Tunnel Mountain
The easiest peak to summit near Banff town, a round trip of about 1.5–2 hours, with views over the town and the Bow Valley from the top.
Tunnel Mountain stands about 1,692 metres and is the most accessible summit near Banff town. Indigenous peoples called it 'the Sleeping Buffalo'. Its name comes from 19th-century railway surveyors who planned to bore a tunnel through it, though it was never built. The trailhead is on St. Julien Road east of town. The one-way distance is about 2.4 km with about 260 metres of climbing. Switchbacks take 1.5–2 hours round trip. From the summit you can see Banff Avenue, Fairmont Banff Springs, the Bow Valley and Mount Rundle. It suits an evening after arrival or an early-morning warm-up hike. Admission is free. In winter the trail is icy and requires microspikes.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Bow Falls
- Fairmont Banff Springs
- Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
- Banff Town
- Banff Upper Hot Springs
- Banff Gondola (Sulphur Mountain)
- Banff Hoodoos Viewpoint
- Cave and Basin National Historic Site