The Scenic Sunshine Meadows Gondola
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The Sunshine Gondola offers exceptional lift-assisted hiking in Banff National Park. The scenic gondola delivers hikers to a high alpine landscape known for its excellent mountain views, alpine lakes, and abundant wildflowers. We love the gondola because it provides hikers access to a difficult-to-reach alpine environment.
The scenic gondola ride takes visitors through a picturesque valley before delivering them to the resort village. The resort village has an alpine hotel, restaurant, cafe, and small interpretative center. However, the facilities are nowhere near as expansive as those of the Banff Gondola.
Visitors hop on the Standish Chairlift from the village base for the final elevation gain. A network of trails spread out from the chairlift. The classic option is to pass the three lakes of Rock Isle, Grizzly, and Laryx. It’s around an 8 km loop and has some exceptional views.
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Sunshine Meadows Experience
- Location: Banff Sunshine Ski Resort
- Length: 3-6 hours
- Included: Scenic Gondola Ride and
- Pick-up: Free Shuttle (Runs on schedule from Banff)
- Parking Lot: Yes
- Public Transport: No
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Sunshine Gondola Season & Times
| Dates | Tour Times |
|---|---|
| June 22nd – October 26th | 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. |
Our Thoughts On The Columbia Icefield Experience
We have a great post that compares the various gondolas around Banff if you’d like to compare. However, the Sunshine Meadows Gondola is one of our favorite gondolas in Banff. If you want lift-assisted hiking similar to what you’ll find in the European Alps, we recommend it.
No other gondola in the area offers trails that are comparable in terms of quantity and quality. Above all, we love the gorgeous flowers that grow abundantly around Sunshine Meadows.
