I kept things old-school and checked in to Fairmont Banff Springs, nicknamed the Castle in the Rockies for its Scottish-baronial-style architecture and perch overlooking the town. The hotel was another vision of railway executive Van Horne, who famously said, “If we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists.”
Today Banff National Park sees more than 4.25 million visitors every year; nearly two thirds come during summer. But a week into my trip, I began to think that winter might be the more enchanting season. On my final day I joined Discover Banff Tours on an excursion to Johnston Canyon for its Icewalk experience. In the parking lot our guide, Jeff Doherty, outfitted our group of six in Yaktrax—ice-gripping cleats that attach to shoes—then had us briskly hike a half mile over slick paths and bridges to the lower falls before the big bus tour groups arrived.
The canyon was pure quietude, and we had it to ourselves. When the pace slowed, I was able to admire the feathery moss suspended in frost on the forest floor, the icy old man’s beard lichen dangling from the trees, and, most of all, the frozen ribbons of electric blue cascades. About a mile of slippery uphill trail led us to the upper falls, a stream of water plunging behind a veil of ice. I stood in front of Mother Nature’s ice sculpture in awe. “It’s like seeing the Mona Lisa alone in the Louvre,” said Doherty. “In summer you’d be elbowing iPhones out of the way for a view, let alone a photo.”
A few weeks after I’d returned home to Colorado, I read that Alberta had been hit by a warm spell that doused the mountains in rain, turning the slopes into sheets of ice. Some friends had taken their family on a ski trip per my recommendation. When I asked about their vacation, they told me they hadn’t skied once, but they had the best time dogsledding, night tubing, and ice-skating. In an age when weather is unforgivingly unpredictable, Banff, with its buffet of activities, might be the closest thing to a guaranteed winter escape, no matter your preferred pace of adventure. My trip showed me that winter isn’t just about high-voltage powder days at the ski resort. It can be enjoyed at a slower pace. I was even inspired to buy a pair of my own snowshoes.
Get there
Direct flights to Calgary International Airport are available from more than a dozen major US hubs. Banff National Park is an easy 90-minute drive west on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Where to stay
Lakefront grande dame Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise offers every imaginable snowy activity, from horse-drawn sleigh rides to curling. In winter an outdoor bar built from 240 blocks of ice serves mulled wine and spiked cocoa. Only hotel guests have access to Basin Glacial Waters, a sprawling thermal bathhouse. Don’t miss the excellent hotel bookshop, curated with out-of-print editions on the area’s mountaineering history.
One of the park’s first hotels, Fairmont Banff Springs, recently added a new wing of larger, family-friendly suites with bunk beds and adjoining rooms. An on-site skating rink has a pop-up sugar shack that serves maple treats, and the adventure center rents fat-tire bikes and arranges guided evening snowshoe tours. Of the 13 dining venues, 1888 Chophouse, known for its Alberta Wagyu, is a standout.
A refreshing boutique alternative to Banff’s palatial resorts, the reimagined Kenrick Hotel has an outpost of Calgary’s Analog Coffee, a guests-only hydrotherapy spa that stays open until midnight, and one of the town’s top tables, Alpine Italian–inspired Fat Ox.