Life on Pine

BANFF & YOHO NATIONAL PARK, Canada | TRAVEL GUIDE

The guide below features spots in Canmore, Banff and Yoho – these are all within about a 60 mile radius of each other, and you will likely find yourself driving through all of it. 
 

things to know

• We flew direct from SFO  >>  Calgary on United.
• This area is huge, and you will cover a lot of ground – a rental car is pretty much crucial.
• The weather here is random – we went from being very cold to very hot multiple times. I would suggest packing layers and a rain jacket. 

TO SLEEP

Emerald Lake Lodge You can see photos from our stay, here and a video here – we absolutely loved it and would recommend it x 100.

Post Hotel (Banff) If you don’t stay here, it's at least a cool hotel to grab a drink at || apres hike or ski.

Storm Mountain Lodge Historic log cabins that are also pet friendly!

Airbnb/Homeaway/VRBO Great house rentals options for big groups or families.

TO EAT

BREAKFAST

Emerald Lake Lodge offers all meals and has a great restaurant, so if your'e staying there you will likely have a few meals .

Summit Cafe Great cafe for breakfast with a nice patio looking over the Rockies. (Canmore)

LUNCH

Cilantro on the Lake @ ELL, really delicious food and wine menu for lunch and the views are unbeatable. Only open during the ‘summer’ season.

The Range Amazing sandwiches. (Canmore)

The Station Restaurant Family owned place serving up good food in an old railway station. Also has great views and a big stone fireplace (Canmore)

DINNER

Truffle Pigs Bistro Farm/garden to table style, everything is locally sourced. Really top notch local beer and wine list. Great after a long day of hiking & exploring. 10 minutes from ELL and a great spot for lunch too. (Yoho)

Crazyweed Really great food here for lunch or dinner, slightly upscale. (Canmore)

The Trough Cozy upscale spot with good food and drinks plus an awesome fireplace.

TO DRINK

Whitebark Cafe Great new coffee shop in town. (Banff)

Grizzly Paw Local brewery for beers. (Canmore)

Elk and Oarsman Fun/young vibe rooftop patio for beers/cocktails when it’s nice out. (Banff)

Banff Ave Brewing Co An offshoot of the excellent Jasper Brewing Co, beer is brewed on site and infused with local Saskatoon berries. (Banff)

TO EXPLORE

Canoeing @ Emerald Lake (must do!) Can rent by the hour. 

Bow Lake Beautiful and worth checking out in your car. There’s a really cool rustic lodge called Num-Ti-Lodge.

Fly fishing @ Kicking Horse River $10 for daily fishing permit, loads of fish and a beautiful place to spend the day. Brook Char and Rainbow Trout are a frequent catch. (Yoho)

Drive the Icefields Parkway which in a couple of hours will get you to Jasper, but is one of the most scenic drives in the world.

THE OUTDOORS

Lake Agnes Tea Hut Hike Highly recommend doing the full hike to the Big Beehive past the Tea Hut. You leave most tourists behind and the views over Lake Louise are out of this world. All in with a stop for lunch (yummy sandwiches, soup, banana bread & of course tea!) it probably takes 5–6 hours  and is a 10 miles round trip hike. (Banff) 

Emerald Lake Circuit loop 4 miles and you can leave right from the lodge. More of a walk with offshoots for intense hikes up the face of mountains, see more Yoho park hikes here (Yoho)

Peyto Lake Short hike with a lot of tourists, but worth it for the views and photos. Bluest lake I’ve ever seen. (Banff)

Hamilton Falls 7.6 mile loop with strong elevation gain, trailhead leaves by foot from ELL. (Yoho)

Moraine Lake Beautiful and famous lake with a bunch of good nearby trails.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out hola@lifeonpine.com.

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