Experiences in the park
Banff National Park
Want to discover more about the uniqueness of the area’s natural and cultural heritage? Friendly and knowledgeable interpreters are here to share the stories of Parks Canada’s protected places.
*Please note, dates may change with little or no notice
Guided hikes and walks
Join Parks Canada interpreters on guided hikes and walks.
Learn more about local species at risk, conservation efforts and human history. Get an insider’s look at Parks Canada’s ecological restoration projects and find out how you can help.
The Banff Area
Métis Plant Identification Walk
Enjoy a leisurely walk to identify local plants from an Indigenous perspective. Learn how plants of the Rocky Mountains are used for food & medicine by Alberta's Métis communities, with stories from a Métis herbalist. The gentle pace of this tour is suitable for most participants & their families. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
Saturdays
Raven’s Nest Theatre, Tunnel Mountain Campground Village I
June 24, July 8, and August 26
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sundays
Welcome Building at the Cave & Basin National Historic Site
June 25, July 9, and August 27
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Free with national park entry fee
The Lake Louise Area
Hidden Lake
This spectacular hike starts off with a shuttle ride that will trim the 18 km trail down to a family-friendly 10 km. Head gently up the valley through wildflowers and larch trees. Discover the smaller pieces that make up the grand mosaic of this distinct landscape and its ecosystem and why every piece matters. Learn what unique methods Park’s Canada scientists are using towards protection and recovery of westslope cutthroat trout, a species at risk.
Learn moreThere are even more guided hikes you can join in Yoho National Park.
Evening theatre programs
Evening programs start June 30!
Join us for an evening program! Programs are available to everyone, and you don't need to be staying in a campground to join in the fun. Parking is limited at the campgrounds, consider taking Roam Public Transit.
These programs are included with your national park entry fee.
The Banff Area
Raven's Nest Theatre
Tunnel Mountain Campground Village 1
Thursdays to Sundays
7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
A Quagga Carol: An “almost” ghost story
Based on Dickens’ classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, three ghosts guide a paddleboarder to take action to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering Banff’s waterways.
Flight Club: Banff’s Best Squawk Show!
Attend a live talk show featuring a vivid dancer damselfly, a little brown bat, and a black swift as they share their tales of survival in Banff National Park. .
Fired Up for Change
Learning from the past and looking to the future, Parks Canada staff explore how fire can help us prepare and plan for a changing landscape.
Wild Ways: An adventure in Banff National Park
Follow an eager visitor to Banff as they encounter local wildlife and learn how to keep this special place wild.
Speaker Series: Staying Safe and Having Fun in Bear Country
July 12 and August 6 (Raven’s Nest Theatre)
Join Emma Russell from the Parks Canada Resource Conservation team, as she shares how to recreate safely, respecting wildlife habitat in Banff National Park.
Mountain WIT’s Greatest Hits!
July 19 and August 16 (Raven’s Nest Theatre)
Join Parks Canada’s award-winning musical troupe as they share songs and stories from their ‘wild’ repertoire of previous shows and recorded hits. Sing along, tap your toes and you might learn something too!
Wolf's Den Theatre
Tunnel Mountain Campground Village 2
Thursdays to Sundays
7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
A Quagga Carol: An “almost” ghost story
Based on Dickens’ classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, three ghosts guide a paddleboarder to take action to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering Banff’s waterways.
Flight Club: Banff’s Best Squawk Show!
Attend a live talk show featuring a vivid dancer damselfly, a little brown bat, and a black swift as they share their tales of survival in Banff National Park. .
Fired Up for Change
Learning from the past and looking to the future, Parks Canada staff explore how fire can help us prepare and plan for a changing landscape.
Wild Ways: An adventure in Banff National Park
Follow an eager visitor to Banff as they encounter local wildlife and learn how to keep this special place wild.
Bear's Den Theatre
Johnston Canyon Campground
Mondays and Wednesdays
7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
A Quagga Carol: An “almost” ghost story
Based on Dickens’ classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, three ghosts guide a paddleboarder to take action to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering Banff’s waterways.
Flight Club: Banff’s Best Squawk Show!
Attend a live talk show featuring a vivid dancer damselfly, a little brown bat, and a black swift as they share their tales of survival in Banff National Park. .
The Lake Louise Area
Lake Louise Campground
Lake Louise Campground
Daily
8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Aquatics Arena
Tuesdays and Fridays
Come down one and all and see the sporting event of the season. Tonight, you will witness the Westslope Cutthroat Trout battle against the Rainbow Trout team in an intense game of “Aquatics Arena”.
Bear Necessities
Sundays
Come one, come all for activity night at the campground theatre! Learn about wildlife in the park and how we can keep them and us safe.
The Great Banff Burn Off
Saturdays
Get ready to turn up the heat in The Great Banff Burn Off! Get a taste for the regenerative role of fire in the ecosystem as you compete in three fire creation challenges.
Wolverine Mystery Theatre
Mondays and Wednesdays
Who has seen a wolverine? Gather clues and solve challenges to discover the secret lives of the mysterious wolverines in Banff National Park.
Wildlife Survivor
Thursdays
You have to be tough to survive here! Find out what makes the wildlife of Banff National Park the ultimate survivors in a campground geocaching challenge!
Waterfowl Campground
Waterfowl Campground
Saturdays
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wolverine Operation
Saturdays
The doggedly determined and fiercely independent wolverine is on the operation table and needs our help! Lend a hand in saving this species at risk and supporting their survival in the park.
*Some dates may change with little or no notice
Learning Experiences and Drop in Programs
Interpreters will be sharing messages about species at risk, fire management, aquatic invasive species and how to keep wildlife wild and alive in locations across the park.
Peaks and Pines
Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk
Tuesdays - Drop by between 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Free with national park entry fee
Join Parks Canada interpreters at the top of Sulphur Mountain for a drop-in program where you can see the endangered Whitebark Pine in real life! Learn about its unique role in the ecosystem and why this special tree is endangered.
Cool, Clean and Connected: Bringing Life back to Cascade Creek
Cascade Ponds Day-Use Area – Look for Parks Canada interpreters
Saturdays - 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Free with national park entry fee
Get your hands wet as Park Interpreters share the story of Cascade Creek. Learn about what makes great trout habitat, identify aquatic insects from the creek, and how you can ‘leave no trace’ at Cascade Ponds. Please wear weather appropriate clothing.
Mountain World Heritage Interpretive Theatre
Parks Canada’s award-winning interpretive theatre troupe! Mountain WHIT makes the stories of Banff National Park come to life with hilarious sketches, catchy songs, fascinating stories, clever puppet shows, and interactive exhibits!
These programs are included with your national park entry fee.
Wildlife Rules Musical Show
At the Louis Trono Gazebo, Banff Central Park
Noon until 12:45 p.m.
Free with national park entry fee
July 14, 21, 28
August 4, 11, 18, 25
September 1
Bring a picnic lunch and relax on the lawn while Parks Canada’s theatre troupe, Mountain WIT, entertains all ages with catchy and clever tunes.
Pop-up Puppet Theatre
At the corner of Banff Avenue and Buffalo Street, under the big green tent
1:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. (Shows on the hour and half-hour)
Free with national park entry fee
July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
August 5, 12, 19, 26
September 2
A Beary, Berry Good Day – A 10 minute storybook puppet show about the little grizzly, Ursa, and her adventures in Banff National Park.
Fish Wish You Swish – A 10 minute puppet show about keeping park waters healthy.
Living With Wildlife Interpreters
These specialized interpreters are here to help you have safe experiences in our parks. Discover more about backcountry safety, human-wildlife coexistence, aquatic invasive species and more. Living With Wildlife Interpreters can be found at busy trail heads, day use areas and on the road, patrolling for wildlife jams.
Learn more about wildlife safety!
Bear Aware in Banff National Park
Stewart Canyon Trailhead at Lake Minnewanka
Thursdays 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays 1:00 p.m. - 3: 00 p.m.
(programs run every 30 minutes)
Join Living With Wildlife interpreters to learn all about Banff’s bears and how to stay safe while exploring Banff National Park. Share your experiences, learn how to use bear spray, and discover how these incredible animals live. This program is suitable for all ages.
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