Banff National Park

Banff National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Moraine Lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks
Location of Banff National Park
Location	Alberta's Rockies, Alberta, Canada
Nearest town	Located within Banff National Park: Banff Castle Junction Lake Louise Nearest town outside of Banff National Park: Canmore
Coordinates	51°30′N 116°00′W / 51.5°N 116.0°W / 51.5; -116.0
Area	6,641 km2 (2,564 sq mi)
Established	1885
Visitors	3,609,639[1] (in 2014/15)
Governing body	Parks Canada
World Heritage site	304
Website	Official website

Banff National Park (French: Parc national Banff) is the oldest national park in Canada. It was first started in 1885. It is in the Canadian Rockies, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary, Alberta. The park has an area of around 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi).^[2] The park has mountains, glaciers, and ice fields. There is also a large coniferous forest. The main town near to the park is Banff. Banff is one of the seven parks in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.^[3]

View from the top of Sulphur Mountain, showing Banff and the nearby areas

1. ↑ "Parks Canada Attendance 2010–11 to 2014–15". Parks Canada. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
2. ↑ "The Mountain Guide – Banff National Park" (PDF). Parks Canada. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2006.
3. ↑ "Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site". UNESCO. Retrieved 16 August 2020.