Tunnel Mountain Hike | Banff

After spending several days driving in a car, it felt really good to pump that blood around and do a hike. If you have time for just one quickie hike while in Banff, or you're not crazy about climbing mountains, this one's for you. We walked to the trailhead of the Tunnel Mountain Hike from the center of downtown Banff. There are some pretty steep switchbacks for a bit, but it just means you'll get high up faster. From the top, you'll get to look out on both sides of the mountain ridge, see a great perspective of the town of Banff happily tucked in a valley, and a view of the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel surrounded by endless woods. Our reward at the end of the day—hotdogs and tomato soup for dinner. Nothing better than a warm bowl of soup as daylight slips away. - Julia Tunnel Mountain Hike (source) Time: 2-3 hours  Distance: 4.3 km (2.7 miles) round-trip  Level of Difficulty: Easy/moderate Elevation Gain: 300 m (948 feet)  Starting Point: In downtown Banff, from the southern end of Banff Ave., turn east on Buffalo St. (turns into Wolverine) to St. Julien Rd. Trailhead begins on north side of St. Julien Rd.