5 Canadian mountain towns with distinct personalities

Olly Beckett

Alberta and British Columbia's mountain ranges contain thousands of miles of pure wilderness. Yet, dotted among the steep slopes and deep forests lie five towns with their own distinct identities that are not only accessible but also memorably scenic.

Driving through the Rocky Mountains in Alberta © Thomas Roell - Shutterstock.com

Whistler

Let's start with the one town that isn't in the Canadian Rockies. The Pacific Northwest's Coast Mountains are equally dramatic, and, around Whistler, they rise to 2,625 metres.

As these mountains attract lots of reliable snow, Whistler has been chosen as a Winter Olympics venue three times, most recently in 2010. But there's much more to this pretty and pristine town than snowsports.

The PEAK 2 PEAK gondola is open most of the year and, together with the summer-only Peak Chair, provides easy access to the Cloudraker Skybridge, which, although being made of metal, wobbles a little when you walk over it.

Despite not being great with heights, I stand happily on that bridge and gaze at the incredible mountain views for many minutes. Just beyond the bridge is Raven's Eye, a far more stable walkway that juts over a cliff and has yet more of those far-reaching vistas.

The Cloudraker Skybridge on the summit of Whistler Mountain © Hide Matsui - Shutterstock.com

Back in town, my favourite place to visit is Lost Lake, a short walk away through a peaceful forest. The lake boasts beaches and pontoons, all accessed via a wide encircling track that becomes a cross-country ski destination in winter. Thanks to the size of the lake, it's easy to find a place all to yourself, even on a warm sunny day.

Climate in Whistler

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	-2	-0	1	5	9	13	17	17	13	8	1	-2
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	7	7	8	7	6	4	2	2
Days with some rainfall	16	15	15	12	13	13	10	9	11	14	18	17

Lake Louise

This village is tucked in among some very big mountains. It's also close to the junction of two of Canada's most scenic roads: Highway 1 (which gets particularly picturesque between Canmore and Vancouver) and the Icefields Parkway.

The walk from the tourist information centre to the lake is just over two miles; bus 8X will also take you to the lakeshore.

It's impossible to miss the grand hotel that stands on Lake Louise's shore, a useful signpost for finding the trail that rings the lake.

But why is Lake Louise's water so strikingly turquoise? Well, it's down to the "rock flour" (or, very fine material created by grinding glaciers) that reflects the light from this glacial lake in a certain way.

Go for a paddle on Lake Louise © Leonard Zhukovsky - Shutterstock.com

The lake trail leads to many more routes that thread through the mountains, and I follow a relatively easy one rising 286 metres to Mirror Lake, where I revel in bird's-eye views of Lake Louise.

Climate in Lake Louise

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	-8	-5	-1	4	9	14	17	16	11	5	-4	-8
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	4	5	6	7	7	7	5	4	2	1
Days with some rainfall	14	13	13	10	13	16	15	15	13	11	14	14

Banff

In the town of Banff, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation and dining, while outside of town, it's all about the hiking, biking and skiing opportunities.

If you're walking or cycling, you'll find trails heading off straight from town. If you're looking for the slopes, take free shuttle buses to Sunshine Village, where 130 runs await.

Banff is located on the continental divide, where rivers drain into either the Pacific or Hudson Bay, and those rivers are immense fun to paddle down in a raft or kayak.

White water rafting is one of my favourite hobbies, and there are a few rivers here to choose from. I opt for Bow River and bounce and splash happily down grade three and four rapids for a few hours.

The town of Banff in Alberta © Colin Way - courtesy of Travel Alberta

If that all sounds too active, then there's a rich choice of indigenous cultural experiences to be found here, too. This is the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations and Métis homeland, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity often has exhibitions showcasing arts and crafts from these First Nation cultures.

One of my most enriching experiences here is a visit to the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum, which contains many First Nations' stories and artefacts.

Climate in Banff

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	-7	-2	1	5	11	15	19	18	13	8	-2	-7
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	5	6	6	7	8	7	5	4	2	2
Days with some rainfall	10	8	9	9	11	13	12	12	10	8	8	9

Jasper

In 2024, wildfires devastated large swathes of forest in Jasper National Park along with some buildings in the town itself, but today the land is already showing strong signs of healing, and downtown is as buzzing as ever.

Named for its bowl shape, nearby Marmot Basin is an award-winning ski resort that has 91 runs, with slopes for all levels of snowsport enthusiasts.

Spirit Island on Maligne Lake, Alberta © Krystalp20 - Shutterstock.com

Whereas the Rocky Mountaineer train visits Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, only Jasper can be reached by Via Rail, Canada's public rail service, too.

This town is at the end of the Icefields Parkway, an enormously scenic three-hour drive from Lake Louise, and there's a variety of things to do.

An indigenous art walking tour led by Matricia Brown from collective Warrior Woman, a visit to the almost impossibly photogenic Spirit Island on Maligne Lake and hikes in the surrounding forests (both intact and recovering) ensure boredom is never a risk here.

Climate in Jasper

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	-6	-2	3	9	14	18	21	20	15	9	-1	-6
Hours of sunshine (daily)	2	3	5	7	7	8	8	7	5	4	3	2
Days with some rainfall	11	9	9	8	11	14	14	14	12	10	10	11

Canmore

An hour's drive from Calgary, Canmore has good value hotels lining the Trans-Canada Highway and, just across the railway tracks, a downtown core of historic buildings and yet more hotels and dining options. No matter where you are in Canmore, the Rockies are always visible.

Taking advantage of the free local bus service, I ride up to the Grassi Lakes stop and follow the easy trail to see these lakes, so deep and perfectly clear that I peer through the azure water all the way to the bottom.

Beyond the lakes, the rough-track road loops around to the spectacular Kananaskis Trail. Along the way is the Rummel Lake trailhead, from which I hike up to see yet more magnificent mountain views.

Back towards town, I hire a bike at the Nordic Centre and spend a couple of happy hours exploring MTB runs that weaved through trees and along meadows, all in the shadow of those immense Rocky Mountains.

Climate in Canmore

Given Canmore's proximity to Banff, please see the guide to Banff above.

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Olly Beckett

Posted in: Adventure City Nature North America

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