Banff National Park, AB
A rooty river traverse that needs a pickup in Canmore.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
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 tourRecorded for this area
Mountains in the Golf Course Design“Some of the shapes on the Banff Springs golf course were designed to echo the mountains around it. Stanley Thompson laid out the eighteen-hole course in the nineteen twenties, with fairways following the Bow River.”
Plays on the road 1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…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
Rundle Riverside Trail is a 13.9 km one-way route from the Golf Course Road kiosk at the road’s far end to the Canmore Nordic Centre. It follows the Bow River corridor and ends in a different town, so plan this as a traverse, not a loop. Allow about four to five hours on foot; that is a hiking estimate for the full line. Arrange a second vehicle or pickup before you start.
The first about 8 km are rocky, rooty singletrack with a rolling feel. For the remaining roughly 6 km, the track widens into double track as it approaches the Nordic Centre. The narrower sections are shared with mountain bikes, so give riders room to pass. The main appeal is the river corridor and the surrounding peaks, not a summit or one single overlook.
Keep dogs leashed in Banff. Leashed dogs are allowed on Canmore Nordic Centre trails in summer, but not on groomed ski trails when they are snow covered. Snowshoeing is also not allowed on those groomed tracks, so check the winter route before planning to walk all the way through.
Wildlife
123 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
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateTunnel Bench Loop9.7 km · 1.8 hr · 2.2 km awayA rolling loop with exposed edges and broad Cascade Mountain views.
EasyHoodoos Interpretive Trail1 km · 45 min · 2.2 km awayShort paths bring pale hoodoos into view above the Bow River.
ModerateSpray River East Trail11.2 km · 3.5 hr · 2.9 km awayA rolling forest track follows the river to its bridge.
EasyTunnel Campground Loop6.3 km · 1.5 hr · 3.1 km awayA firm gravel loop circles campgrounds beneath mountain views.
ModerateTunnel Technical Trails Loop2.7 km · 45 min · 3.1 km awayA compact lap with bridges, berms and narrow wooden features.
ChallengingTopp Notch–Return of the Jedi Loop5.1 km · 1 hr · 3.1 km awayA technical mountain bike circuit of wooden features and tight switchbacks.
ModerateSurprise Corner to Hoodoos Trail8.9 km · 3 hr · 3.3 km awayA forested Bow River walk ends among pale hoodoos.
ModerateBanff Avenue Trail3.3 km · 1 hr · 3.4 km awayA rolling path through forest and meadow to Tunnel Mountain Road.
Sight · 2.2 km awayHoodoos ViewpointPale hoodoos above a turquoise bend in the Bow River.
Campground · 2.4 km awayTunnel Mountain Village I CampgroundForest camping near Banff with showers and mountain views.
Campground · 2.8 km awayTunnel Mountain Trailer CourtFull hookups, mountain views, and a bus stop for town.
Campground · 3 km awayTunnel Mountain Village II CampgroundMountain views and year-round transit make a practical campground base.
Sight · 3.3 km awaySurprise CornerA raised platform looks onto Banff's grand hotel and forested mountains.
Sight · 3.4 km awayBow FallsA broad, booming cascade beside Banff Springs.
Sight · 3.5 km awayFairmont Banff SpringsA castle-style hotel welcoming guests since 1888.
Beach · 3.6 km awayJohnson LakeAn easy lakeshore loop beneath Mount Rundle, with summer swims.Parkwolf’s Banff ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
