Roam Glade Editorial · Updated November 2026
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Banff is a national park with a town in the middle of it, so nature stays here range from oTENTiks on a lakeside campground to century-old log cabins and grand mountain hotels.
Below: where to base yourself and the main types of nature stay, with tips for booking in a park where summer dates sell out early.
Where to Base Yourself
Banff town
Walkable, with Roam Transit buses to Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon and the Fenland and Bow River trails on the doorstep.
Lake Louise
Small village close to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttles. Fewer choices and higher prices, but quieter evenings.
Bow Valley Parkway
Scattered historic cabin resorts between Banff and Lake Louise, close to Johnston Canyon. Remote feel, no town services.
Canmore
Just outside the park, with mountain views, more holiday rentals and generally lower prices.
Types of Nature Stays
Parks Canada oTENTiks
Hybrid tent-cabins on platforms at Two Jack Lakeside (by the lake, near Banff town) and Tunnel Mountain campgrounds. A low-cost, family-friendly way to sleep in the park. Bring your own bedding and cooking gear.
Historic log cabins
Some cabin resorts date from the early days of motor touring in the Rockies in the 1920s. Examples include Storm Mountain Lodge near the Continental Divide and Baker Creek on the Bow Valley Parkway, both with log cabins in the forest.
Mountain lodges and grand hotels
For comfort in a natural setting, lakeside and riverside lodges at Lake Louise and in Banff town have mountain views from the room, at a price.
Glamping outside the park
In nearby Kananaskis Country, outside the national park, private campgrounds offer tipis and trapper tents, for example Sundance Lodges. Holiday rentals in Canmore and Dead Man's Flats add cabin options.
Booking Tips
- Parks Canada campground and oTENTik reservations open in winter for the coming season, and summer dates go quickly.
- Book summer stays early; July, August and the September larch season are the busiest.
- Many cabins have no TV and patchy phone signal — check if you need to work.
- Store food, coolers and toiletries securely; Banff is bear and elk country.
Search for a stay
Questions People Ask
What is an oTENTik?
An oTENTik is a Parks Canada cross between a tent and an A-frame cabin, with a raised floor, beds and furniture. You bring your own bedding and cook outside. In Banff they are at the Two Jack Lakeside and Tunnel Mountain campgrounds and are booked through the Parks Canada Reservation Service.
Is it cheaper to stay in Canmore than Banff?
Usually, yes. Canmore is just outside the park boundary, about 20 minutes from Banff town. It has more holiday rentals and cabins, and you don't need a park pass for nights spent there (you still need one to visit the park).