Banff National Park

Alberta, Canada

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Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, is the country's first national park, established in 1885 and spanning 6,641 square kilometers of the Rocky Mountains' eastern slopes, featuring jagged peaks over 3,000 meters, glaciers like those in the Columbia Icefield, and turquoise glacial lakes such as Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.

Shaped by ancient sedimentary rocks thrust eastward 80 million years ago and sculpted by glaciers, it hosts diverse ecosystems from dense coniferous forests of lodgepole pine and spruce to alpine meadows, supporting grizzly bears, elk, bighorn sheep, wolves, and over 260 bird species amid subarctic climates with heavy snowfall. 

A UNESCO World Heritage site drawing millions for hiking over 1,600 km of trails, skiing at three resorts, wildlife viewing, and the historic Banff townsite near hot springs, it balances conservation with tourism rooted in Indigenous Stoney Nakoda heritage.