Tunnel Mountain
The stats
Time: 1.5 to 3 hours depending on fitness level and if you start from town or not!
Distance: 4.5 km return if you’re starting from the Tunnel Mountain Trailhead parking lot, 6.5 km if you’re starting from town.
Elevation Gain: 270 m from the parking lot but add an extra 100 m or so when starting from town.
How To Get To The Tunnel Mountain Trailhead
As you may have guessed this trail is walkable directly from the town of Banff as well as having a small trailhead parking lot on St Julien Road. As with most things Banff nowadays this is a popular hike and therefore the car park can often be full. Personally if you’re staying in a hotel on Banff Avenue it takes out a lot of the hassle if you walk directly from your hotel to the trail! This of course adds a little distance and time but saves you some stress and means you can easily stop for a well earned drink in town on the way back down!
The hike
Tunnel Mountain is the most accessible and popular trail in Banff national park, so much so that local Anne Ness was reported to have summited the trail over 8000 times in around 40 years - thats 200 times a year on average! The trail is well maintained and has a steady gradient so with a sensible pace the trail can be achieved by even the most inexperienced hikers and makes it a great family friendly activity. The mountain itself is situated right in the centre of Banff Town site with the Fairmont Banff springs and it’s golf course on one side and the town of Banff on the other. The mountain is also known as Sleeping Buffalo mountain and if you view Tunnel Mountain from afar you’ll be able to see why with its summits looking like the shoulder hump and head of a bison lying down. The mountain ended up being renamed when Canadian Pacific Rail had plans to blast a tunnel straight through the centre of it. Thankfully they came up with an alternative plan but the name ‘Tunnel Mountain’ still stands today.
As far as bang for your buck goes on a hike Tunnel Mountain is a fantastic one!
Once you’ve either driven or walked up to the trailhead at St Julien road you’ll follow an easy trail up through a couple of small switch backs until you hit Tunnel Mountain Drive as it intersects. There is also a very small amount of parking here but in all honesty it shaves off very little of the hike and it’s unlikely that you’ll find a spot. After all you’re out for a hike so why not just enjoy the fresh air and complete the whole trail!
Once you’ve crossed the road you’ll hit a couple of other switch backs and then gently traverse back and forth across the mountain side, here you get some great views of the famous Fairmont Banff Springs hotel as well as the bow valley and town below.
Just before the summit you’ll be treated to some great views of Mount Rundle and the golf course off the backside of Tunnel from one of several balcony like viewing points. It’s a fantastic spot to take a few photos as well as catch your breath. This side of the mountain is also home to lots of climbing routes so you may very well spot a climber or two on the neighbouring walls. Be sure to not throw anything over the edge as there could very well be people below!
The view from the backside of Tunnel Mountain
Just a short walk further along the trail and you’ll find yourself at the summit where you can enjoy the view back across the valley whilst sitting in some of those iconic Canadian Red Chairs!
As for photography there are some great pictures to be had from all view points in both directions! I’ve enjoyed some great sunsets up on Tunnel Mountain and sat watching the sun come down and lights go on in the town below. This is a hike that I do regularly and a go to trail to take family, friends and visitors of all shapes, ages and sizes on!
The view across the Bow Valley from the top of Tunnel Mountain
Things to know
Winter Conditions
Tunnel Mountain trail is open year round but in the winter can be incredibly slippery. If there is snow on the ground in town then this trail will be covered in ice. It sees a lot of foot traffic which can result in the trail compacting and becoming harder and slicker. If you’re hiking in the winter months I highly recommend either buying or renting some micro spikes so you don’t spend the whole hike glued to the hand rails on the steeper sections!
Wildlife
Even though this trail is close to town you could easily come across some wildlife on your hike. Now bears are unlikely here but certainly not unheard of so as always be bear aware and hike in groups. You are however much more likely to come across dear or an elk or two. A lot of these animals are relatively habituated to humans meaning they aren’t necessarily going to actively avoid you as they’re used to human presence. Even though they might appear docile and friendly they are wild animals and hikers have been injured by getting too close to deer or elk in the past so be respectful and keep your distance if you do come across any wildlife.
Tunnel Mountain is one of many locations in my downloadable, offline Canadian Rockies Photography Location Guide. Over 100 locations with GPS coordinates!
Check Trail Conditions Before You Go: Trail conditions in the Rockies can change month to month and year to year. Trails close for wildlife, weather and avalanche hazards. Be sure to double check trail conditions before heading out to avoid any disappointment. You can do so here!
Leave No Trace: When hiking anywhere in the world it’s important that you practice a leave no trace philosophy. This means whatever you hike in to a trail or campground you have to be able to hike out too. There won’t be trash cans or waste disposal in the backcountry and you should never throw trash in any out houses or pit toilets. In recent years, as trails and parks become busier, litter is becoming more of a problem. Don’t add to that problem!
Offline maps knowing where you’re going is super important as to not get lost. I recommend All Trails Plusfor finding routes and offline mapping allowing you to safely find your way home.
Interested in other multi-day hikesin the Canadian Rockies or maybe day hikes?
Photography Location Guides
Tunnel Mountain features in my Canadian Rockies Photography Location Guide. These guides offer over 100 photography and composition locations in the Canadian Rockies with GPS coordinates to help you easily navigate to the exact location!
