Hotels near Tunnel Mountain

Tunnel Mountain is the shortest genuine summit in the park: 4.8 km round trip, 260 m of elevation gain, 1 to 2 hours, easy. The trail starts on St Julien Road, a 15-minute walk from Banff Avenue, and climbs wide, well-graded switchbacks through Douglas fir to a 1,692 m top with an open ledge above the Bow River. There is no scrambling, no exposure and no route-finding, which makes it the right first hike for anyone acclimatising to altitude, walking with children, or filling a half day after a late arrival in the town of Banff.

The Blackfoot name for the mountain is Iinii Istako, or Sleeping Buffalo. The current name comes from an 1880s Canadian Pacific Railway survey that proposed blasting a rail tunnel straight through the rock, a plan that was abandoned but stuck to the map anyway. Sunrise and sunset both work well from the summit ledge, and because the trail is short and close to town it is realistic to walk it in low light, unlike most Banff day hikes. Winter ascents with microspikes are common, though the upper switchbacks glaze over.

Pro Tip: The lower car park on St Julien Road is now paid - around CAD 12 for one hour and CAD 50 for a full day in 2026. Walk from town instead, or take Roam Transit Route 2 and start from the roughly ten free spaces at the upper trailhead on Tunnel Mountain Drive.