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

Parks Canada is waiving entry fees across Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay from June 19 to September 7 under the Canada Strong Pass promotion, with camping discounted 25% over the same period. Discovery Pass holders get an automatic extension. It is a generous offer, and a fairly reliable indicator that the park will be at capacity for most of July and August - worth keeping in mind when you are making plans.

The Highway 40 corridor between Kananaskis Lakes Trail and Highwood Pass is currently closed to foot and bike traffic. Bears - including breeding pairs - have settled in the valley bottom, and a grizzly bluff charge has been recorded nearby. Worth checking Alberta Parks advisories before any plans head that direction.

For a guided half-day that takes the logistics off your hands, the Johnston Canyon E-Bike and Hike tour runs from Banff through Vermilion Lakes and along the Bow Valley Parkway, before swapping the bikes for boots at the canyon. The Lower Falls are the turnaround point, with a shuttle back to town.

Be a Pro Hockey Training is filling U13 and U15 summer skate groups in Canmore - eight sessions running June 30 to August 21, at $450 per player. The deadline to hit the minimum of 12 skaters per group is May 31. Details here. Don’t leave it too late.

All of that and more is below.

Plan a visit to Moraine Lake | How to get to Moraine Lake | Moraine Lake in August | Moraine Lake Rockpile Trail

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This tour brings together a bike ride, a canyon walk, and a scenic drive into one easy half-day. The e-bikes make it possible to enjoy the views without it feeling like a workout. You’ll ride at a relaxed pace through places such as Vermilion Lakes and along the Bow Valley Parkway.

At Johnston Canyon, the focus shifts from riding to walking. The bikes are left behind, and you follow the trail on foot to the Lower Falls with time to enjoy the canyon scenery. You then return to Banff via shuttle.

Book now to explore the Banff National Park with ease.

🏔️ Free National Park Entry This Summer. Parks Canada is waiving admission fees from June 19 to September 7 across Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay as part of the Canada Strong Pass promotion. Camping and overnight stays are discounted 25% over the same period. Existing Discovery Pass holders will have their passes automatically extended.

🍺 Canmore's First Craft Brewery Turns 30. The Grizzly Paw opened on Main Street on April 29, 1996, with three beers and a non-smoking section upstairs, back when Canmore was still a pitstop for people heading to Banff. Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat, the beer from opening night, is still the most popular pour.

🏒 Ten Days to Fill Canmore's Ice. Canmore’s Be a Pro Hockey Training is launching U13 and U15 summer development skates in Canmore - 8 weekly sessions from June 30 to August 21 at $450 per player. Each group needs 12 skaters by May 31, or it doesn't run.

🐻 Bears Close Highway 40 Corridor. Foot and bike traffic is prohibited on Highway 40 between Kananaskis Lakes Trail and Highwood Pass after multiple bears - including breeding pairs - moved to the valley bottom. A grizzly bluff charge was also recorded in the area.

🎸 Alberta's Oldest Folk Festival Returns. The Canmore Folk Music Festival runs August 1-3 at Centennial Park over the Heritage Day long weekend, its 49th year. Sarah Harmer, William Prince, and The Felice Brothers headline a confirmed lineup across the Stan Rogers Stage. Over 550 volunteers put in 7,500 hours to make the weekend happen.

☀️ A sunny hat-trick is heading your way this weekend. Friday brings mainly sunny skies with a high of 17°C. Saturday turns up the warmth with full sun and 19°C. Sunday stays sunny at 17°C before clouds and showers move in overnight. Full Forecast Here

🐻 Bear 142 Loses a Cub to the Tracks. A yearling cub was struck and killed near Eldon siding on Sunday, the 19th grizzly to die on the railway in Banff since 2005. Each year, spilt grain along that corridor is enough to feed 50 bears for twelve months.

🐴 Banff Horseback Ride - An hour along the Bow River on horseback, past the Cave and Basin - where Canada's national parks system began in 1883. Book the Bow River horse ride here - beginner-friendly, but leave the backpack in the car.

🦌 Banff Wildlife Tour - A three-hour evening tour timed for dusk when the animals are most active. Elk, bighorn sheep, bears, if you're lucky - plus Bow Falls and the best elevated view of the Banff Springs Hotel. Grab a spot on the Banff wildlife tour before it fills up.

⛵ Lake Minnewanka Cruise - The lake looks peaceful enough, but there's a flooded resort village 30 metres below the surface. The one-hour Lake Minnewanka boat cruise heads out towards Devil's Gap with good commentary on the geology and Stoney Nakoda history. Bring a windproof layer.

🅿️ Is parking free in Banff? Free parking exists but fills fast - the Train Station lot has 500 free stalls and is just an 8-minute walk to downtown.

🚧 What happened to Nakoda, the white grizzly bear? Nakoda died in 2024 after a collision with a vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway - her story highlights the serious dangers roads pose to wildlife in the Rockies.

🚗 How far is Johnston Canyon from Banff town? It is just 30 minutes west along the Bow Valley Parkway, making it an easy half-day or full-day trip from Banff or Canmore.

Finding a bed in the Rockies is easy enough - finding one that gives you a story to tell is considerably harder. These three manage it.

🦌 Skoki Lodge - A National Historic Site 11km into the Banff backcountry by foot or ski, with no electricity, no flush toilets, and no Wi-Fi - yet it books out months in advance. Three meals a day, a wood-burning stove, and genuine remoteness turn out to be exactly what people are quietly desperate for. Read The Reviews And Book

⛈️ Storm Mountain Lodge - Built by Canadian Pacific Railway in 1922 at Castle Junction, between Banff and Lake Louise. These restored log cabins come with wood-burning fireplaces, antique soaker tubs, and a restaurant good enough that guests regularly go back two nights running - all without the crowds of either townsite. Read The Reviews And Book

🧊 Glacier View Lodge - The only glacier-view resort in Canada, sitting alongside the Athabasca Glacier on the Icefields Parkway at the Banff-Jasper border - floor-to-ceiling lounge windows and optional guided glacier tours at dusk. Read The Reviews And Book

Yesterday’s Question: Which lake is shown in this photo, known for its striking turquoise colour and dramatic mountain backdrop?

✅Answer: 4) Moraine Lake - 61% Correct

Moraine Lake is famous for its vivid turquoise colour and dramatic mountain setting. Find out how to get to Moraine Lake and what to expect in our Moraine Lake Guide.

Lake Louise is one of the must-see destinations in Banff National Park, but access isn’t easy. Staying at the Chateau Lake Louise is one of the most straightforward ways to experience Lake Louise without the usual challenges. The hotel is also the starting point for many of the area’s best-known hikes, and a practical base for visiting Moraine Lake.

Find out more about this iconic hotel

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

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

3:00 | Live Music Afternoon | Three Bears | Banff

3:00 | Yoga and Wellness Festival | Mount Norquay Resort | Banff

5:00 | Poetry & Pints | Banff Legion | Banff

5:00 | Rooftop Sessions | Rose & Crown Banff | Banff

6:00 | Climbing & Consent with CYAN | Elevation Place | Canmore

6:05 | RM Soap Women's 5km Run/Walk | Canmore Nordic Centre | Canmore

6:30 | Live Musician Baiden | The Dusty Boot | Banff

7:00 | Live Music Fridays | Moxy Banff | Banff

7:00 | Bingo Night | Canmore Legion | Canmore

7:30 | Comedy: Mike Dambra & Ben Bauce | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore

7:30 | Here Comes the Sun: The Beatles | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore

9:00 | Andy Curtis: Live | Tavern 1883 | Canmore

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