Thank you for your patience while we retrieve your images.
71 photos

Shawn and James stopped to take in the view of Mount Rundle from the rest area.Shawn and James stopped to take in the view of Mount Rundle from the rest area.
Canmore-Banff Legacy Trail Cycling
Canmore and Banff National Park, Alberta
July 31, 2016


We wanted to cycle a bit more of the Legacy Trail than the normal 50km we do from Canmore to Banff and back, so Jenn drove Shawn and James to the Mount Norquay Road at the Trans-Canada Highway. So instead of starting in Canmore, we started at the bottom of the Mount Norquay Hill.

We began by heading west from Banff, on the portion of the Legacy Trail that we had never been on before. Almost as soon as we started, it began to rain! Luckily we brought along jackets to keep the rain off. Fortunately the rain only lasted 10 minutes or so, and the weather improved after that!

At the Bow Valley Parkway interchange at Highway 1, the Legacy Trail abruptly ends on the interchange ramp. We took the Bow Valley Parkway up to the entrance sign, took a few photos, and then headed back east. Between the Bow Valley Parkway and Banff the trail goes in and out of the wildlife exclusion fence beside Highway 1 a couple of times - both times you need to dismount to open and close the gate as you ride through. Once in Banff, there's no obvious signage on how to continue to Canmore. We weaved along some residential streets until we got to Banff Avenue where the Legacy Trail begins again on the way to Canmore.

Between Banff and Canmore we stopped at the rest area and took in some views of Mount Rundle, and sat in Parks Canada's Red Chairs. It looked like the weather might blow in some rain again, so we didn't spend too much time before making the final 10 kilometres back to Canmore.

Trip length: 40.2km
Total Ascent/Descent: +310m/-410m
Shawn and James at the entrace to the Bow Valley Parkway.Shawn and James at the entrace to the Bow Valley Parkway.Shawn and James at the entrace to the Bow Valley Parkway.Shawn and James at the entrace to the Bow Valley Parkway.We biked from the end of the Legacy Trail to the start of the Bow Valley Parkway, and then turned around and headed back to Canmore.Shawn and James checking out the wolves on the sign for the Bow Valley Parkway.Shawn and James checking out the wolves on the sign for the Bow Valley Parkway.Welcome to the Bow Valley Parkway!James liked the Bow Valley Parkway sign.James liked the Bow Valley Parkway sign.James back in the Chariot as we turned around to head back to Canmore.Bridges carrying the Trans-Canada Highway over the Bow Valley Parkway and the Bow River, with the Sundance Range to the southwest.James loves going fast!James loves going fast!Cycling under the Trans-Canada Highway near the Bow River.The west end of the Banff Legacy Trail starts at the Bow Valley Parkway/Trans-Canada Highway interchange.The west end of the Banff Legacy Trail starts at the Bow Valley Parkway/Trans-Canada Highway interchange.The west end of the Banff Legacy Trail.Wildlife exclusion fence and gate on the Banff Legacy Trail.James waiting in the Chariot for Shawn to close the wildlife gate.