Banff

Banff is the largest town in Banff National Park, in Alberta's Rockies, Canada. It is also the first incorporated municipality located within a national park in Canada. At 1,463 m (4,800 ft), it is the town with the highest elevation in Canada. It is surrounded by mountains, notably Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain, Mount Norquay, and Cascade Mountain; and situated above Bow Falls near the junction of the Bow and Spray Rivers. Banff is located 126 km (78 mi) west of Calgary and 58 km (36 mi) east of Lake Louise, on the Trans-Canada Highway. The Town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership.

Banff is a resort town and one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations, known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs. It is a major destination for outdoor sports and features extensive hiking, biking, scrambling and skiing areas within the region. Two ski resorts are located in close proximity: Sunshine Village and Ski Norquay.

Banff was first settled in the 1880s, after the transcontinental railway was built through the Bow Valley. In 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway workers stumbled upon a series of natural hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain. In 1885, Canada established a federal reserve of 26 km² around the hot springs, and began promoting the area as an international resort and spa as a way to support the new railway. In 1887, the reserve area was increased to 673 km² and named "Rocky Mountain Park." This was the beginning of Canada's National Park system.

The area was named Banff in 1884 by Lord Steven, a former Canadian Pacific Railway director, recalling the name of his birthplace, Banffshire in Scotland. Canadian Pacific built a series of grand hotels along the rail line and advertised the Banff Springs Hotel as an international tourist resort.

Banff townsite developed near the railway station as a service centre for tourists visiting the park. It was administered by the Government of Canada's national parks system until 1990, when the Town of Banff became the only incorporated municipality within a Canadian national park.

In 1985, the United Nations declared Banff National Park, as one of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a World Heritage Site. Banff remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada.