Banff National Park is famous for its surreally coloured lakes, majestic mountains and endless outdoor adventures. Canada’s first national park and the world’s third, it has a rich heritage as one of the world’s most awe-inspiring mountain destinations.

What makes Banff National Park so special is its easy access and close proximity to the vast unspoiled wilderness of the Canadian Rockies. The park spans 6,641 square kilometers (2,564 square miles) of mountainous terrain, packed with spectacularly scenic valleys, peaks, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers.

Lake Louise, Lake Minnewanka, and Moraine Lake to name just a few. The turquoise blue of the glacier-fed lakes, set against the evergreen forests and the majestic mountains, will make you gasp every time you set eyes on them.

Lake Louise is the must-see crown jewel on everyone’s list. It’s about a 30-minute drive from the town of Banff, still within the national park. From Banff, be sure to drive along the Bow Valley Parkway from Banff to Lake Louise for a much more scenic drive than the highway. If you’re lucky, you might just spy some wildlife like big-horned sheep or even a bear! At Lake Louise, you can horseback ride, hike, canoe, have lunch outside at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and of course, just sit lakeside and take in the natural beauty around you.

Moraine Lake is only a short drive from Lake Louise. Depending on your day’s activities, you could easily see both lakes on the same day. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake have hiking trails. Just be sure to pay attention to bear safety guidelines and alerts. Grizzly bears feed on fish in the streams near the trails so it’s best to carry bear spray and avoid closed trails.

Lake Minnewanka may not be as famous as Lake Louise or Moraine Lake but it’s an absolute gem! The lake is just 10 minutes by car from the town of Banff and makes for an easy first stop as you begin your day. There are hiking trails and picnic areas, as well as hour-long boat rides, where you can cruise along the 28-kilometer-long lake, learn about its history including a submerged settlement at the bottom of the lake, and capture up-close photos of the surrounding mountains.

Banff National Park is home to many different types of animals. Deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bears, grizzly bears, coyotes, and river otters to name a few.

Driving or biking the Minnewanka Loop is a popular spot to search out wildlife, in particular, groups of bighorn sheep are commonly seen near the lake parking lot, on the rocky cliffs near the road, and even on the road itself! Spotting a black bear or grizzly bear is on the top of the wildlife spotting list for most visitors to Banff National Park. This grizzly bear was not far from the road near Lake Louise. You can tell the difference between a grizzly bear and a black bear not by color, but by the characteristic hump grizzlies have by their shoulders.

The Banff Rocky Mountains surround the town with awesome jagged peaks that can be seen right from the town center. Cascade Mountain is the peak seen as you stroll along Banff Avenue in the Banff town center. Mount Rundle sits behind the Vermillion Lakes and completes the perfect sunrise photo over the water. And at sunset, brushstrokes of colors paint the sky with the mountain as its backdrop.

To fully appreciate the mountains in Banff National Park, take the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain for spectacular views of the valley in which the town of Banff sits, the mountains surrounding it, and, of course, the turquoise rivers and lakes that are part of the national park.