Parking
Hoodoos Viewpoint and Day-use Area on Tunnel Mountain Road; Parks Canada lists limited paved parking, including three accessible stalls, and four accessible gender-neutral outhouses.
Overview
About Hoodoos Interpretive Trail
Why go
- Short, easy loop with hoodoo viewpoints and Bow Valley scenery
- Interpretive stops, benches and nearby day-use amenities
Heads up
- Uneven or gently sloping sections mean it is not a fully accessible route
- Do not confuse this short loop with the longer Surprise Corner connector
This short, easy loop is Banff's compact hoodoo outing: a wooded path leads to open viewpoints over the Bow Valley, with the pale spires of the hoodoos and Mount Rundle as the payoff. Interpretive stops and benches make it a relaxed choice when you want a scenic walk close to town.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,426–1,443 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureRed Deer River valley bottom closed for ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison harvest taking place through November.Official details
- ClosureLake Minnewanka and Aylmer area closureLake Minnewanka Trail, Aylmer Pass Trail, and campgrounds Lm8, Lm9, Lm11, Lm20, Lm22 and Lm31 are closed to all users because black bears are displaying food-seeking behaviour.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Hoodoos Interpretive Trail, 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Banff Hoodoos Viewpoint and a Photo TipListen
“You're coming up on the stop for the Banff Hoodoos, those thin rock pillars rising from the hillside. They were formed over centuries as a cap of hard rock protected the softer stone underneath from eroding away.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court: RVs Only
- Tunnel Mountain Campgrounds and oTENTiks
- Hidden Ridge Resort: Hot Tubs with a View
- Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course
- 178 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 177 trails, 236 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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Hoodoos Interpretive Trail
Route and distanceStart at the Hoodoos Viewpoint and Day-use Area and follow the signed interpretive path to the…
Start at the Hoodoos Viewpoint and Day-use Area and follow the signed interpretive path to the hoodoo lookouts. The complete loop is listed at about 1.4 km (0.9 mile), with roughly 32 m of gain, and usually takes 30–60 minutes depending on stops. The route reconstructed here follows the mapped Hoodoos Interpretive Trail, the short Hoodoos return section and Don's Bypass back to the access point. Do not combine it with the separate Surprise Corner to Hoodoos viewpoint route, which is a substantially longer 4.4 km one-way experience.
What you'll seeThe loop moves between compacted trail and wooded viewpoints, with broad views across the Bow…
The loop moves between compacted trail and wooded viewpoints, with broad views across the Bow Valley and the distinctive hoodoo formations below Tunnel Mountain. Look for interpretive information along the route and keep wildlife at a respectful distance.
LogisticsThe Hoodoos Viewpoint and Day-use Area is on Tunnel Mountain Road, about 4 km northeast of…
The Hoodoos Viewpoint and Day-use Area is on Tunnel Mountain Road, about 4 km northeast of downtown Banff. Parks Canada lists limited paved parking, including three accessible stalls, and four accessible gender-neutral outhouses. The loop has gentle grades but uneven or loose sections and should not be treated as a fully wheelchair-accessible trail. Bring traction in icy conditions and stay on the signed paths.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
122 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
465 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
