Hi Everyone! Here's What’s Happening This Week!

Bear 122 is 28 years old, weighs around 700 pounds and is missing a bottom canine. None of that stopped him from eating buffaloberries beside a Banff roadway this week, photographed with a Parks Canada escort keeping an eye on proceedings. Berry season means bears near roads, so expect slow traffic and resist the urge to pull over.

Jasper beat Banff to the top spot in a new national ranking, 8.7 to 8.6, on a formula that factored in Instagram engagement alongside the usual measures. Whatever the methodology, all three podium places went to Alberta.

If you prefer the towns at walking pace, Rocky Mountain Food and Walking Tours was started by a mother and son who spent a year travelling through 34 countries, joining tours along the way. Four options across Banff and Canmore, and readers get 20 per cent off with the code WHATSONBANFF.

If Banff's room rates give you pause, Canmore is the usual workaround, and The Malcolm makes the case well. Five minutes on foot from downtown, finished to the same standard as the luxury properties inside the park, at a price that reflects the drive to get there.

See Banff’s Lakes Before You Visit | Moraine Lake | Moraine Lake Rockpile | Lake Louise | Peyto Lake | Bow Lake

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Explore Banff and Canmore on guided food and walking tours led by locals.

These tours started with a mother and son spending a year travelling through 34 countries, joining walking and food tours along the way. When they returned home to Banff and Canmore, they used what they had learned to create tours with local stories, guides who know the towns well, and food worth stopping for.

There are four tours to choose from. The Banff and Canmore walking tours run for about two hours and are a relaxed way to get a feel for each town. The food tours run longer, with local food and drink stops along the way, so come hungry!

Readers get 20 per cent off with the code WHATSONBANFF at checkout.

Book a tour and use code WHATSONBANFF

🏆 Banff Finishes Second to Jasper. Alberta parks took the top three spots nationally in a travel company's summer ranking. Jasper scored 8.7 to Banff's 8.6, on criteria including Instagram activity and Google review scores.

🚗 Banff Traffic Ticks Back Up. Nearly 900,000 vehicles passed the town's two main entrances last month, up 4% on July 2025. Roam transit carried 313,032 riders, replacing an estimated 126,223 car trips.

🐾 Cougar Warning on Mount Baldy. Alberta Parks has issued an advisory covering the scramble routes and climbing crag, plus Baldy Pass and Lusk Pass trails, after a close encounter. Travel in groups, carry bear spray, keep pets leashed.

😷 Air Quality Warning for Banff. Wildfire smoke has pushed air quality down and cut visibility across Banff National Park. Environment Canada advises limiting time outdoors, with older adults, children and people with existing conditions at higher risk.

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🌧️ The wetter pattern we flagged moves in this weekend, with a cooldown to match: Saturday brings a chance of showers at 23°C, Sunday clears back to sunny at 24°C, before Monday settles into steadier showers and a cooler 19°C. That warm, smoky stretch is giving way to a much cooler week ahead. Full Forecast Here

🏞️ If you want waterfalls without the queue, a three-hour guided walk takes in geothermal springs and hidden falls on quieter trails, with wildlife pointed out on the way.

🚙 Private Banff Highlights Day - Nine and a half hours by Jeep with stops at Mount Norquay, Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, the hoodoos, Bow Falls and Surprise Corner, with time built in at Sulphur Mountain and the hot springs. Groups of eight maximum.

🌲 Thermal Waters and Hidden Waterfalls Walk - Starting at Cave and Basin, where the park began in 1885, this three-hour walk heads out towards Sundance and a set of waterfalls most day-trippers never reach. Guides carry bear spray.

🚌 Moraine Lake Big Bus - Private cars have been off Moraine Lake Road since 2023, so this open-top double-decker from Deer Lodge is the workaround. Parking is included, and return buses run hourly, so you set your own pace.

🏔️ Is it possible to live in Canmore, or does it have the same restrictions as Banff? Canmore does not have the same rules - find out how you can move there.

💆 Are there any good spas in Banff? Yes - several hotel spas in Banff and the surrounding area offer everything from massages to mineral pools and hydrotherapy.

📅 When is the best time of year to visit Johnston Canyon? Every season offers something different - summer brings roaring waterfalls, winter turns the canyon into a frozen landscape, and spring and autumn mean fewer crowds.

The Malcolm brings Banff-level luxury to Canmore, a five-minute walk from downtown, without the price tag that comes with staying in Banff itself.

Find out more

Yesterday’s Question: Which national park is home to the world’s largest accessible dark sky preserve?

✅Answer: 2) Jasper National Park - 62% Correct

📅 Featured events for today are listed below. Visit our website for a complete list.

FULL EVENT CALENDAR

10:00 | Family ARTventures | The Banff Centre | Banff

10:00 | Full Moon Swap | Canmore Public Library | Canmore

12:00 | Stephanie Forbes – Author Signing | Cafe Books | Canmore

13:15 | Saturday Distillery Tour | Wild Life Distillery | Canmore

15:00 | Live Music Afternoon | Three Bears | Banff

15:00 | The Cheezie Musical (Matinee) | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore

18:00 | Sunset Festival @ Banff Gondola | Banff Gondola | Banff

18:30 | Live Musician Night | The Dusty Boot | Banff

19:30 | Jazz & Sonic Arts Concert | The Banff Centre | Banff

19:30 | Balkan Greek Dinner Show | Balkan Restaurant | Banff

19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper

21:30 | Jazz Jams Session | The Banff Centre | Banff

22:00 | Club Night: DJ Raven | High Rollers | Banff

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