Guided hikes
Banff National Park
Go with a guide and experience more! Parks Canada offers a selection of guided hikes for every experience level. From exploring amazing fossils high in the alpine, to learning about research that helps protect species at risk, there is an experience for everyone! Choose your own adventure below. Can’t choose? Go ahead and book them all!
New to hiking?
Guided hikes are a great way to explore with a trained Parks Canada guide and learn more about the beautiful Canadian Rockies! Small group sizes allow plenty of opportunities to gain hiking tips and tricks or ask questions about the local plants and animals.
Go behind the scenes with Parks Canada
Banff National Park
New!
From lakeside views to mountain vistas, Parks Canada guided conservation hikes show how species, and their habitats are connected. Get an insider’s look at the cutting-edge work being done by Parks Canada conservation experts to protect species at risk and restore balance in critical habitats in the mountain national parks.
Yoho National Park and Kootenay National Park
The Burgess Shale fossils provide the link between modern day species and those from over 500 million years ago. The amazingly detailed preservation shows us a complete marine ecosystem that existed long before the dinosaurs. These fossils are so important that they have been recognized as a key part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. Parks Canada protects these internationally significant treasures and offers guided hikes to three unique Burgess Shale fossil sites in Yoho and Kootenay national parks.
What to bring
A day of hiking in the Rockies requires preparation. Conditions can change rapidly in the mountains and higher elevations increase your exposure to the sun and stormy weather. To have a safe and fun time outdoors you will need to bring:
- Quick-drying layers, rain jacket, and rain pants, gloves, toque / hat
- Hearty lunch and multiple snacks
- Drinking water, at least 2 litres or ½ gallon per person
- Sturdy and worn in hiking boots
- Hiking poles (required for the Mount Stephen hike). Note: Your guide may have hiking poles for you to borrow for the day.
- Sturdy and supportive backpack with a waist belt
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat, insect repellent
- Toilet paper in a plastic bag for disposal, hand sanitizer
- Reading glasses, if you wear them
- Blister kit and personal medical supplies (just in case)
- Sorry, no pets.
Learn more
Learn more about how we are protecting species, habitats and ecosystems in Banff National Park.
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