Banff National Park is nestled in the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is the best-known and the most popular of all the Canadian Rocky Mountain parks, attracting 4.7 million visitors every year, who marvel at its snow-covered peaks and emerald-colored lakes.

The Natural Beauty of Banff

A vast 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq. miles) of mountains, forest, rivers and lakes, Banff was the first of Canada's National Parks. Lake Louise, a landmark of Banff National Park, is the most famous of its lakes. Banff townsite, located near the eastern entrance of the park, is a bustling gem of a town with unique shops, natural attractions and resident elk.

Also in the Rockies, just north of Banff Park is Jasper National Park. Banff and Jasper, together with British Columbia national parks Yoho and Kootenay, and the provincial parks Hamber, Mount Robson and Mount Assiniboine make up the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.

Not many spots on earth can beat the Rocky Mountain parks for hiking, wildlife-watching and incredible views. Besides the scenic highways traversing these parks, more than 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles) of trails beckon to outdoor adventurers, leading them to pristine alpine lakes, wildflower-spangled meadows, hanging glaciers and thundering waterfalls.