Overview
Banff is a resort town in the province of Alberta, located within Banff National Park. The peaks of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, part of the Rocky Mountains, dominate its skyline.
Description
On Banff Avenue, the main thoroughfare, boutiques, and restaurants mix with château-style hotels and souvenir shops. The surrounding 6,500 square kilometers of parkland are home to wildlife including elk and grizzly bears. Banff National Park, in full Banff National Park of Canada, scenic natural and wilderness area in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Established as a national park in 1887, it occupies 2,564 square miles (6,641 square km) along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and abuts the border with British Columbia. Yoho and Kootenay national parks are adjacent to Banff in British Columbia, and Jasper National Park in Alberta lies to the northwest of Banff. Much of the rest of the land surrounding the park is within provincial parks or other protected areas. Park headquarters are in the town of Banff in the southern part of the park, about 80 miles (130 km) west of Calgary. Noted for its beauty, plant and animal diversity, and ongoing geologic processes, Banff National Park was designated part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.