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

Four feet between a Kananaskis hiker and a charging grizzly on May 4. The bear stopped there. Seven trails in the area are now under warning - the same valley bottoms hikers head for first after a long winter are where bears head first when the snow goes.

Sunshine Village will open for Canada Day. Nearly 1,000cm of snow this season has made the arithmetic work. Skis and hiking boots will share early summer, which doesn't normally happen here.

The Town of Banff continues to ask Parks Canada for a transportation framework that was due in 2024. Last year, 6.9 million vehicles entered the townsite. The asking continues.

If you're heading up to Moraine Lake or Lake Louise this season, the open-top Big Bus runs hourly departures, removing the parking situation as a planning question.

There is plenty happening this week. Dive into the event listings below, or check out the detailed events page on our website.

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If you like the idea of being surrounded by mountain scenery but don’t want the effort that comes with camping, Skyridge Glamping sits nicely in between. The private cabins are set in a quiet natural setting, giving you a real sense of being away from it all.

At the same time, they offer the comforts that make a stay easy, like a comfortable bed, a warm bathroom, and space to relax indoors. This works well if you want evenings spent looking out at the landscape, mornings that feel unhurried, and a stay that’s about slowing down rather than filling every hour with activities.

Book now to enjoy a peaceful mountain escape

☀️ Three sunny days are lining up for Banff - then the mountains remember it's still spring. Thursday and Friday both hit 18°C with sunshine giving way to a mix of sun and cloud, before Saturday cools to 15°C with a 60% chance of showers moving in. Full Forecast Here.

🐻 Arm's Length, Give or Take. A grizzly bluff-charged a Kananaskis hiker on May 4 and stopped at four feet. Seven trails are now under warning. The same valley bottoms drawing hikers out after a long winter are where bears go first for spring growth.

🚌 The 2024 Deadline Came and Went. The Town of Banff is pressing Parks Canada for a transportation framework that was due in 2024 - 6.9 million vehicles entered the townsite last year. The summer of 2026 will be a useful data point.

🏨 Banff Hotels Don't Come Cheap. Nightly rates in town regularly push well past $500 - but Agoda's Mega Sale launches today and runs to May 21, with hotel discounts across global destinations including the Rockies.

⛷️ Sunshine Opens for Summer Skiing. Nearly 1,000cm of snowfall this season has given Sunshine Village enough base to keep the Strawberry chairlift running from June 20 to July 5 - the resort's earliest-ever opening day, and a second lift may follow depending on conditions.

🚧 Bow River Trail Closes Friday. Sections between the Bow River Bridge and the Banff Canoe Docks will close on May 8 for repairs. Detour signs will be in place for anyone on foot or cycling.

For a view of the Rockies that no trail delivers, a 30-minute helicopter flight over Lake Minnewanka puts the whole landscape into perspective in a way that's hard to replicate from the ground.

⛵ Lake Minnewanka Cruise - An hour on the largest lake in Banff National Park, heading toward Devil's Gap with commentary on the submerged resort village beneath Lake Minnewanka. Bring a windproof layer - it's consistently colder on the water than in town.

🚁 Kananaskis Helicopter Tour - Lake Minnewanka & Banff - A 30-minute flight from the Alpine Helicopters base near Morley, tracking north over the Ghost River before banking into the Lake Minnewanka valley from the air. One of the few ways to properly grasp the scale of this part of the Rockies.

🤠 Cowboy Cookout & Wagon Ride - A wagon ride along the Bow River to 3 Mile Cabin, where a cook grills steak to order on an open fire. The horseback cookout experience from Warner Stables includes lassoing lessons, horseshoe tossing, and a return leg with elevated valley views.

Eating out three times a day in Banff will set you back more than you'd like to admit - these three hotels give you a kitchen or kitchenette so you can at least handle breakfast and the odd packed lunch on your own terms.

🏕️ Baker Creek by Basecamp - Tucked off the quiet Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and Lake Louise, Baker Creek's cabins come with full kitchens - proper ones, with a wood-burning fireplace to eat next to afterwards. It's remote enough that you'll want to stock up before you arrive, but that's part of the deal: no restaurant queues, no noise, just a creek outside and a reasonable grocery run to Lake Louise Village. Read The Reviews And Book

🏔️ Tunnel Mountain Resort - Situated on Tunnel Mountain above town, the condos here have full kitchens with fridges, ovens, and enough kit to cook a proper meal - a rarity at this price point. There's no on-site dining, which sounds like a drawback until you realise the savings stack up quickly over a multi-night stay. Downtown Banff is a short drive, and free parking means you're not penalised for having a car. Read The Reviews And Book

🦌 Moose Hotel & Suites - The Moose sits a one-minute walk from Banff Avenue. It’s the most convenient of the three if you're planning to eat out most nights, but want the option to make a quick breakfast without paying restaurant prices for it. Suites come with a kitchenette (microwave, mini-fridge, toaster), a gas fireplace, and free underground parking - plus complimentary ROAM bus passes that take the sting out of getting around. Read The Reviews And Book

🎟️ Do I need to pay to park even if I have a national park pass? Yes - your park pass covers park entry, but parking in Banff town centre is charged separately, year-round.

📅 What is the best time of year to visit Bow Falls? The trail is open year-round and rewards a visit in every season - spring brings powerful flows, autumn colour, and winter transforms it into a quiet, icy scene.

👀 How rare is it to spot a lynx in the Rockies? Very rare - lynx are built to go unnoticed, moving mainly at dawn, dusk, or overnight, even in areas with heavy visitor footfall.

Yesterday’s Question: If a black bear attacks and makes contact, what should you do?

✅Answer: 3) Fight back and try to scare it away - Correct 41%

Bear safety advice isn’t one-size-fits-all - the response to a black bear is very different from a grizzly. Learn more in our Bear Safety Guide.

Reaching Moraine Lake and Lake Louise in summer often means navigating parking restrictions and fitting your plans around fixed tour schedules. This open-top bus tour takes a more flexible approach, with hourly departures that let you manage your time.

Book here and explore on your own schedule

📅 Today’s Events are listed below. To view future events, visit our website.

BANFF EVENTS | CANMORE EVENTS | JASPER EVENTS | BANFF HAPPY HOURS | CANMORE HAPPY HOURS |

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