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

The upper trails at Grassi Lakes are closed indefinitely following a significant rockfall on June 1st and continued rock instability above Spray Lakes Road. The closure covers the upper trail, the interpretive trail, and Reclaimer Trail - with no end date confirmed as of June 10th. The lower trail remains accessible, but anyone planning a full Grassi Lakes day should adjust expectations before they go.

Elsewhere in the valley, Alberta Parks has an active advisory for the Canmore Nordic Centre trail network after a black bear sow and cubs-of-the-year were spotted in the area. Cubs born this past winter mean a mother running on high alert - the trails have enough blind corners to make that worth taking seriously.

Jasper, meanwhile, is welcoming visitors back in numbers that look encouraging on paper - 86% of pre-fire levels in 2025 - but a new economic assessment puts visitor spending $161 million below pre-wildfire projections. The town needs people to come, and to spend when they do.

If the access logistics around Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are giving you pause, there is a half-day tour operating out of Banff that handles the transport and timing, leaving you around 80 minutes at each lake without the parking scramble.

Plan Your Visit To Banff For June | July | August | September | October

👉 Follow us on YouTube | Facebook | Instagram for more updates!
👉 Find out what is happening this week and beyond on our Events Page.
👉 Sign Up Here to receive "What's On Banff" five days a week - it's free!

Not sure where to stay? Wondering how many days you need? Trying to fit too much into your itinerary?

Book a 50-minute consultation with Jill for personalised advice on planning your Banff and Canadian Rockies trip. You'll also receive a written summary and follow-up email support.

Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are two of the most popular Banff destinations, but planning a visit can be surprisingly tricky. Moraine Lake has no private vehicle access, and parking at Lake Louise is extremely limited, especially in peak season.

This half-day tour removes those hurdles by including round-trip transport from Banff and handling access for you.

You get to spend around 80 minutes at each lake. This gives you time to walk the shoreline trails, take your photos of the turquoise water, and spend some time taking in the mountain views. With transport and timing taken care of, you can focus on the experience rather than the logistics.

Book now for a relaxed lakes experience

🪨 Grassi Lakes Upper Trails Closed Indefinitely. Heavy rainfall has destabilised rocks above Spray Lakes Road near the Grassi Lakes turnoff, where a significant rockfall already occurred on June 1st. The upper trail, interpretive trail, and Reclaimer Trail are all closed as of June 10th, with no end date confirmed.

🐻 Bear With Cubs Near Nordic Centre Trails. Alberta Parks has an advisory in place after a black bear sow and cubs-of-the-year were spotted on and near the Canmore Nordic Centre trails. Cubs born this January or February mean a mother running on high alert through terrain with plenty of blind corners.

🏔️ Yoho Valley Road Opens for the Season. The road to Takakkaw Falls is now accessible, though Parks Canada flags winter conditions, no cell service, and busy trailhead parking as opening-week realities. Vehicles over 7 m must reverse through the switchbacks. Trailers can't go at all.

📉 Jasper's Visitors Are Back. The Money Isn't. Two years on from the 2024 wildfire, a new economic assessment finds Jasper at 2.1 million visitors in 2025 - 86% of pre-fire levels - but visitor spending remains $161 million below where it was headed.

🏃 Banff Half Marathon Closes Roads Sunday. The 14th annual Banff Half Marathon and 10K runs Sunday, June 14, with full closures on Bow Ave, the Bow Valley Parkway to Johnston Canyon, and Vermilion Lakes Road from 6:00 am to 1:30 pm. If wildlife forces a route change, the Legacy Trail east to the Park Gates closes too.

🌧️ Rain gives way to a sunny stretch - Friday brings periods of rain with a high of 10°C, but the weekend more than makes up for it. Saturday is sunny with a high of 19°C, similar on Sunday, reaching 22°C. Pack a rain jacket for Friday, then get outside and enjoy the mountains. Full Forecast Here

If you need a base in Banff itself, Peaks Hotel and Suites sits less than a minute from Banff Avenue and consistently ranks among the best-reviewed properties in town. Underground parking, contact-free check-in, and pool access at Banff Park Lodge across the street.

🚌 Moraine Lake Big Bus Shuttle - Private vehicles have been banned from Moraine Lake Road since 2023, which means your options are Parks Canada shuttles (book months ahead) or private options, which include this double-decker service. Hop on at Deer Lodge, explore at your own pace, and get the Rockpile view without the scramble. Bring a windproof layer - the upper deck gets cold. Oh, we forgot to say some of the trips are open-top.

🚶 Banff Town Walking Tour - Two hours, 3km, and a deliberate detour away from Banff Avenue. This guided walk takes in the Luxton Museum and enough local lore to make you feel like you actually know the place. Book the tour with a snack included.

🌌 Banff Night Sky Tour - Departing from the Cave and Basin, this three-hour outing heads into the dark-sky preserve with a guide who adjusts the route based on real-time cloud cover. Northern lights aren't guaranteed - nature doesn't do guarantees - but the stargazing on offer is worth it either way.

📅 Can visitors see Boo the grizzly bear? Yes - the refuge is open seasonally from late spring through early autumn, and morning visits give you the best chance of seeing Boo active.

💸 Do you need to pay to hike the trails in Canmore? Canmore's easy trails are free to use - no permits or passes required, which makes them a great option for families looking to explore the Rockies without added costs.

🏔️ Can anyone move to Banff? No - Banff is inside a national park and has strict rules about who is allowed to live there, usually tied to local employment.

Luxury in the Rockies comes with an asterisk - the price tag is real, and so is the resort fee - but the Fairmonts earn their keep in ways that cheaper options simply can't match. Each one puts you closer to the thing you actually came for, which has a way of making the bill feel less painful in hindsight.

🏰 Fairmont Banff Springs - The castle analogy gets used so often it has lost its edge, but standing at the confluence of the Spray and Bow Rivers looking up at this place, it's hard to argue with it. Originally opened in 1888, it now runs to 724 rooms, 12 restaurants and bars, a full spa, and a golf course. It sits about a 20-minute walk from Banff Avenue - the hotel shuttle and ROAM transit sort that out easily enough - and has trails directly from the door, including the Spray River loop. Check It Out

🏔️ Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise - The case for staying here rather than driving up from Banff is simple: the lake is on your doorstep before the day-trippers arrive and still there after they leave. Everyone else is setting an alarm for 5 am and hoping for a parking spot 5 km away. The Chateau is a standalone property with no village to walk to, so factor in the on-site dining options when you budget - but that trade-off buys you the kind of unhurried access to Lake Louise that most visitors never get. Take A Look

🌲 Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge - Jasper operates at a different pace to Banff, and the Lodge leans into that completely. Set across 700 acres around Lac Beauvert, with heritage log cabins and rooms connected by walking trails, it feels less like a hotel and more like a small lakeside village that happens to have room service. Golf carts are on hand for the distances involved. The 2024 wildfires affected the town of Jasper but spared the main lodge; some dining and facilities are still being restored, so it's worth checking current availability before you book. See For Yourself

Yesterday’s Question: Which lake is shown in this photo, taken in late May when ice often still lingers along the shoreline?

✅Answer: 2) Bow Lake - 52% Correct

Bow Lake is often still partially frozen in late May. Find out what to expect in our Bow Lake Guide, or compare it with Peyto Lake and Lake Minnewanka.

If you’re travelling with kids, it’s good to know there’s one place in Banff where they can simply be kids for a while. The waterpark at Douglas Fir Resort has the town’s only waterslides, along with indoor play areas where younger visitors can burn off some energy. Adults can relax in the hot tubs nearby.

Book now and enjoy Banff’s only waterslides

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

FULL EVENT CALENDAR | BANFF & LAKE LOUISE | CANMORE | JASPER NP

All Day | Canmore MTB Classic | Canmore Nordic Centre | Canmore

10:00 | Ribbon Skirt Community Project | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore

18:00 | That Friday Feeling – Rooftop Sessions | Rose & Crown Banff | Banff

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

19:00 | May Contain Alcohol | Mineshaft Tavern | Canmore

19:00 | Summerheat – All Ages Rock Show Feat | Banff Legion | Banff

19:30 | Art of Piano | The Banff Centre | Banff

21:00 | Dr.Z Duo: Live | Tavern 1883 | Canmore

21:00 | Jam Night | The Stand Easy | Jasper

22:00 | Greg Doucette: Live | Rose & Crown Canmore | Canmore

22:00 | JT Band: Live | The Drake | Canmore

22:00 | DJ Wolfie Beatz | The Drake | Canmore

22:00 | The Sessions | Rose & Crown Banff | Banff

📅 👉 Submit Here (3 days before the event date) for a FREE LISTING

✉️ Not on our mailing list? 👉 Sign Up Here to receive “What’s On Banff” IT’S FREE!

💬 Want to get in touch? For feedback, local stories, or questions, reply to this email.

💡 This email contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.