Hotels

All accommodation prices listed are for high season, normally mid-May to mid-October; nearly all hotels have discounts for late fall, holidays, winter, late winter, and spring lodging. If you're having trouble finding affordable lodgings in Banff, try properties in Canmore, located 20 minutes away. If you want to camp, Banff National Park offers hundreds of campsites within easy distance of Banff. The closest are the three Tunnel Mountain campgrounds, just past the youth hostel west of town. Two of the campgrounds are for RVs only and have both partial and full hook-ups (C$38.20); the third has showers and is usually reserved for tenters (C$27.40). For more information, call the park's visitor center (tel. 403/762-1500) or check out the website (www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit9_E.asp). Campsites within the park cannot be reserved in advance.

The Banff Springs Hotel -- In the name of national unity the Government of Canada pitched in on building the trans-Canada railway back in the 1880s, but it wasn't enough to save the Canadian Pacific Railway from floundering in massive debt at the project's end. In today's lingo, the CPR needed to diversify -- both its business, and its asset base -- and it happened upon the relatively new industry of tourism as a possible salvation.

CPR vice-president William Van Horne summed up the business strategy at the time thusly: "Since we can't export the scenery, we'll have to import the tourists." They already had the railway and the trains; they just needed to provide them with the destination.

That destination was to become the Banff Springs Hotel, the grandest and finest of the network of CPR hotels to come. Van Horne hired a famous architect, Bruce Price, to design the building. And by 1886, the plans were finalized and construction began. Opening June 1, 1888, the Springs had cost the debt-plagued company C$250,000; it was then the largest hotel in the world, but would pay off the debt it incurred at a typical room rate of C$3.50 per night.

The Springs, as the locals call it, was a smashing success. Instantly a favorite destination, it also kickstarted the town of Banff's development as well, bringing hordes of people west to discover the endless beauty to be found within the park; having escaped the filth of the cities, many of them never went back, starting businesses (and families) and fostering the town's early growth.

The hotel that stands today isn't much like the one Price designed; fires, subsequent repairs, and more extensive renovations by Fairmont, which included adding a huge conference center and additional buildings, have taken away some of the original charm. But make no mistake, the Springs remains one of the world's premiere hotels, with views, amenities, and a level of service few can match.

The addition of the award-winning multi-million-dollar Willow Stream Spa has kept the place on the top of the "best hotels in the world" lists. The hotel is a national historic site with at least a handful of photo opportunities, and deserves a short tour.

Backcountry Lodges

Banff has three rustic private lodges operating in its backcountry (meaning there is no road access; they're all ski-, hike-, or bike-in). And this is not "rustic" in the sense of luxuriously appointed log cabins with private fireplaces and stone bathrooms; no, in this sense the rusticity is not a decor choice, but is utterly authentic -- meaning some lack such taken-for-granted things as electricity, phones, and (alas) indoor plumbing.

For that level of rusticity, you might expect them to be easy on the budget. They're not. But they operate on the principle that some things are worth more than a Jacuzzi tub.

Like, say, a night or two in the untouched alpine wilderness, where no car will ever go. This is peace beyond peace -- places where you truly realize how tiny we are in the churn of natural history.

Brewster's Shadow Lake Lodge (tel. 866/762-0114; www.shadowlakelodge.com), on the shore of Shadow Lake in the Egypt Lakes area, has more creature comforts than the others, in that its log cabins are heated and its beds have feather down comforters. Built in 1928, there are new heated washrooms with running water, showers, and solar-powered lighting -- for the backcountry, luxury indeed. It's open during the summer for hikers and mountain bikers, and in winter for cross-country skiers. Its rates are C$188 per person per night based on double occupancy, C$200 per person per night single occupancy, and C$155 per extra person in each cabin, with reduced rates for additional nights. Children under 9 are C$95 per night. Three meals a day are included, including afternoon tea. There is a 2-night minimum stay.

Skoki Lodge (tel. 800/258-7669; www.skokilodge.com) was built nearly a century ago as one of the park's first ski lodges; it's open now only to cross-country skiers and hikers. Tucked into a beautifully remote-seeming valley behind the Lake Louise ski area, Skoki itself is a gorgeous, rustic log structure with a much more authentic backcountry feel than Shadow Lake. Ski or hike in 11km (6.8 miles) to the lodge; along the way, the landscape is nothing short of jaw-dropping. There's a soothing wood-fired sauna and gourmet meals (all included) are served buffet-style. Candles and kerosene lamps light up the lodge at night, giving the lodge that unstuck-in-time sense of apartness in the wilderness. Rooms range from private cabins to lodge rooms. Rates start at C$194 per person. There is a 2-night minimum stay.

Open in summer for horseback tours and in winter for cross-country skiers, Sundance Lodge (tel. 800/661-8352; www.xcskisundance.com) is a heritage building deep in the woods, but only a 16km (10-mile) ski from the Town of Banff. It's a great choice for families looking for a true wilderness experience with the creature comfort bonus of hot showers and fresh-cooked meals. Rates are C$158 per person for the first night, with lower rates for additional nights; children (6+ only) are welcome here, at C$85 a night (up to 12 years old).

During summer, the lodge operates with Holiday on Horseback (tel. 800/661-8352; www.horseback.com), offering multiday expeditions leaving Banff regularly. A 3-day pack trip to the lodge costs C$686 during May, June, September, and October; C$775 during July and August.

Camping

There is a wide variety of campgrounds in Banff National Park, and you can reserve a spot online at www.pccamping.ca or via telephone at tel. 877/737-3783. Very few last-minute spots are available; you must plan ahead, especially if you want to be near the Town of Banff. Summer is especially crowded, for obvious reasons, so don't expect a lot of privacy at any of them from June to August.

Reserving a Campsite -- There are three registration methods for frontcountry campgrounds in Banff and Jasper national parks.

In 2006, Parks Canada introduced a new reservation system that allows campers to reserve a site in advance via a website (www.pccamping.ca) or via telephone (tel. 877/737-3783). There is an C$11 fee to make a reservation, but that's a small price to pay in high season, when the stress of wondering where you're going to lay your head tonight can offset the therapeutic relaxation you came out here to find in the first place.

You can't pick a specific site within a campground; the reservation just guarantees a spot on a first-come, first-served basis. Tunnel Mountain and Lake Louise Trailer campgrounds are the only ones you can make a reservation for online.

You can also use the regular registration method, which applies to campsites that are set aside for first-come, first-served campers who prefer not to reserve ahead of time. You register with a Parks Canada attendant at the campground when you first arrive (there's usually a building staffed 24 hr. a day).

The third method is to self-register, and it applies to many of the more remote campgrounds in both parks. Unlike the more accessible campgrounds, there's no building at the entrance to these campgrounds. It's more of a "self-serve" approach. You simply drive in to the campground and find an empty campsite. There's a small kiosk near the entrance, which will take your money (it doesn't accept credit or debit cards, and it doesn't give change).

Put your money in one of the envelopes provided and drop it in the slot, remembering to tear off the end of the envelope and mark the date that you're staying until on it. Take it back to your campsite and fasten it to the sign with your site's number on it. A Parks Canada staff member making daily rounds will pick it up first thing in the morning.

The Continental Divide -- The Continental Divide is the dividing line of the North American continent between two major watersheds. East of the Divide, which cleaves its way from Northern Canada all the way into the Gulf of Mexico, rivers and streams build into tributaries and flow into Hudson's Bay or the Atlantic Ocean; on the west side of the divide, the water flows the opposite direction rushing toward the Pacific. Running along the jagged path of the Rockies, it's also the dividing line between the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia; you'll come across trail markers on various hikes, as well as on the Going to the Sun chairlift at Sunshine Village; one of the support poles has a sign that says "Welcome to British Columbia" as it skirts along the divide; just a few poles later, where the line has zagged back west, there's a sign welcoming you back to "Sunny Alberta."

If you want to see where the water flow splits, there's a sign marking the provincial border in Kootenay National Park, where you can actually observe the divergent water flow.

Backcountry Camping

There are 53 designated backcountry campsites in Banff; their access varies greatly. Some are just a couple of hours from the trailhead; others take a full day (20km/12.4 miles) just to reach. Remember: Most mountain hikes demand significant altitude gain, so don't budget your time and pace thinking this is a level stroll. Hiking up into Roger's Pass, for example, the first day is almost entirely vertical, and exceptionally strenuous until you reach the high alpine plains.

Remember: You must reserve your campsite before you hit the trail. Some campsites are legendary among hikers all over the world, and the demand is great; the most popular ones are booked for the season on May 1, the day Banff National Park turns on its backcountry reservation line (tel. 403/762-1550). Don't expect much from these sites except a fire pit, an outhouse (maybe), and somewhere to hoist your food up out of reach of animals (an essential in the backcountry). You can boil water from mountain streams (to avoid Giardiasis), and you will certainly want to bring toilet paper.

Some sites can be reached from Banff Townsite, by following the Spray Valley Trail. Sites at Egypt Lake, Shadow Lake, and Fish Lakes have their trailhead about a half-hour drive from town. There are also campsites along the shores of Lake Minnewanka, northeast of the townsite, which are accessible only by canoe.

Farther up the Icefields Parkway, there are trailheads to more sites still in Banff (not yet Jasper). Consult the Banff website for full listings and maps at www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit9_E.asp. The Banff Tourism office, listed above, will also be able to help you out. A backcountry campsite costs C$10 per person per night, and there is a C$12 reservation fee. You cannot reserve backcountry sites online.

Backcountry Huts

There is a significant amount of luck involved in reaching the backcountry huts in Banff, operated by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), as they are few (there are 8), small (most accommodate about a half-dozen people, max), and very, very popular. If you get one, though, you'll quickly see what all the fuss is about. These are remote places, often along a towering bluff above a remote valley, or face-on to a glacier -- places you probably won't see any other way. Almost all are a good full-day hike or ski into the backcountry; as such, they're most often used by hikers on treks lasting several days, or mountain climbers making an ascent of a nearby summit.

Some of the huts are comfortable cabins (the Castle Mountain Shelter, perched on a cliff called Goat Plateau, halfway up Castle Mountain, accommodates six people comfortably, and has a propane stove; it's accessed by a challenging scramble up the mountain face and is closed in winter due to extreme avalanche hazard); others are just shacks. None have running water or power, and few are close to a water source -- so plan to bring that with you, too.

Bow Hut, by measure of remoteness, is the "easiest" to access, though it's far from easy by anyone's measure. It's a six-hour hike from the trail head at Bow Lake, and a steady climb.

If you aren't a member of the ACC, rates range from C$36; some huts are subject to peak-rate pricing at certain times of the year. Rates for members are substantially lower. For more information on backcountry huts, or on ACC membership, contact the Alpine Club of Canada (tel. 403/678-3200; www.alpineclubofcanada.ca). The site also lists what you should bring to a hut to make your experience as comfortable as possible.