On my last trip to Banff, we opted to stay at the Castle Mountain Chalets. While many people on weekend trips to the mountains stay in the famous Banff Village, we wanted to get away from the tourist track. We wanted to stay somewhere a bit more rustic while still being a comfortable escape to relax! And Castle Mountain Chalets is the perfect place for all that. This little gem is hidden away in the forest beneath the silhouette of the iconic Castle Moutain. While it still provides easy access to everything you want to see and do in Banff, it manages to feel like a completely secluded oasis.
Castle Mountain Chalets is located at the base of Castle Mountains in the Canadian Rockies. Castle Mountain Chalets is located just 1 hour and 40 minutes from Calgary, making it the perfect place to visit on a weekend trip. Their chalets boast panoramic views of Castle Mountain, Storm Mountain and the Sawback, Misty and Bow Ranges.
From Castle Mountain Chalets, you have easy access to many of the most popular spots in Banff.
One of the best parts of visiting Castle Mountain Chalets is the deep history locked into the property. The original Chalets were built in 1939 and named “Castle Mountain Bungalows.” The owners chose the location as it was the intersection of the roads to Radium Hot Springs and the main highway. In addition to the Chalets, they provided an essential gas station stop for travellers going through the park. Still to this day, this is one of the only places to gas up midway through the road to Banff. Spread throughout the property are various vintage gas pumps on display. Almost like a de facto museum.
Castle Mountain is the easternmost mountain of the Main Ranges in the Bow Valley. The mountain sits across the Castle Mountain Fault. The fault was responsible for thrusting older sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that formed the upper part of the mountains. These formations covered younger rocks, giving them the appearance of a castle. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector for that very palace-like appearance.
One of the most famous historic landmarks is the nearby Castle Mountain Internment Camp. During World War I, any persons deemed “enemy aliens” or suspected enemy sympathizers were sent to internment camps. These prisoners were confined to mainly outdoor camps around Banff National Park. It was with the forced labour by these prisoners that much of Banff National Park was built. Whenever you drive along the road or walk through a hiking trail, chances are these areas were built by prisoners. A beautiful memorial to the victims of this internment camp can still be found just a 5-minute drive from the Castle Mountains Chalets. It is definitely worth a trip to learn more about this piece of unknown Canadian history.
Castle Mountains Chalets offers various different room types and chalets. The most popular option is their amazing one and two-bedroom chalets. These are perfect for large families as they are spacious enough to feel like a home away from home. These chalets marry rustic comfort and relaxing elegance.
The chalets feature a full kitchen, an open living room with pull-out queen sofa, and a large wooden dining table. The dining table sits perfectly in front of the fireplace where you can sit and enjoy a warm burning fire. Fresh wood is brought to your room daily. Fireplaces are located in every suite as the Chalets are open year-round. Even in the summer, it can get pretty chilly in the morning, so these fireplaces are indeed a wonder to have!
The entire Chalet is made of wood, but it never feels too dark with the gorgeous skylights providing pool of light from above. And these skylights allow you to stargaze at night without ever having to brave the cold. All the chalets are all pet-friendly, so this means you can bring along your furry friends. Most of the trails allow for dogs on leashes. So it’s an excellent opportunity for a memorable trip with the pups.
The Mountain View Suites are located inside their large central lodge. These suites offer beautiful balconies facing the mountains where you can sit and enjoy your morning coffee. The bedroom has one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in; it was like falling into a cloud! Plus, the bedroom is large enough to fit an entire dresser, so if you’re staying for a longer amount of time, you’ll really feel at home.
The soaker jacuzzi tubs were the selling point for me! Sittig in the tub after a long day of hiking was the perfect way to unwind. The suites come with a full kitchen with pretty much everything you need to pack your picnics or dine at home. The living room also features a pull-out couch to fit more people if you are a larger party. The Mountain View Suite is not suitable for pets, but this means if you have any allergies, they are perfect for you.
The Mountain Pine Chalet and the Classic Cedar Chalet are both fantastic options for couples. Unlike the other Chalets, which have separate bedrooms, these Chalets feature one open room. Much like a bachelor’s apartment with the bed right in the centre of the living room. They are much smaller in size but still contain amenities of the other Chalets. The only other difference is that the bathrooms in these suites are much smaller and do not have a large jacuzzi tub. But for those who aren’t into bathing, you won’t even notice the difference.
Castle Mountain Chalets is located right beside the train tracks. While the trains run pretty infrequently, they do pass by and are extremely loud. We were definitely awoken by the trains as they passed at night. But if you’re not a light sleeper like us, you should be fine. Ask the front desk when you check-in for a Chalet father away from the tracks if you you’re a light sleeper.
In 2020, the Chalets updated their amazing General Store. Although this facelift has modernized the offerings inside, they kept the adorable vintage and historic decorations. This makes the shop feel like an old-fashioned general store. If you’ve ever been camping as a child (or an adult), you’ll remember one of the best parts of the trip after is a visit to the Tuck Shop or General store. As a kid, I always loved taking my allowance to buy weird, obscure candy that only ever seemed to exist inside these campground general stores.
And the Castle Mountain General Store is truly one of the best ones I’ve ever visited. Not only is there a vast, eclectic candy selection, but there is also so much more! They, of course, have lots of essential camping and hiking items like bug spray, bear spray, gas cans, and firewood. But they also have a superb selection of fresh, raw meat to cook back at your Chalet. Or on one of their open BBQs.
If you don’t feel like cooking, they also have a vast selection of pre-made meals that can be eaten cold or require minimal reheating. These meals are also great picnic items to bring with you on a hike. I had their egg salad and am happy to say it was delicious and as fresh as homemade! They also offer these fantastic BBQ packages, including hot dogs, buns, marshmallows, roasting sticks and 4 handcrafted Grizzly Paw Sodas. Perfect for an instant campfire meal! All for just $25!
Although most people make their way to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake on a trip out to Banff, there is so much to see and do right around Castle Mountain!
The Bow Valley Parkway is a 48-kilometre secondary highway that runs parallels to the Trans-Canada Highway. It connects Banff to Lake Louise. Before the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway, it was the main highway between the two towns. Many people choose to cycle along the Bow Valley Parkway as vehicle speed is limited to 60 km/h. Not only is it safer for bike riders, it almost means the noise is reduced as well. So all in all a more peaceful ride. There are several roadside pull-outs where you can enjoy stunning views across the Bow Valley and Bow River.
A bike ride to the Storm Mountain Lookout or the Ukrainian Internment Camp Memorial is just a short 16-minute ride down the road. So even inexperienced riders will see so much along the road without a tremendous amount of effort. The road is mostly flat and easy to navigate as you go. If you don’t have your own bike, the Chalet rents them out for just $15 for up to four hours!
As previously mentioned, just a short 5-minute drive or 10-minute bike road along the Bow Valley Parkway is the amazing Storm Mountain viewpoint. A handful of picnic tables are dotted above the beautiful Bow River, with the shadow of the great Storm Mountain looming across the river. There are a few interpretive signs along the edge which identify the different landmarks along the ridgeline.
Best of all is the train tracks which run along the river’s edge making for such an iconic photograph. Many people think you need to go all the way to Lake Louise of Moraine Lake to see the iconic turquoise waters but so many parts of the Bow are just as ethereal and saturated!
A further minute down the road in the car or 5-minutes by bike is the Castle Mountain Internment Camp Memorial. One of the most unspoken parts of Banff’s history was that early work to build the infrastructure of the park was done mainly by prisoners of the nearby Castle Mountian internment camp. The camp was established in 1915 and contained a total of 660 “enemy aliens” of WWI. This included primarily Ukrainian immigrants who were sent here due to their home country being a part of the Austro-Hungary empire. It was later proved that almost none of these prisoners had any collusion with soldiers on the other side of the world.
The primary purpose was to use forced labour to push the Banff highway on through to Lake Louise. The small memorial here is dedicated to the Ukrainian prisoners. While very small, it is a worthwhile visit if you’re in the area, as this part of Canadian history is too often overlooked.
Many people accessing Castle Mountain Chalets will cross the Castle Mountain Bridge, over the Bow River. Take a walk down the road to the bridge on foot as it is one of the most scenic places in the area. On the other side of the bridge, there is a gorgeous view of the Castle mountains framed above the turquoise Bow River. We loved coming down to the river after a day of hiking with our packaged sandwiches. Sitting by the river, relaxing to the sound of the rushing waters, is the perfect way to end the day.
3-minutes down the road from the Chalets is the entrance to the Rockbound Lake Trail. From the trailhead, you can take one of three hikes of varying difficulty. The easiest is the Silverton Falls trail which is only 1.8 km return. The track does switchback along some steep pathways, so you should still be wearing good walking shoes. And always carry bear spray even if you think the trail is not intensive. Bear can be found deep into the forest or just by the roadside. The Silverton Falls trail leads you directly to an incredible, two-tiered waterfall that cascades over a series of narrow ledges. From the peak of the path, you also get beautiful views out of the forest around you.
If you are looking for a more difficult day hike, you can take the Tower Lake Trail which is 16 km return. The Tower Lake trail offers gorgeous views of the forest and lots of great chances to see wildlife along the way. The first half of the path is pretty tough as you gain elevation, but as you reach the plateau the stunning backside of Castle Mountian is slowly revealed. Tower Lake will creep into view, surrounded by the shadow of Eisenhower Tower. If you are still full of energy, you can continue along the Rockbound Lake trail. The Rockbound lake trail is another 1.9 km and culminates at the beautiful Rockbound Lake glacial cirque.
Just 8-minutes down the road from the Chalets is Johnston Canyon. Johnston Canyon is an unbelievable hike with such an accessible trail. The elevated catwalk takes you into the canyon towards the mighty falls carved into the ancient limestone cliffs. You have the option of simply hiking to the lower part of the falls, which is a short 2.3 km return hike or continue on towards the upper fall’s viewpoints which is a 5.1 km hike. Thankfully, both options are very walkable for most people, even inexperienced hikers. The trail is also well-populated, with benches along the way if you want to stop and rest while enjoying the majesty all around you.
If you visit during the winter, the Castle Mountain Chalets provides visitors with 20+ km of groomed trails for snowshoers. Their dedicated professional grooming equipment produces a firm and immaculately groomed surfaces for anyone wanting to explore trails at the foot of Castle Mountian. If you’ve never been snowshoeing before, this is an excellent opportunity to give it a try! The General Store rents out snowshoes for just $15 for up to two hours. The perfect amount of time to get a taste of snowshoeing!
The Lake Louise Park and Ride shuttle lot is located just down the road from the Chalets. The Park and Ride Shuttle will take you directly to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake in under 25 minutes! With no need to worry about finding that impossible to find a parking spot! So many trips to Lake Louise have been ruined when you show up and can’t find a parking spot. But no more! Tickets on the shuttle must be booked in advance to ensure you reserve yourself a place on the bus. But after you have your spot booked, your trip to these iconic destinations is bound to be stress-free!
All in all, there really is no better place to stay in Banff than the historic Castle Mountian Chalets! It’s the perfect place to get away from it all, relax, unwind and discover the incredible treasures which make up the Canadian Rockies. Let me know in the comments where you’re most looking forward to exploring on your next trip to Banff!
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