The resort town of Banff is the largest community within the Banff National Park and provides visitors with a unique and charming mountain destination. It is a small rural community of less than 9,000 residents and offers visitors, apart from its abundant sightseeing, unsurpassed recreational opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors throughout the whole year. Known for its scenic beauty and nearby mountains, Banff lies within easy access to three notable ski areas, being Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, and during the summer season provides visitors with approximately 1,600 kilometres of hiking trails and numerous activities including biking, camping, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, white water rafting and horseback riding. The township also provides recreational facilities for tennis, golf, swimming and skateboarding, while the local hot springs make even the coldest of cold days more acceptable. Visitors to the area are always surprised at the variety of accommodation which exists in such a small community which ranges from barebones to opulent luxury, the diverse choice of restaurants and the broad range of shopping facilities which are available in the downtown area. It is worth remembering that Banff lies at the heart of the Banff National Park and is the main commercial centre providing services to many of the 4 million visitors who have been coming here every year since 1996. For those that are interested, Banff National Park forms part of the listed U.N.E.S.C.O. Rocky Mountain World Heritage site which exemplifies the outstanding features of the Rocky Mountains and illustrates the glacial geological processes which created the area.
The small town of Banff is located at 1,383 metres above sea level and spreads across the valley floor of the River Bow as it makes its way out of the Rocky Mountains towards the east where it flows through Calgary and onwards to the Husdon Bay. The township is recognised as one of Canada’s most popular visitor destinations due to its envious position within the Banff National Park, which is recognised for its extreme natural scenic beauty, and for its proximity to several key skiing locations. Standing adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway also has added advantages, providing easy access to many visitors who are searching for outdoor activities or touring this premium mountain area. Banff stands at the base of the 1,690 metre Tunnel Mountain, which is a local landmark and provides excellent views of the town, valley and the surrounding mountains which include the famous peaks of Mount Rundle (2,949 metres), Sulphur Mountain (2,281 metres), Mount Norquay (2,134 metres) and Cascade Mountain (2,998 metres).
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