Banff National Park (redirected from Improvement District No. 9, Alberta)

Banff National Park, 2,564 sq mi (6,641 sq km), W Alta., Canada, in the Rocky Mts.; est. 1885. Noted for its mountain scenery and mineral springs, Canada's oldest national park is a year-round resort area. Banff and Lake Louise are the chief centers.

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Banff National Park

Park, southwestern Alberta, Canada. Established as a natural reserve in 1885 and as Canada's first national park in 1887, it lies on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and includes mineral springs, ice fields, and glacial lakes, including Lake Louise. It has been greatly expanded to its present area of 2,564 sq mi (6,641 sq km). Banff is famed for its spectacular beauty, and visitors are so numerous that it is now more a recreation than a conservation area. In 1984 it was designated part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Banff National Park

Parks Directory of the United States / Canadian National Parks

Address: Box 900
Banff, AB T1L1K2
Phone: 403-762-1550;
Fax: 403-762-3380;
Phone: 877-737-3783;
Web: www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff
Size: 6,641 sq. km.
Established: 1885.
Location: In the Canadian Rocky Mountains on the Alberta side of the Continental Divide, 128 km west of Calgary and 401 km southwest of Edmonton. The Trans-Canada Highway runs west from Calgary into the park and through Banff and Lake Louise, then continues west towards Vancouver. Buses to Banff and Lake Louise run year round. The 230-km Icefields Parkway connects Lake Louise with Jasper National Park (see separate entry for description).
Facilities: Visitor centers, Banff Springs Hotel, park museum (established in 1895), 13 campgrounds, hot springs, rustic shelters, commercial backcountry lodges, Alpine Club of Canada huts, trails (1600+ km), commercial horse outfitters, and numerous guide services. The resort towns of Banff and Lake Louise are located in the park and each offers visitors a full range of services and facilities, including information centers. The Cave and Basin National Historic Site in Banff commemorates the establishment, growth, and development of Canada's national parks through interactive displays and exhibits.
Activities: Camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing (permit required), canoeing, kayaking, rafting, wildlife viewing, scenic touring, mountaineering, rock climbing, interpretive programs, guided tours, cross-country skiing, skating, snowshoeing.
Special Features: Founded in 1885 following the discovery of the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, Banff is Canada's oldest and most famous national park, and is part of the UNESCO Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. It includes a variety of outstanding geological and ecological features, including rugged mountains, glaciers, icefields, alpine meadows, lakes, mineral hot springs, deep canyons and hoodoos. Its diverse wildlife features 53 species of mammals, including elk, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bear, wolf, coyote, caribou, and mountain lion. The Castleguard Caves in the remote northwest corner of the park form Canada's longest cave system.

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See other parks in Alberta.