BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 96

Almost directly opposite is Johnston Canyon Resort, with groceries and a restaurant, and
the beginning of a trail to the park's best-known waterfalls.
Continuing eight kilometers (five miles) toward Lake Louise, Castle Mountain
Campground (early June-early Sept., $22 per site) is also within walking distance of a
grocery store (no restaurant), but it has just 44 sites and no showers. Services are limited
to flush toilets, drinking water, and kitchen shelters.
Protection Mountain Campground (July-Aug., $22 per site), a further 14 kilometers
(8.7 miles) west and just over 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Lake Louise, opens as de-
mand dictates, usually by late June. It offers 89 sites, along with flush toilets, drinking wa-
ter, and stove-equipped kitchen shelters.
FOOD
Whether you're in search of an inexpensive snack for the family or silver service, you can
find it in the town of Banff, which has over 80 restaurants (more per capita than any town
or city across Canada). The quality of food varies greatly. Some restaurants revolve solely
around the tourist trade, while others have reputations that attract diners from Calgary who
have been known to stay overnight just to eat at their favorite haunt. While the quality of
food is most people's number one priority when dining out, the level of service (or lack of
it) also comes into play in Banff, especially if you are paying big bucks for a fine-dining
meal. Getting it all right—good food, top-notch service, and a memorable ambience—in
a tourism-oriented town is rare. Which leads to the restaurants I've recommended below,
the best of a very varied bunch.
Groceries
Banff has two major grocery stores. In addition to a wide selection of basic groceries,
Nesters Market (122 Bear St., 403/762-3663, 8am-11pm daily in summer, shorter hours
the rest of the year) has a good deli with premade salads and sandwiches, and another deli
stocked with meats and cheeses and hot chicken. At the other end of downtown is Safeway
(318 Marten St., 403/762-5329, 8am-11pm daily).
Cafés and Coffee Shops
Banff's lone bakery is M Wild Flour (Bison Courtyard, 211 Bear St., 403/760-5074,
7am-6pm daily, $7-10), and it's a good one (albeit a little pricey). Organic ingredients are
used whenever possible, and everything is freshly baked daily. The result is an array of