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

Banff's elk have started the rut, and one of them made the point personally. A bull in the hospital parking lot rammed a parked Nissan (video here) with the driver inside. No injuries were reported.

The other story of the week may not have happened at all. Photos of a graffiti-covered boulder near Devil's Thumb prompted a Parks Canada investigation, but Reddit moderators say the images look fabricated, and the same rock was photographed bare two days later. We've set out what is known so far.

Arrivals this week should expect lineups at the park gates and the Visitor Centre. The Canada Strong Pass is over, summer's free entry has ended, and a lot of people are renewing at once. Buying a pass online before you reach the gate avoids most of it.

If Jasper is on the itinerary, the Spirit Island trip through the Maligne Valley is still running, with a shoreline stop at Medicine Lake and a 90-minute cruise across Maligne Lake. Autumn is a good time for wildlife along that road, and you do not have to drive it yourself.

Plan a visit to Moraine Lake | How to get to Moraine Lake | Book the Lake Louise / Moraine Lake shuttle (video)

Plan Your Visit To Banff For October | December

👉 Follow us on YouTube | Facebook for more updates!

Always one of our top Banff recommendations. Mountain-top views for all ages and fitness levels, and open year-round.

Lock in your time slot

🪨 Banff Graffiti May Be Fake. Photos of a boulder near Devil's Thumb covered in names prompted a Parks Canada investigation. Reddit moderators say the images look fabricated, and a photo of the same rock two days later shows it bare.

🦌 Elk Delivers Rut Advisory Personally. A bull elk in the Banff hospital parking lot rammed a parked Nissan with the driver inside; nobody appeared hurt. WildSmart wants 100 metres, and onlookers reportedly parked across the ambulance bay.

🎟️ Park Gate Lineups Are Back. Parks Canada reports longer waits at park gates and the Visitor Centre as visitors line up to buy passes, the end of the Canada Strong Pass having left a backlog of renewals. Passes are also sold online, and free entry ended with the summer.

🔭 Jasper Dark Sky Festival Returns. It runs 16 to 25 October, with a free Bahamas concert and drone show on the 24th and a lakeshore symphony on the 17th. A four-hour drive north of Banff, and one jacket colder.

🎬 Kananaskis Stands In for Montana. USA Network's ranger drama Anna Pigeon is set in Montana but was mostly filmed in Kananaskis, at Elbow Falls, Barrier Lake and near Bragg Creek. Calgary plays New York, which is the bigger stretch.

🌉 Brazeau River Bridge Is Back. Parks Canada has finished the new backcountry bridge on Jasper's Brazeau Loop, a 27-metre timber span made from 70 nearby trees, prepared by hand and flown in by helicopter. A six-person crew took 23 days.

🚁 Climbers Rescued From Mount Robson. Jasper's Parks Canada visitor safety team helped rescue two climbers from Mount Robson's Emperor Face, one of North America's hardest routes. Complexity and darkness meant eight agencies were involved, including the Canadian Armed Forces.

🌤️ Sunshine kicks things off - just keep a rain jacket within reach for Tuesday. Sunday is sunny with a high of 13°C, perfect for a lakeside stroll or a gondola ride. Monday brings a mix of sun and cloud at 13°C, before showers roll in on Tuesday with a high of 11°C. Full Forecast Here.

🍽️ Ex-Chef Goes Off Menu. Former Canmore chef Tracy Little has launched a Substack on Bow Valley openings, closings, ownership and gossip.

🐻 Grizzly Shuts Three Larch Hikes. Tryst Lake, Commonwealth Valley and Smutwood Peak in Spray Valley have been closed after a grizzly bluff charge.

🚲 E-Bike the Bow Valley Parkway While It's Car-Free. Ride the closed eastern section, walk to Johnston Canyon's Lower Falls, then shuttle back to town. Book the tour.

📸 Golden Hour in the Rockies - Wander to three handpicked spots with a licensed local photographer, dodging elk near the townsite and bighorn sheep on Norquay's slopes along the way. Book your private photoshoot and take home a full, professionally edited gallery.

🚡 The View Without the Climb - Eight minutes in a four-person cabin gets you to 2,281 metres, where Norman Sanson once hiked a thousand times just to check the weather. Wander the boardwalk to his old observatory, then book ahead if the Sky Bistro's on your list.

🐻 Jasper's Wildest Day Out - Medicine Lake drains through an underground karst system so vast it empties completely by autumn - and that's just the warm-up. Next comes a 90-minute cruise across Maligne Lake to Spirit Island, keeping an eye out for elk, moose and grizzlies.

🚧 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.

📅 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.

🥾 How hard is the Tunnel Mountain hike? It is an easy to moderate trail suitable for most fitness levels, making it one of the most accessible hikes in Banff for first-timers and families.

The Maligne Valley route is known for frequent wildlife sightings, with a shoreline stop at Medicine Lake before a 90-minute cruise to Spirit Island. Transport and timing are handled for you all day.

Lock in your time slot

From our last issue: Which boardwalk is shown in this photo, a scenic wetland walk in Canmore?

✅Answer: 1) Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk - 65% Correct

Take a closer look at this peaceful wetland walk in Canmore in our guide to the Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk trail.

Featured events are listed below. View the FULL EVENT CALENDAR for a complete list.

10:00 | Canadian Rockies Quilt Show | Canmore Rec Centre | Canmore
11:00 | Red Zone Sundays | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
11:00 | Local Art Show and Sale | Elevation Place | Canmore
13:00 | Stoney Drum Making Workshop | Listen Studios | Canmore
13:30 | Park Distillery Tour | Park Distillery | Banff
15:00 | Ain’t We Got Fun (Matinee) | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
15:00 | Live Music Afternoon | Three Bears | Banff
16:30 | Oktoberfest Band | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
17:00 | The Ducks | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
18:00 | CONTRA | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
18:30 | The Big Gay Burlesque Show | Canmore Brewing Co | Canmore
19:30 | Virginia MacDonald | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | Balkan Greek Dinner Show | Balkan Restaurant | Banff
20:00 | Drag Bingo! | Tavern 1883 | Canmore
20:30 | Line Dancing | The Dusty Boot | Banff
21:00 | Sunday Funday: Party | High Rollers | Banff
21:00 | Karaoke Night | Beaver Bar | Banff
21:30 | Locals Night with DJ Set | Melissa’s Missteak | Banff
22:00 | Brent Lee | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
22:00 | DJ Tenax | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
22:00 | Sunday Night Karaoke | Banff Sizzlers | Banff

11:00 | Local Art Show and Sale | Elevation Place | Canmore
13:00 | New Parents Cafe | Family Connection Centre | Canmore
13:30 | Park Distillery Tour | Park Distillery | Banff
19:00 | All Ages Queer Open Mic Night | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
20:00 | Live Music Night | Three Bears | Banff
20:00 | Monday Trivia | High Rollers | Banff
21:00 | Open Mic Night | Beaver Bar | Banff
22:00 | Brent Lee | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
22:00 | Karaoke Night | The Drake | Canmore

13:30 | Park Distillery Tour | Park Distillery | Banff
19:00 | Paddling Film Festival | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
19:00 | Trivia Tuesday | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | Ain’t We Got Fun | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
20:30 | Line Dancing | The Dusty Boot | Banff
21:00 | DJ Styler Nazo | High Rollers | Banff
22:00 | Jesse Peters | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff

All day | Being Human by Nishma Gopaul | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
10:00 | Banff Farmers Market | Central Park | Banff
12:00 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
13:30 | Park Distillery Tour | Park Distillery | Banff
15:00 | Îyethka (Stoney Nakoda) Language Discussion | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
15:00 | Live Music Afternoon | Three Bears | Banff
15:30 | Beaded Dreamcatcher Tipi Workshop | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
19:00 | Trivia Night | The Stand Easy | Jasper
19:00 | WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) Film Screening | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
19:00 | Open Mic Night | The Local | Canmore
19:00 | Open Mic/Jam Night | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | Ain’t We Got Fun | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
20:00 | Trivia Night | Beaver Bar | Banff
20:30 | Line Dancing | The Dusty Boot | Banff
22:00 | Arbutus Holiday | The Drake | Canmore
22:00 | DJ Pf3d | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
22:00 | DJ Bunny Hops | High Rollers | Banff

✉️ 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.

👉 Follow us on YouTube | Facebook for more updates!

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

➡️ As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.