Visiting Banff In February or March

[nvw]

Hello,

I am planning a 4-6 day trip to Banff in either early February or the end of March. I am traveling some distance to get there so I am concerned about the weather and road conditions during these times. Can someone let me know I should be concerned about road closures, specifically Trans-Canada, 1A and 93?

I'm open to any advice and suggestions about visiting Banff during either of these times.

Thanks.

[kbolin]

Hi NVW,

I'm originally from Alberta and now live in British Columbia.  I travel through Banff National Park pretty much on a monthly basis  There is no guarantee at all of avoiding bad weather conditions but as long as you hit during normal average conditions you'll have no problems at all getting around.  TransCanada is almost always open as it's a major highway for commerce and road crews keep it open.  I just drove through the area a couple of days ago and it was typical winter driving conditions (clear pavement with snow/ice on the shoulders).

Highway 1A is definitely one road you'll want to drive.  Stop at Johnston Canyon and head up to the waterfalls.  You'll often find ice climbers up there.  Continue up to the Ink Pots (about 1+ hour hike in) and you'll find Banff's mini-version of pots similar to Yellowstone.

If you head down the Vermillion Lakes road (right near the Mt. Norquay overpass) you'll get a great view of Mt Rundle with a lake in the foreground (although frozen).

When there you must check out the Grizzly House restaurant, one of our favourites.

Kelly

PS. I'm heading out for the next 12 days.  I may or may not have internet to check on messages but feel free to PM me.

[sdwilsonsct]

Good tips from Kelly.

In addition, I like Grassi Lakes, a few km S of Canmore. Lake Louise is quiet very early in the morning. Johnson Lake has elk and views of surrounding mountains. There are some pics linked in my sig line.

Johnston Canyon is very worthwhile but the path is not maintained in winter and is sometimes slippery. Yaktrax, ski poles or snowshoes with built-in crampons help.

Have fun!

[nvw]

Thanks to both of you. I'm really looking forward to this trip, looks like 2nd week in February.

[chez]

Thanks to both of you. I'm really looking forward to this trip, looks like 2nd week in February.

How active are you? If you can X-country ski, two great places to ski into on roads are Moraine Lake and Lake Ohara. Both have beautiful mountain peaks which will provide a very unique view in the middle of winter.

If you are looking for a quaint place to stay, Field BC which is about 15 minutes out of Lake Louise, has a bunch of guest houses for rent.

[nvw]

Thanks Chez. I've got to keep in mind that I am not familiar with the area and will be traveling alone. I'm hoping to not wind up on the Mountie's list of fools.

My plan is to do some hiking but probably not more than a more than a mile or two the roads/parking areas. Would you recommend staying at Banff, Field or Lake Louise?

Michael

[wolfnowl]

As Kelly mentioned, the main roads are kept mostly clear - although some routes do require you to have chains with you. Weather can also change quickly and unpredictably in the mountains.

These might be of use to you, depending on your route:

Alberta Road Conditions
BC Highway Cameras

Mike.

P.S. I did a lot of work in northern Ontario and was also a field supervisor for a project covering ~40,000 sq km of eastern Ontario. Every one of our trucks carried spare gas, tow chain, jackall (come-along), water, blankets, shovels and more. The bottom line is, if you go off the road, how long will it take someone to find you (in the snowstorm that precipitated your leaving the roadway) - especially in an area without cellular coverage - and what will you do in the meantime?

[nvw]

Thanks for the links Mike.

[chez]

Thanks Chez. I've got to keep in mind that I am not familiar with the area and will be traveling alone. I'm hoping to not wind up on the Mountie's list of fools.

My plan is to do some hiking but probably not more than a more than a mile or two the roads/parking areas. Would you recommend staying at Banff, Field or Lake Louise?

Michael

You would not be alone skiing into the 2 places I mentioned...they are quite popular.

Hiking will be tough this time of year with snow, ice and possibly cold being yoyrbreur enemies. The Johnstone Canyon hike mentioned is very nice and very photogenic but you need to take some ice grips for your shoes as much of the route is iced over by the over spray from the river in the canyon. Again, you will not be alone during this walk.