After reviewing 1,500 pictures taken in the Canadian Rockies, this emerged as my personal favorite.
Now this place is certainly not world famous like Lake Louise, or a Canadian favorite like Moraine Lake, or possess the eye-catching turquoise blue of Peyto Lake. To me this is a breathtaking location that strikes the right balance between the spectacular beauty that everyone expects of the Canadian Rockies, with the ruggedness and hidden power of nature that can catch anyone by surprise.
Where's this place? It is a sub-alpine plateau of 2,200m elevation, an enchanted kingdom of 360-degree panoramas, summer wildflowers and wildlife, yet easily accessible through a shuttle bus service.
While locals rate it as one of the best hiking grounds near Banff, it seems to have remained under the radar of most visitors. Some tourists are deterred by the lack of public road access, but richly rewarded are those willing to pay for the privilege of arriving at some of the most photogenic alpine scenery anywhere.
This mountain-top is known locally by two names, depending on the time of year. From November through early May, cable gondolas whisk skiers and snowboarders to the Canadian Rockies' largest ski resort known as Sunshine Village. But from mid-June to late September, gondolas give way to a shuttle bus and the mountain transforms into a hiker's wonderland known as Sunshine Meadows.
10 metres of annual snowfall melts away in the early summer, revealing a well-maintained network of trails and footpaths that wind past lush green meadows and emerald-colored lakes. Hiking season is short and dramatic, beginning with residual snow in June, an explosion of wildflowers in July and August, and the brilliance of Autumn foliage in September.
There are two ways of getting to Sunshine Meadows -- either hike uphill for 2 hours from the base of the winter gondola, or take a 15 minute shuttle bus ride. Regular price for the shuttle bus is $26, but at the time of writing you can apply for a free Travel Alberta Card prior to your trip and get a 15% discount by simply flashing your card.
Wild creatures large and small inhabit this pristine plateau. Not only is the meadows known to be one of the prime grizzly bear habitats in Banff National Park, the entire mountain seems to be a giant colony of hundreds of thousands of ground squirrels. This one in particular wanted to make friends with my water bottle.
It was also the beginning of wildflower season when we visited in mid-July, with fascinating alpine flowers of every color springing from the snow-irrigated wetlands along the trails. Bright red Indian Paintbrushes and bushy Western Anemones were most prominent during our visit in mid-July.
If you can time your visit in August, Sunshine Meadows organizes a Wildflower Week every year with guided interpretive hikes and photography workshops. Even if you can't, the brilliant hues of alpine lichens and a plethora of wildflowers are there to guide you along the trails all summer.
The main trails range from easy to moderate in difficulty, and a trail map can be downloaded from the official site. We rode the 11:00 bus to the Nature Centre at the top, took the Rock Isle Trail to the Rock Isle Viewpoint for a picnic around noon, hiked up to the Standish Viewpoint after lunch, then looped around the lakes on the Garden Path Trail before returning to the Nature Centre in time for the 16:30 bus down the mountain.
This easy 10km hike was certainly our most memorable in the Canadian Rockies, though the more adventurous may prefer to use Sunshine Meadows as a launching point for serious hikes along the Continental Divide. Regardless of your fitness level, just remember to bring your camera -- it's just impossible not to come home with satisfying pictures.
