While visiting the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park in the summer, it’s wise to mimic the natives and choose the Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola and Standish Chairlift over the overhyped Banff Gondola.
Just 20 minutes from downtown Banff, Sunshine Village offers glorious upper-valley views complete with hiking trails through meadows and wildflowers. Our visit there in August left us awestruck.
In the summer when skiing is shut down and hiking takes over, Sunshine Village is also referred to as Sunshine Meadows. The name is apropos. The high-elevation peaks enjoy exceptional exposure to sunlight, and the alpine meadows are Canada’s highest and most expansive accessible to sightseers.
The altitude of more than 7,000 feet offers hikers and walkers sweeping, panoramic vistas of mountains and lakes. But the trails through the meadows separates Sunshine from its competitors.
A network of 6½ miles of maintained hiking trails meanders through an amazingly varied ecosystem. The main interpretive loop connects three alpine lakes, covering more than 4½ miles.
Sunshine Meadows enables exercisers to go from alpine to subalpine to the valley floor without a helicopter and without spending hours and hours hiking. Easy routes with stunning views are abundant; the level of difficulty is up to the individual.
Along the way, walkers delight in an ever-changing biome and environment. Also, with every step they take to the lower level, the wind decreases.
While following the meandering trails on Mount Standish, walkers encounter the native wildflower fireweed, known for its tall stalks of bright pink and magenta blossoms. They gaze at various species of daisies, glacier lilies, alpine forget-me-nots, and other flowers among a landscape of open meadows scattered with alpine larch, spruce, fir, and pine trees.
After the gondola ride to the village, sightseers visit a tent for education and guidance before taking the Mount Standish Express chairlift to the top of the meadows, where they can embark on a self-guided hike. A dozen staff members with different areas of expertise are always out on the trails to answer questions (every morning, they also scout for bears to ensure the visitors’ safety). Sightseers may also purchase a two-hour hosted trail walk led by one of the trail hosts. This option enables the conveyance of fascinating, detailed information about the history and ecology of the sights from longtime experts.
Hiking season lasts through Sept. 20.
After that, it’s back to world-renowned skiing. Banff Village receives Canada’s best snow because it is at a higher elevation, producing fresh, fluffier snow. Banff Village features the country’s longest nonglacial skiing season.
Skiing at Sunshine Village takes place atop Mount Standish, Goat’s Eye Mountain, and Lookout Mountain, which features Delirium Dive, one of North America’s most formidable and daunting freeride zones. In all, Sunshine Village boasts 137 ski runs of various styles, a second freeride zone called the Wild West, back-country skiing, and much more.
Unlike many other skiing locations, it is very apparent that Sunshine Village eschews the corporate vibe in favor of a family-friendly atmosphere. This place has been run by the same family for 45 years, and before that it was predominantly family-run since its inception in the 1920s. Sunshine counts how many daily hikers walk the trails, and the resort embraces preservation as a core value.
The Sunshine Mountain Lodge is quite charming, and restaurants, lounges, and cafes are tastefully integrated into the experience. Mad Trapper’s Saloon offers great food (including killer maple bacon cheeseburgers and poutine) and features historic photos throughout the 1928-built log-cabin-themed pub. The saloon is named after legendary local skier Jerry Kernan, aka “Trapper Jerry,” who was a mountain fixture and skied down the Delirium Dive on his 95th birthday.
Let the sun shine in and incorporate this treasure into your vacation plans.
The Banff Sunshine Sightseeing Gondola is open during summer season (through Sept. 20) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with the Standish Chairlift quitting at 5 p.m. For more information, including details on skiing, visit www.skibanff.com.
Credit for all photos: Sunshine Village