There is so much to do in Banff!  It was busy, but it never really felt overcrowded.  The longest we waited to do anything was when we got coffee in the morning.  The whole main street is easy to walk or take public transit.  The street has several blocks closed to traffic, so just pedestrian traffic is there.  There is outdoor seating at most restaurants here, and the weather in the summer is outstanding.  We had breakfast and dinner on main street while we were in banff taking in the mountain scenery.  We also went shopping in many of the stores down here.  Such cute things to find here. 
We also took the walking paths along the Bow River.  It is such a walking friendly town, and we felt very safe while being there.  We also found the famous Banff sign.  There were lines of people waiting to get their pictures here, but everyone was very generous and helpful.  We said it felt like the Vail of Canada.  We can't wait to go back some day!  

We stayed at Fox Hotel, which was a just at the edge of the main downtown area of Banff.  It was about two blocks from where the transit and shops started in Banff.  We were debating between Moose and Fox Hotels.  We decided to go with Fox because they had a townhouse style room that had a kitchen/dining/living room on one level and the bedroom on another level.  This was nice because we could put our kids to bed and enjoy the other space still.  Moose is right across from the main transit hub and closer to the downtown shops and restaurants.  It is also a little more expensive than Fox Hotel.  Fox Hotel has a bus stop right outside of the hotel as well, but not all buses stop here like the main transit hub.  Fox Hotel also had an amazing hot water pool that was modeled after the hot springs that made Banff famous.  The kids loved swimming in the grotto style pool!  

When we decided to come here, I didn't realize the impact these two lakes would have.  They are truly like nothing we had ever seen before.  The beauty was tested however because of the large crowds and challenges that come with busy season.  This time of year, you need to shuttle to the lakes, take a guided tour, or go at sunrise to find parking.  You also need to book your travel plans earlier, rather than later.  Shuttles and tours often sell out in August.  We used Roam transit, the express shuttle, from Banff to Lake Louise.  It was about a 50 minute drive on a coach bus.  It was very comfortable, with young kids however, it was challenging at times. 
We also bought the super pass which granted us access to Lake Moraine.  I am so glad we did this.  I thought Moraine Lake was more striking than Lake Louise.  Moraine Lake was a vibrant blue color, and Lake Louise had more of a green emerald color to it.  The shuttle to Moraine Lake is the only way to get to this lake at this time of year.  The road is closed to individual traffic.  It is about a 25 minute drive from Lake Louise.  When we arrived, we hiked the Rocks trail, which is an uphill hike for about half a mile.  You are greeted with beautiful views looking down on the lake.  We also walked a little of the lakeside trail before returning to Lake Louise.  You are able to canoe here as well, but there are less amenities at this lake.  
Back at Lake Louise, we headed to the lakeshore.  The main view with the pier was so incredible crowded with people trying to get the main view of the lake.  However, as we started walking the lakeshore trail and past The Fairmont, the crowds really thinned out.  The lake became much more enjoyable down here.  We were able to take some time to stop and rest on benches along the trail and let the kids explore the shoreline.  We saw fish while we were resting and the kids loved that.  The view changes the further along the lake you walk, however it was just as breathtaking down here, if not more.  I would highly recommend walking the whole shoreline if possible.  
When we were done, we rested under a tree by The Fairmont.  We got ice cream to enjoy from inside.  There was a beautiful wedding taking place on the outdoor patio, so we watched those events unfold while we waited for our return time on the shuttle.  It was a long day of exploring, but something we will always remember.  

The third lake you have to see while visiting Banff is Peyton Lake.  It is about an 3/4 mile hike, straight up the mountainside to the viewpoint of this lake.  But trust me, it is completely worth it!  This was probably the favorite of the three famous lakes here.  There were crowds, but nothing like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.  I didn't know it was possible, but somehow the blue was even bluer here.  To get to this lake, it is about another 40 minutes from Lake Louise up Hwy 93 on the Icefields Parkway.  You do not need to pay to reach this lake, however you do need to have a National Parks pass to drive this section of the road.  

After a long day of travel and exploring, we came across this roadside lake.  Waterfowl Lake was about 10 minutes south of The Crossing Resort.  There was a pull off on the road and a few steep steps right down to the water's edge.  You could see the glaciers above that feed this lake.  The water was stunning, we basically had the lake to ourselves, and it was COLD!  It was just the refresh we needed after feeling so tired.  I don't know how many people can say they have swam in a glacier fed alpine lake, but our group can!  Something I hope our kids will always remember.  

One of the most beautiful drives we have ever taken is the Icefields Parkway.  This drive is north of Banff, on Hwy 93.  Part of the drive is in Banff National Park, and the other part is in Jasper National Park.  You are required to have a pass for the national parks to be able to drive on this road.  There is a checkpoint north of Lake Louise to continue on the road.  
There is so much to see on this road, besides just driving it.  There are hikes all along the drive, some more popular than others.  The road is lined with different mountains, glaciers, and alpine lakes.  The different blues that you see here from sky to lake is breathtaking! 
Most of our driving happened in Banff, however we did make it up to the southern part of Jasper.  The drive here is quieter than the hustle of Banff.  We also found out that cell service is far and few between.  We stayed at one of the only lodging places we could find along this road, and even they had limited internet on their premises.  It was a nice way to unplug and just enjoy the scenery and company.  
You can drive yourself along this road if that is what works best for your family.  However, there are many options for guided day trips between Banff and Jasper.  They stop at many of the popular places along the parkway.  We were traveling with young children, so we felt having our own vehicles made the most sense.  However, it would have been nice to just enjoy the drive and not have to figure out where things were located or coordinate different activities.  If you decide to take a tour, use the link below to see the different companies that offer a full day tour along this mesmerizing stretch of Rockies.  ​

The Banff Gondola is really worth the time and money.  We took an early family ride on the gondola to avoid some of the crowds, tour buses, and also not have to worry about parking.  Although Banff has amazing public transit with easy to access places, it was nice to not have to rely on it all the time.  The early hours also meant that we got a discounted rate.  With the purchase of an adult ticket, the kids were included for free.  The gondola ride is about 8 minutes one way.  When you reach the top, there is more than just views to see.  There are four levels of activities.  There is a gift shop and coffee shop.  There is a hike to a weather outpost that gives you even more amazing views from the point.  There are outdoor viewing decks as well to see different views of Banff and the Bow River below.  There is a whole interactive kids museum on one of the four floors as well.  There is a movie theater with information about Banff as well.  The upper floor also has two dining options for those interested.  Make sure to book reservations plenty in advance, because this is a popular place to eat.  I honestly, cannot stand heights.  However, I can endure a little discomfort to see something amazing.  This was an amazing sight to see, and I am glad I powered through the ride.  

While in Banff, you need to try to get a horse ride in.  We booked through Banff Trail Riders, and they were wonderful to work with.  Because we had young kids with us, the only option available to us was a wagon ride along the Bow River to a cookout area.  Honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything else.  This outfitter offers all types of trail rides from 1-3 hours, to over night rides, to cowboy cookouts.  Our wagon ride was about 45 minutes one way, we were at dinner for a little over an hour, and then another 45 minute ride back to the stables.  Along the way, there were stunning views of the emerald blue Bow River, a brief history of the local springs we passed, and entertaining stories along with wildlife sightings.  It was about $100 for adults and $65 for kids over three to go on this adventure.  And honestly, the amount of food they gave us made up for that cost.  We were given large ribeye steaks with all the fixings and a desert.  They entertained our kids with roping and horseshoes while we waited for our fresh meals to be prepared.  The outdoor setting was recently redone and just a stunning outdoor facility in the middle of the woods.  It was another highlight of our trip.  

Johnston Canyon is about thirty minutes north of Banff, and a very popular place to hike.  There are two options for hiking.  The lower falls and the upper falls.  Everyone starts on the same paved path.  It is about a half mile hike to the lower falls, and if you want to continue to the upper falls, it is about another mile.  If you do the whole canyon it is just over 3 miles of hiking.  There were significant crowds of people while we were here.  We didn't make it to the upper falls with all the people and young kids along, however what we did see was beautiful.  I would consider looking into lodging here in some of the cute cabins they had along the river.  There are also guided tours that make stops here along the Icefield Parkways.  

We stayed at The Gateway Hotel in Radium, about 40 minutes south of Golden, BC.  This little town had the cutest and most eclectic downtown we have ever seen.  The owners of our hotel also owned an old school diner/ice cream shop.  They offer a free breakfast there each morning for hotel guests.  There is also hot springs down the road from The Gateway Hotel, which they provide towels for.  There is a fee to use the hot springs.  One of the coolest things about this town was they are known for having big horn sheep on the southern area of town - especially in the evening.  If we find ourselves in the area again, I would definitely stay in Radium again.  It is also only about 30 minutes from natural hot springs (free) at Lussier Hot Springs.  

Full Disclosure - We did not get a chance to see these hot springs.  This was something that was very high on my list of things to do in Canada.  However, I did not anticipate how much wildfires can disrupt a trip.  We saw a lot of smoke and fires while we were on the west side of the range by Golden, down to Radium.  The helicopters were flying all day and into the night dumping water to try to control and stop the wildfires.  We were in two different warning stages while we were on our trip because of the many different wildfires.  When it came time to go to Lussier, we found the smoke was so dense we could hardly see the road.  While driving in the car, our eyes were burning, and it was hard to breathe.  We felt it would not be enjoyable, safe, or in our best interest to stop and try to soak in the hot springs in those conditions.  We kept driving, and it was the best thing we could have done in that scenario.  Some day though, I hope to soak and relax in one of the few natural hot springs left to enjoy.  More information about the springs are on the website linked below. 

One of the most beautiful drives we have ever taken is the Icefields Parkway.  This drive is north of Banff, on Hwy 93.  Part of the drive is in Banff National Park, and the other part is in Jasper National Park.  You are required to have a pass for the national parks to be able to drive on this road.  There is a checkpoint north of Lake Louise to continue on the road.  
There is so much to see on this road, besides just driving it.  There are hikes all along the drive, some more popular than others.  The road is lined with different mountains, glaciers, and alpine lakes.  The different blues that you see here from sky to lake is breathtaking! 
Most of our driving happened in Banff, however we did make it up to the southern part of Jasper.  The drive here is quieter than the hustle of Banff.  We also found out that cell service is far and few between.  We stayed at one of the only lodging places we could find along this road, and even they had limited internet on their premises.  It was a nice way to unplug and just enjoy the scenery and company.  
You can drive yourself along this road if that is what works best for your family.  However, there are many options for guided day trips between Banff and Jasper.  They stop at many of the popular places along the parkway.  We were traveling with young children, so we felt having our own vehicles made the most sense.  However, it would have been nice to just enjoy the drive and not have to figure out where things were located or coordinate different activities.  If you decide to take a tour, use the link below to see the different companies that offer a full day tour along this mesmerizing stretch of Rockies.  

We stayed at The Crossings, just north of where the Saskatchewan River Crossing is along the border of Banff and Jasper National Parks.  It is the only lodging in the area!  They have hotel rooms, RV sites, cabins, two restaurants, a cafeteria, general store, and gas station all on their property.  They have limited cell service and internet available as well, so plan accordingly.  It is easy to get lost in the beauty of the land here, and not having access to the outside world isn't the worse thing!  
Because this is the only lodging in the area, be prepared to pay more for food, gas, and other conveniences.  We had tried to stay here so we could limit the amount of driving from Banff.  We thought we would save some money by doing this, however it really wasn't that much cheaper by the time we paid for everything.  If we did this trip again, we would probably station out of Banff the whole time.  Below are some of the views from our hotel patio and the link to their website for more information. 

One of the closest glaciers we encountered was Athabasca Glacier, in the southern part of Jasper.  This glacier is less than a mile hike from the parking lot off Hwy 93.  We didn't plan ahead for this after having full days prior.  We wished we would have planned a glacier walk tour, and just couldn't make it work last minute.  To make up for it, we hike the 3/4 mile out-and-back Toe of the Glacier trail.  It is a short hike, however it is straight up at the beginning.  Walking sticks would be a great idea for the beginning.  I was carrying a two-year old, so it was challenging.  However, it isn't an impossible hike.  As you drive to the parking lot and hike the rest of the way, you see signs marking where the glacier was recorded over the last 100 years.  It is a sobering sight to see how little is left of the glacier and how empty the valley is below it.  We wondered what would be left for our kids when they are adults, if anything.  We also wondered what happens to the valley when the glaciers are gone?  This hike definitely gives you some perspective.  We recommend seeing it while you can!  

The one thing we did not do was schedule a tour at Columbia Icefields.  This is probably the only thing we regret not doing on our trip.  It was very sad hiking the Toe of Athabasca Glacier and seeing how little is left after 100 years of documenting it's decline.  We wished we could have gotten up close and experienced walking on a glacier and drinking fresh glacial water.  If you head to Jasper, this is something you should definitely look into. Included with a tour on Athabasca Glacier, you also can do the Skywalk looking over the valley from above.  It is a glass bottom walkway, and the views look stunning.  The website for tour information is linked below, and the images are used from the website.  We tried to add this to our trip, but there were no morning tours available anymore and we just couldn't fit it in.  I hope someday it will still be available for our kids to experience it.  

This facility has more than tours too!  There is limited lodging available here.  There is also a starbucks!  It is the highest elevation Starbucks.  We enjoyed breakfast here with a view from the patio overlooking the glacier.  There is great souvenir shop here as well, were we stocked up on Jasper shirts!  There are also a couple of restaurants you can eat at here, if you are staying.  There really isn't anything else in the area, so plan on using the facilities here for most things.  ​

Yoho has so much to offer, and only planning of one day of exploring limited our options of what we could see.  We also found that Yoho was busier than Jasper, which we had previously been.  There are parts of Yoho that are less crowded, so making time for those areas if you don't have a lot of time would benefit you.  There is a great pull off and photo opp right before you turn into onto Yoho Valley Road.  It is where the Continental Divide is and separates Yoho from Kootenay National Parks.  ​We missed it the first time we drove by, and thought we would backtrack, but never did.  

We spent most of our time in the Yoho Valley area with our time in the park.  It was a less crowded area, and the drive alone is worth it.  Our destination was Takakkaw Falls, but we did stop along the way to see some of the other sights.  If you are not interested in hiking, the views in the valley are stunning, and worth the drive.  There is a pretty significant switchback at one point of the road, so trailers or larger vehicles will not be able to make it back to some of the waterfalls.  We stopped at the Convergence of Waters, which was very cool to see the mixing of the different waters.  There is not a clear path down to the river, so have good hiking shoes on and be ready to scramble.  
One of the coolest things we saw was Takakkaw Falls.  This powerful waterfall emerges around a corner on the drive and calls you to it.  There is a decent size parking lot, but it was almost full by the time we got there.  There is also a campsite nearby, so if you are looking to camp, this would be an amazing spot to listen to the waterfall all night.  The hike back to the falls is partially paved, level, and an easy 1 mile hike out-and-back.  The hike offers multiple views of the falls, and the closer you get, the more spray from the falls you feel.  
If you are feeling super adventurous, you can climb up part of the waterfall cliffs.  My husband took our two bigger kids up the side of the falls, and they said it was top two coolest things they did on the trip.  Being that close to the water and feeling the power was a highlight for sure.  
After leaving the Yoho Valley, we headed to Field, and then to the Emerald Lake area.  We stopped in to the visitor center to check in with the rangers on what we should see while we had the afternoon.  Field has more development, lodging, and stores available for those staying in the area.  We were staying south of Golden, so were just passing through Yoho for the day.  The ranger sent us towards Emerald Lake, Hamilton Falls, and Natural Bridge.  We stopped at Natural Bridge, which was truly like nothing I had seen before.  The water had ground away the rocks and created a tunnel for it to pour through to the other side.  It looks to have created the beginning of an arch, it is just very early in the water carving this rock out.  After that, we headed to Emerald Lake.  It was BUSY!  We knew it would, however we had seen so many beautiful lakes at this point in our trip, and the crowds deterred us from spending more time here.  This also meant that we would not be hiking Hamilton Falls.  This was a short hike (less than a mile) to a small waterfall across the parking lot from Emerald Lake.  We decided that our time would best be spent heading to our lodging and exploring a less crowded part of British Columbia.  
We started heading towards Golden, which is a smaller town, but stunning in its own right!  We highly recommend the Bridge Walk in Golden, if you have the time for it.  Golden is known for its skiing in the area, so wither would be a fabulous time to explore here.  The drive from Yoho to Golden was also equally stunning and terrifying.  The construction and rock slides prove that caution is needed here.