Banff National Park Travel Forum

We wanted to travel to Banff beg.August, but were told that there are hords of tourists and traffic jams. Is it really that bad?

We have been there 2 years ago in August and it was not that bad.
Just in a couple of places it was rather overcrowded, most of all at Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefield.
But there are also a lot of 'off the beaten path' sights.

I still think you will love your visit.

Jaap

Summer can be crowded, but here's a couple of tips. Get to major sites early in the morning or around supper time, then the crowds magically disappear. Lake Louise is quiet until about 10:00 or 11:00 am in the morning. Also visit during the week, which makes it a little less crowded.

Hello,

It will crowded at certain places, especially at Lake Louise as it's the most popular place in the Canadian Rockies. I would suggest to you that if you visit these most popular sights that you go earlier in the morning (before 11.00am) or in the late afternoon (after 3.00pm). It won't be as busy at those times of the day. In the summer the days are long and it'll be light until about 10.00pm.

Yoho National Park and Jasper National Park are not as busy as Banff National Park and definitely worth a visit as well!

There might be a traffic jam if there are some bighorn sheep on the roads or other wildlife because everybody stops to have a look. Otherwise the traffic is usually fine and no traffic jams.

For some tips you can visit my travel pages on Banff, Jasper, Yoho National Park.

Greetings,
Ann

On summer weekends, especially sunny weekends, Banff (the town) tends to be really crowded and parking can be difficult to find. Same for Lake Louise. But outside of those two spots there is a lot of wilderness, and many quiet serene spots. Banff National Park is a huge place (6641 square kilometers or 2564 square miles in size).

I went there last summer, early August, and I was told to book in advance the accommodation; I think it awas a good idea to do it. It wasn't overcrowded, but there many people.

Redang