Fall Banff Day Trip – Kid & Budget Friendly Itinerary

Banff National Park, located in western Alberta, is one of the world’s most majestic natural treasures, and my personal most beloved place (and I’m confident millions of others share this sentiment). I don’t think anyone can tire of the splendor and beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and with hundreds of hikes, numerous fantastic ski resorts, back country camping, and world class luxury hotels, there is quite literally something for everyone, at every age, price point, and adventure level!

Below I’ll focus on a family-friendly day trip itinerary, great for families with small children who are not yet seeking “adventures of epic proportion” (or whatever 16 year olds are saying there days, or do they even talk? Do they just snap chat each other? Who knows.).

It’s a packed day, but easy going, and great for people who live in the Calgary or foothills areas and just need to take a breather for the day without too much prep or spending, or for people passing through who want to see some natural sights without fully getting into the mountains.

Everything I note below, aside from food, is free! It really makes for a fun day, and with the fall seasonal colours it’s like icing on a cake.

What makes a trip to Banff in the early fall so special? The bursts of colour! The mountain scenery, albeit beautiful, remains a constant palette of white, grey, blue and greens though three seasons. In fall, certain flora, namely birches and larches make an especially magnificent views. The larch tree is special autumn sight for a reason: it’s a needled conifer that looks like an evergreen in spring and summer, but in the autumn the needles turn golden yellow and drop to the ground. This makes for a spectacular views while driving to Banff!

Note: a itinerary summary with addresses is at bottom of this post for your convenience!

A park pass is required to be in Banff National Park. This is purchased as you enter the park, however, if you’re traveling in 2017, it’s free due to Canada 150 Celebrations. After 2017, if you visit the park regularly, a Discovery Pass the best option as you’ll cover the cost in only ** visits.

Note: most of the activities below are weather dependent. Always dress for the season. When in the mountains, weather can quickly go from sun to rain to snow in one afternoon. Here are some tips:

Shoes with good grip, waterproof always advisable
Dress in layers (outer shell should be rain gear)
Warm hat
Extra set of everything for kids (because let’s face it, they love getting wet and/or dirty)
Snacks, water
Blanket (can be used to sit on, or wrap up in if it’s chilly)

One reality of traveling in the mountains is the chance of traffic back ups (due to anything from an accident to an avalanche) so it’s always important to have extra snacks and water for the kids in case you’re stuck in a car for an extra 2 hours. An although this post is about traveling in early fall, if there’s snow, you should always carry a winter emergency kit in the car.

10am Explore Cascade Falls

The base of Cascade Falls, that is.

You’ll find a gravel parking just north of the intersection of Hwy 1 and Banff Ave/Lake Minnewanka Scenic Dr., at the end of an open area called the landing strip (which was an actual regularly used landing strip, but is now only used for emergencies or with approval from the Park Superintendent).

It’s a short hike into the base of Cascade Waterfall (½ kilometer with 50 meters elevation.

In avalanche season, it’s obviously not advisable to take pleasure hikes with kids, and a cautionary sign should exist.

If you see animals, however big or small, don’t approach them or feed them. Once you pass age 16, it’s no longer “cool” or “epic” to get close to a bear or bull elk just for those Facebook and Instagram likes. Be a good role model for your children; teach them to respect wildlife. Learn more about this on Parks Canada website here.

If you still have some time left before lunch, take a quick drive north to see Lake Minnewanka.

Closest washrooms:

Cascade Ponds (just North West of the parking lot). In the event these are closed…
Tim Hortons (100 Gopher St.). It’s at the west entrance to Banff, but there’s less traffic than heading downtown

12pm Pizza to Go: Rocky Mountain Flatbread

Now, you find can park and all go in, but if you have a kid in a car-seat, or anywhere between 2 and 10 kids, I suggest the driver drops you off, and either finds parking on the street, or drives around until the pizza person comes back. Get the pizza to go because you’re going to eat it outside by a gorgeous waterfall!

Cascade Mall food court. Yes, it’s in a food court, but it’s not food court quality. It’s good.

We first fell in love with RMF in their Canmore location, a treat after hiking in the mountains. Our favorite on the menu is the Sundried Tomato & Goat’s Cheese, and you can never go wrong with the Margherita. They have commitment to use only local organic flours, free range organic meats, organic free range eggs, Ocean Wise seafood, local veggies from urban & rural farmers” We find their pizza to be nutritious to enjoy as a guilt-free treat to for us and our toddler.

Note: if it’s potty time or diaper change time, there are nice, clean washrooms in the Cascade Mall, on the same level as the food court.

12:30pm Lunch at Explore Bow Falls

There are benches,a short stone fence or pull out a blanket and sit. This is really a relaxing place to eat lunch outside.

Once you’ve ate, take a walk over to the far north edge where you can get some good views (and photos) of Bow Falls. Take a walk down the path where you’ll see a tributary. There are great opportunities for photos here, especially of your children!

This is a great place to take some photos of the kids!

Below you can see the beautiful view Fairmont’s Waldorf Restaurant above a tributary joining the Bow River. Can you believe these colours? The photos are noting compared to the beauty in real life!

1:30pm Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

It’s a couple minutes drive up to the Fairmont, or you can walk up the back stairs, which takes about 10 minutes. If you do drive, you can pay for parking in the outdoor Fairmont lot, or just park on the street for free, as we always do.

You can check in, (if it’s in your budget, you should), or, you can enjoy it as a guest. A guest who is not actually a guest. Don’t worry, visitors are very much encouraged to look around!

Go to STOCK Food & Drink, get some warm beverages and tasty treats for your family to enjoy. You’re going to take them outside shortly. The chocolate avalanche cookies are insanely good.

Whether or not you take cream in your coffee, check out the coolest ever cream station! Parents and kids will both appreciate it’s design and functionality.

Head though the back of the hotel to the outdoor terrace at the rear of the hotel, where you can enjoy your beverages and snacks, and be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the mountains and bow river. If you look down and to the North, Bow Falls are hidden just behind the trees.

When you head back inside, enjoy some window shopping in the shops. Kids will love seeing the huge fossilized shell in the windows!

Fun, free activity: look for fossils!

Much of the interior and exterior is made of Tyndall Stone, also called Mottled Dolomite. Kids can find many fossils!

Fun facts you can teach your kids about the Tyndall Stone:

The squiggles in the stone (called mottling) resulted from burrowing by marine creatures that occurred during and shortly after limestone was deposited
It’s mined just NE of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Fossils to look for include gastropods, brachiopods, cephalopods, trilobites, corals, stromatoporoids, or, if you have a toddler like me, we just call them “shells” and “sunflower coral”

Here’s a photos of a Receptaculites (Sunflower Coral) fossil we found with our toddler!

Once you are done exploring the hotel and have had a nice snack, head out of the hotel and to the horse stable to show the kids! They can pet the horses (and you can decide if you want to pay for a ride next time).

Note: there are nice, clean washrooms with change table just down the hall from l’Octain.

3pm Cascade Gardens

The Cascade Gardens seem to be a lesser known area to visit in Banff. And with so much to see and do, people may choose to skip this. But as a garden lover, I think it’s a real winner, even if just to let your kids run on the wild expanse of grass. Please DO NOT let your kids walk or run through the flower beds…a ton of work and money goes into keeping them look that good.

There are washrooms located in a building to the West end of the parking lot.

Even in fall, there are still some hardy flowers in bloom! And the colours are spot on for the season!

Like many buildings in Banff, the Parks Administration Office exudes charming detail!

Kids will love climbing up to this little path, and looking down to the garden and mountains! It’s like a little castle for them!

5pm Dinner Bear Street Tavern

Don’t be fooled by the “tavern” in the name, the Bear Street Tavern is totally kid friendly! Tables are closely placed so you could even call it cozy.

Photo credit: Bear Street Tavern

Next time when you come back with the kids, head upstairs to The Bison. Trust me on this one.

My fav? The vegetarian Grown Up Grilled Cheese with brie, aged cheddar, gouda, pesto, sourdough. Hungry kids will enjoy starting with the Grlic Cheese Fingers.

Photo credit: Bear Street Tavern

Note: reservations are not taken, but it’s worth any wait you might incur.