Hot springs, turquoise lakes, and elk with the right of way
Banff sits inside Canada's oldest national park, a mountain town carved out of the Rockies after hot springs discovered by railway workers turned it into a spa destination in the 1880s. The Banff Springs Hotel, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to lure tourists onto its trains, still looms over the valley like a Scottish castle that took a wrong turn into Alberta. Turquoise glacial lakes, elk that wander through town like they own the place, and trailheads that start practically at Main Street give Banff an outdoor-access-to-everything reputation few towns can match. It's also a genuine four-season destination, with summer hikers and winter skiers trading the same postcard views depending on when you show up. For a town of about 8,000 permanent residents, Banff punches well above its weight in both scenery and tourist traffic.
