Sundance Canyon is a water-filled gorge reached by the paved Sundance approach from Cave and Basin. The approach is the bigger commitment: The route is 3.7 km one way to the canyon loop, plus a 2.1 km loop, with 190 m of elevation gain and about three hours round trip. Give it room in your day; this isn’t a quick pullout.

Inside the gorgeThe loop is steep and narrow, with natural rock steps near its start.

The loop is steep and narrow, with natural rock steps near its start. The reward is a moving stream, close rock walls and a small waterfall. Mosquitoes can be heavy along the shaded river in summer. Plan your water before setting out: Parks Canada advises bringing it or treating stream water.

canyonhikingwaterfallscenic

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear123 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapBrown Bear150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapGray Wolf44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapRiver Otter12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapMoose69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapBlack Bear466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Sundance Canyon

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ChallengingSundance Pass Trail12 km · 6 hr · 0.5 km awayA forested pass route ends with a rough creek descent.ChallengingSulphur Mountain Westside Trail5.4 km · 4 hr · 1.2 km awayA steep, rocky west-side climb to the upper mountain.ModerateSundance Canyon Loop9 km · 3 hr · 2.4 km awayA smooth paved approach ends at a rugged creekside canyon loop.EasySundance Trail7.4 km · 2 hr · 2.4 km awayA paved river walk ending at a creekside picnic area.EasyMarsh Loop2.8 km · 1 hr · 2.5 km awayA short loop around a wetland fed by Sulphur Mountain hot springs.EasyCave and Basin Trail: Lower Boardwalk0.5 km · 20 min · 2.5 km awayA short boardwalk for a close look at wetland life.EasySulphur Mountain Boardwalk1.1 km · 36 min · 2.9 km awayRidge views reward 368 shallow stairs each way.ModerateBanff Legacy Trail24.5 km · 6.5 hr · 3.4 km awayA long paved route with an on-road link through Banff

More stops nearby

Sight · 2.4 km awayFirst World War Internment ExhibitA compact exhibit connects wartime internment with national park roads.Sight · 2.5 km awayCave and Basin National Historic SiteA cave, warm springs, and the start of Canada's national parks.Sight · 3.3 km awayVermilion LakesDocks and marsh reflections frame Mount Rundle.Sight · 3.6 km awayCascade of Time GardensA garden pause with terraces, flowers and small waterfalls.Sight · 3.6 km awayBuffalo Nations MuseumA compact museum for First Nations histories and art in the Rockies.Picnic area · 3.7 km awayFireside Day-use AreaA quick picnic stop with trail access at the Parkway's eastern end.Sight · 3.7 km awayBanff Upper Hot SpringsA hot soak beneath the jagged peaks of Rundle and Cascade.Sight · 3.8 km awayBanff Park Museum National Historic SiteA timber “railway pagoda” packed with vintage wildlife specimens.

Parkwolf’s Banff ranking

Top sights in Banff

All 90 places
  1. 1Lake LouiseSight
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  3. 3Peyto Lake ViewpointSight
  4. 4Johnston CanyonSight
  5. 5Banff GondolaSight
  6. 6Cave and Basin National Historic SiteSight

Take Parkwolf to Banff.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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