Where to see Wildlife in Banff National Park
You’ve planned your trip to Banff for months or years, you get off the plane and into your hotel, you’ve spent days looking for ‘The Boss’ but haven’t even seen a deer let alone the largest Grizzly in the park.
Below I will go through when to see wildlife and where to go to get the best chance of seeing the illusive creatures that call Banff home.
Firstly, Timing Matters.
So we will begin with:
Best time to see wildlife:
The best time to see wildlife by far is the Spring. While there is still snow in the alpine and the Valleys have thawed. During late April-June is when I will see 99% of all the wildlife I see throughout the year. Obviously you are less likely to see bears in the Winter, but immediately after they wake up you will encounter docile and roadside bears everywhere! munching on all the fresh dandelions that pop up on roadways in the park.
Peak of summer can be tricker to see wildlife however if you are out and about at dawn or dusk you improve your chances. not only are there less humans around, but this is prime time for wolves, bears, cougars, deer and elk before they seek refuge from the heat in the shade.
Winter can be a hard time to encounter wildlife, with deep snow and limited roads available you may think you are out of luck, however, because the roads that are open are plowed, wildlife will often use these as easier avenues for travel. Once again dawn and dusk are ideal but with lower numbers of tourists in the park during these winter months you can be lucky any time of day.
Fall is one of those times of year that can be hit or miss, with bears coming back down to the valley to feed up before hibernation, the elk rutting and snow often hitting the mountain peaks, you can often catch a magical moment with wildlife.
Where to Go
The Most asked question.. and honestly that can be tricky because wildlife are always on the move but I will share my favourite spots to see wildlife.
The Bow Valley Parkway - this road runs parallel to the main highway between Banff town and Lake Louise and especially in the Spring or Fall is known for bears. Specifically The Boss hangs out around Castle Mountain between April and May. but can be spotted here any time during the spring summer or fall.
Mt Norquay Access road - This winding 6km road up to Mt Norquay ski hill is very populated with deer, big horn sheep and during the warmer months mother bears with cubs.
Mother bears tend to pick steeper slopes to keep their young, and this spot is notorious for having mother bears with 3-5 cubs with them! take this road slow as wildlife can appear at any moment.Lake Minnewanka Loop - while this road gets packed through the day, early mornings and late evenings it dies off and the wildlife come out to play. Every single type of wildlife you could imagine can be spotted here from bears, lynx, cougars, wolves, deer, elk and the often annoying big horn sheep
Kananaskis Country - While not in Banff National Park, it straddles the side of it and is well worth the visit. Having the highest concentration of Grizzly Bears of anywhere in North America, a significant moose population and dirt roads so is less populated than Banff makes it an ideal spot to have a special moment with wildlife. For Moose around the Mt Engadine Lodge is my most reliable spot to see them, and for bears literally anywhere but close to Spray Lakes and Highwood pass seem to be pretty reliable.
The Banff Springs Golf Course - While through the day this course is inundated with avid golfers, around dawn or dusk the wildlife are everywhere. Any time during the warmer months is great to see wildlife here but the Fall is the best time to catch the Elk rutting. This is when the elk are mating and you will hear a chorus of bugles from the males as they fight to acquire their own herd of females. Be cautious however, the predators know about this spot as well, so you will likely see bears, wolves and maybe cougars down here as well. Not to mention elk during the rut can be incredibly unpredictable and aggressive.
Things to know
While you may want to get a shot of a bear or wolf, this national park is their home and they need to be treated with respect. Keep at least 100m away from any predators while out of your vehicle and 20+m away when in a vehicle.
Never approach or feed wildlife because this will lead to them associating humans with food and eventually their death.
always clean up after yourself and practice “leave no trace” by making sure your trash goes in a bear safe bin and no food scraps are left anywhere.
Even though in my years of living here I have had hundreds of encounters with wildlife it is still incredibly lucky to see them, so remember that if you do encounter them and treat them with the respect they deserve.
