|
|
back to all reviews...
|
|
more reviews of outdoor things...
|
|
check out more places in canada...
|
|
|
Name: Banff National Park
Location: Banff, Alberta Canada
What's it like?
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national
park, established in 1885, in the Canadian Rockies. The park,
located 120 kilometres (80 mi) west of Calgary in the province
of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi)
of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields,
dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields
Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National
Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are
neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located
to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main
commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow
River valley.
The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early
years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise,
and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. In the
early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by war
internees, and through Great Depression-era public works projects.
Since the 1960s, park accommodations have been open all year,
with annual tourism visits to Banff increasing to over 5 million
in the 1990s. Millions more pass through the park on the Trans-Canada
Highway. As Banff is one of the world's most visited national
parks, the health of its ecosystem has been threatened. In the
mid-1990s, Parks Canada responded by initiating a two-year study,
which resulted in management recommendations, and new policies
that aim to preserve ecological integrity.
Information here (unless otherwise specified) are licenced
under a Creative
Commons Licence.
|
|
|
|
|
