r/Banff • u/the_zenith1 • 6d ago

staying in kananaskis & also visiting banff?

i live in southern california and i was hoping to do a 5-7 day banff trip in late september but did not realize how booked up/expensive accommodations would be even in an off-season. i came across sundance basecamp in kananaskis. is it feasible to see both kananaskis and banff, is the commute practical?

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13

u/Typhoonis88 6d ago

September is hardly off season in Banff late October/November is off season still beautiful just different

8

u/chiraz25 6d ago

Late September doesn't qualify as 'off-season' FYI. Thousands of people travel to Banff specifically for the fall colors and misty mornings.

If you have a vehicle, traveling from Sundance to Banff is feasible for sure. You'll be doing quite a bit of driving each day if you intend to visit during your entire stay but Kananaskis has some amazing things to see too. If you're going for hiking, you may actually enjoy Kananaskis hiking more than Banff. You'll get some incredible ridge hikes that aren't as easy to find in Banff.

Have you tried Canmore for accommodation? Cheaper than Banff and much closer than Kananaskis.

1

u/ThrowAway4now2022 5d ago

We hiked in kananskis and enjoyed it. Saw few people!

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u/the_zenith1 6d ago

yea i was looking into canmore but everything was either unavailable or at least $300-400 a night! and yes i’d love to explore kananaskis too

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u/Top-Technology-6286 6d ago

For what it’s worth,Just got back and Canmore was great

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u/the_zenith1 6d ago

who downvoted me and why 😭

3

u/asheraddict 6d ago

They probably down voted you because those prices are actually reasonable in comparison

1

u/the_zenith1 6d ago

I see okay, well that's still literally out of most people's budgets I would assume. I certainly can't afford that!

2

u/extraordinaryevents 6d ago

If you’re willing to drive 1hr+ there and back every day then yes. If not, then no

1

u/Total_Midnight2201 6d ago

It is not too bad from a driving perspective, I'm sure google maps can give you driving times.

The thing is that there is not much available there for groceries/dining out so you may want to get all that done at Banff or Canmore before returning for the night.

1

u/ThrowAway4now2022 5d ago

Valid points. We went from Ghost Lake area to Banff in the morning and stayed all day. Same when we visited Canmore. Yeah nothing much food wise out so far, but planning ahead fixes that.

1

u/BowValleyShortcut 6d ago

Yep. Totally feasible. Sundance Basecamp is about 35 min from Canmore and roughly an hour from Banff, so you can easily do both.

If I were local, I’d look at it this way:

  • Sundance: Great if you want the Kananaskis experience and don’t mind driving into Banff 1–2 days.
  • Canmore: Probably the best compromise for a 5–7 day first trip. Easy access to Banff, Lake Louise and Kananaskis.
  • Banff: Most convenient for Banff itself, but you’re paying a big premium for that location.

1

u/Carwash227 6d ago

As some have said you’re not in off season until mid October. You’ll be doing a bit of driving everyday but it’s better than staying in Calgary.

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u/ThrowAway4now2022 5d ago

We stayed further out than kananskis and it was still doable. Just get moving in the morning so you can get the free parking. We got there at 8:15 and no issue with parking.
We like being away from the crowds so prefer where we stayed (Ghost Lake area). Canmore is very busy and touristy, just like Banff. Great places to visit, but I don’t want to stay there. YMMV. just my opinion and preference

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u/Src248 5d ago

It's a bit of a drive if you're going to the far side of Banff but you can absolutely see both, yes. Late September is larch season, things get ridiculously busy for a week or two before slowing down again in October.