preview

Banff National Park Research Paper

Decent Essays

Banff National Park Overview
After an easy hike to the top of Tunnel Mountain just outside Banff townsite, I take a deep breath of the fresh pine-scented air that rushes past on a brisk westerly. From the summit, I overlook the turquoise bends of the Bow River, and see the peaks that are synonyms water with the park rise abruptly from the valley on all sides. From my vantage point, the bustling community of Banff is revealed as but a tiny square in the vast and varied quilt of Canada's Banff National Park.
Over 100 years ago, in 1896, American explorer Walter Wilcox wrote that this spot was "the best place from which to get a good general idea of Banff and its surroundings." Wilcox knew-he made the first recorded visit to many places-that there …show more content…

Tunnel Mountain is a spot I've never tired of, and have returned to dozens of times. It epitomizes the beauty and the wildness that are at the core of the eternal appeal of Banff National Park. The hike serves as a gentle introduction to this wilderness gem, Canada's first national park, established in 1885.
Banff Appeal
Well, for a start, all that open space. Over four million outdoor enthusiasts visit Banff National Park each year, but you would not know it. With 7,000 square kilometers of rugged Rockies topography, there is lots of room to roam. The park protects a cornucopia of landscapes: iconic peaks like Cascade Mountain and Mount Victoria, deep lakes fed by vast icefields, rushing rivers, forest-filled valleys, and flower-bedecked alpine meadows.
Among the wildlife are such totemic creatures as grizzly bears, wolves, moose, elk, and mountain goats. Then of course there are the activities visitors can enjoy. Banff's varied terrain attracts the whole spectrum of outdoor enthusiasts, from day hikers to backpackers, sport climbers to alpine mountaineers, flatwater paddlers to extreme kayakers. Plus there's lots of opportunity for pursuits such as snowshoeing, ice climbing, and cross-country skiing in all its

Get Access