5 AMAZING Moderate Hikes In Banff

Here are five of the best moderate hikes in Banff. This selection of trails is a nice mix, all offering something different from the other. You can expect everything from sparkling alpine lakes to earth-shaping glaciers, vibrant wildflowers, waterfalls, and a mountain summit.

These are some of my favourite hiking trails in the Canadian Rockies. They are moderate hikes that almost anyone can complete. A moderate hike will involve some elevation gain and multiple hours on the trail.

On average, these hikes will take two to three hours of moving time. If you’re looking for a more extensive hike, we suggest checking out our larger list of hikes in Banff—they get a LOT harder in the Rockies.

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Moderate Hikes In Banff

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Sunshine Meadows Loop

Hop on the best gondola in Banff to hike and reach the start of this trail. We love that this trail starts in the alpine meadows of the Sunshine Village Summer Gondola. The gondola’s lift assistance saves hikers’ legs and allows them to enjoy a moderate hike through some of the best alpine meadows in the Rockies. At the peak of the season, around mid-July, a vibrant blanket of flowers lines the trail.

After traversing a sea of flowers, the trail drops into British Columbia’s Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park, which offers sweeping mountain views and a loop around pristine alpine lakes.

We suggest skipping the final chairlift up the Standish Chair and hiking to the Monarch Viewpoint for a moderate hike. From there, continue along the Meadow Park Trail to the Twin Cairns Junction and complete the Laryx Loop. You can find a map here. There is also plenty of signage, as the trails are well managed by Parks Canada and Sunshine Village.

If all this sounds amazing, but you want a harder hike, consider hiking up to Healy Pass from the car park instead of taking the summer gondola. You can even link the two areas via Simpson Pass, but it’s a huge day on the trail.

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Parker Ridge Trail

Parker Ridge is our top hike recommendation on the Icefields Parkway. It offers incredible views for relatively little effort. A steady but moderate climb leads to a breathtaking overlook of the Saskatchewan Glacier, one of the most stunning sights in the Rockies.

The ridgetop is largely dominated by a grassy meadow known for its excellent wildflowers in the summer, adding to its beauty. This makes it a must-do hike along the parkway. Even better is the ascent on the way up even offers up some sweeping views of the Icefields Parkways and surrounding peaks.

We love recommending it to anyone looking to go hiking while driving the Icefields Parkway. It makes for great photos and a way to stretch the legs on a long day of driving, especially if you’re going from Banff to Jasper or vice versa.

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Plain Of Six Glaciers

The world-famous Lake Louise offers some astounding hikes, notably the hikes to the two teahouses. It’s a moderate hike to either teahouse, but our favourite is the Plain of Six Glaciers. It’s a little longer and sees a fraction of the number of hikers that go up to Lake Agnes.

The trail moves along the entire north side of Lake Louise to the source of the lake. It’s a great way to take in Lake Louise and as it reaches the lake’s end the hike begins to gain elevation in order to reach the intersection of six glaciers and the teahouse.

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The grandeur on display here is astounding as the imposing cliff faces of Mt. Lefroy and Victoria tower overhead. A historic teahouse sits near the trails end and offers hikers tea, soup, sandwiches and baked goods. Just beyond the teahouse lies the true viewpoint along a moraine that offers an excellent vantage of the glaciers.

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Bow Glacier Falls

Bow Lake is one of the most popular stops along the Icefields Parkway, offering the same breathtaking blue waters as Lake Louise with significantly fewer visitors. That said, it’s still plenty busy on a summer day. A hike to the source of the Bow River the Bow Glacier Falls is a great way to strike out and escape the crowds along the lake.

Though it is visible, you won’t really get a great view of Bow Glacier Falls from Bow Lake. This is one of the easiest hikes on the Icefields Parkway, and it comes with a very nice reward at the end.

You’ll follow the trail around the lake, until you reach the end. Beyond Bow Lake, the trail gradually ascends through the alluvial plain. Eventually the trail climbs up a small rockfall that’s aided by some naturally built steps.

After the steps the trails works it way through rocky terrain, left over from the retreating glaciers. Until it pops out of a thin forest with a great view of the Bow Glacier Falls. The journey to the falls takes just over an hour and is an easy return for a nice moderate hike in Banff.

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Tunnel Mountain

While most mountain summits are not a moderate hike, there is one that has a great trail and offers wonderful views for not too much work. Even better is that the hike can be done any time of year. Which is why we’ve included winter photos of the trail!

Tunnel Mountain is a local’s favourite as the trail can easily be tackled in a couple hours after or before work. It’s right outside of town and is a good reminder of just how much nature is at the town’s doorstep. The well maintained trail utilizes switchbacks and contouring to reach the summit with an easy grade.

The steepest part of the whole trail is right from the car park, but after that it’s pretty smooth sailing all the way to the top. Along the way it offers one of the best views of Mt Rundle.

Once at the top there are two of Parks Canada’s famous red chairs that are the ideal spot to take in the views of the Bow Valley over the town. As it’s just outside of town and a short hike up it’s a great moderate hike to catch sunrise or sunset. We particularly like it in the winter when the days are short.

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