Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
afforded by breaks in the forest. Where the paved road ends, the 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile)
Sundance Loop begins. Sundance Creek was once a larger river whose upper drainage
basin was diverted by glacial action. Its powerful waters have eroded into the soft bedrock,
forming a spectacular overhanging canyon whose bed is strewn with large boulders that
have tumbled in.
Spray River
• Length: 12 kilometers/7.4 miles (4 hours) round-trip
• Elevation gain: 70 meters/230 feet
• Rating: easy/moderate
• Trailhead: From the Bow Falls parking lot, cross the Spray River and walk along Golf
Course Road to behind the green of the first golf hole on the right-hand side of the road.
This trail follows one of the many fire roads in the park. It is not particularly interesting,
but it's accessible from downtown Banff and makes a pleasant way to escape the crowds.
From behind the green of the 15th hole on the Stanley Thompson 18, the trail heads uphill
into the forest. It follows the Spray River closely—even when not in sight, the river can
always be heard. For those so inclined, a river crossing one kilometer (0.6 mile) from the
golf course allows for a shorter loop. Continuing south, the trail climbs a bluff for a good
view of the Fairmont Banff Springs and Bow Valley. The return journey is straightforward
with occasional views, ending at a locked gate behind the Fairmont Banff Springs, a short
walk to Bow Falls.
For serious hikers, this trail provides access to the park's rugged and remote southern
reaches, but there's another interesting option involving this trail for eager day hikers. It
involves arranging a lift to the trailhead of the Goat Creek hike in Spray Valley Provincial
Park in Kananaskis Country. From this trailhead, it's 19 kilometers/11.8 miles (six hours)
one-way back to Banff down the Spray River watershed on a trail that drops 370 meters
(1,210 feet) in elevation. The trail is most popular with mountain bikers and cross-country
skiers.
SUNSHINE MEADOWS
Sunshine Meadows, straddling the Continental Divide, is a unique and beautiful re-
gion of the Canadian Rockies. It's best known as home to Sunshine Village, a self-
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