Banff National Park
| Banff National Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Alberta, Canada |
| Nearest city | Banff, Alberta |
| Area | 6,641 km² |
| Established | 1885 |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
Banff National Park is located in the Canadian Rockies, 120-200 km (80-120 miles) west of Calgary, Alberta, and includes the town of Banff, Alberta. Banff National Park covers 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles) and contains over 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) of trails.
History
Archaeological evidence, found at Vermillion Lake, dates the first human activity in Banff to 10,300 B.P. [1] Aboriginals, including the Stoneys, Kootenay, Tsuu T'ina, Kainai, Peigans, and Siksika, were common in the region [2] where they hunted bison and other game. In 1887, the aboriginals signed Treaty 7, which gave Canada rights to explore the land for resources.
Banff was Canada's first national park, and the second established in North America (after Yellowstone National Park). Originally a small reserve set aside around natural hot springs (the Cave and Basin) in 1885, it was expanded to 674 square kilometers [2] and named "Rocky Mountains Park" under the Rocky Mountains Park Act enacted on 23 June 1887. Banff took its name from the Canadian Pacific Railway station, which was named after the Banffshire region in Scotland. [3] The Canadian Pacific Railway, needing the business, built the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise to attract tourists. Early on, Banff was popular with wealthy European tourists who arrived in Canada, via trans-Atlantic luxury liner and continued westward on the railroad. [2]
In 1902, the park was expanded to cover 11,400 square kilometers. Bowing to pressure, the size of the park was reduced in 1911 to 4,663 square kilometers. The size of the park increased again in 1917 to 7,127 square kilometers, and subsequently changed boundaries several more times. [2] The size of Banff was fixed at 6,697, with the passage of the National Parks Act in 1930.
Since 1968, when Banff Springs Hotel was winterized, Banff has been a year-round destination. [4] [2]
Banff, along with Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, launched a bid to host the 1972 Olympic Winter Games, but lost to Sapporo, Japan.
World Heritage Site
This park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, together with the other national and provincial parks that form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, for the mountain landscapes containing mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves as well as fossils found here.
Geography
Town of Banff
The town of Banff, established in 1883, is the main commercial center in Banff National Park. In 1990, the town was incorporated as a municipality of Alberta, though still subject to the National Parks Act and federal authority in regards to planning and development. [5] As of the 2005 census, the town of Banff has a population of 8,352, of which nearly 7,000 are permanent residents. [6] The Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Whyte Museum, Banff Centre, and Banff Springs Hotel are located in the town. The Bow River flows through southern sections of Banff National Park, including the Banff townsite.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise, Alberta, a small village located 54 km (32 mi) west of the Banff townsite, is home to the landmark Chateau Lake Louise at the edge of Lake Louise. Located 15 km from Lake Louise, Moraine Lake provides a scenic vista of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. This scene was pictured on the back of the $20 Canadian banknote, in the 1969-1979 ("Scenes of Canada") series. The Lake Louise Mountain Resort is also located near the village.
Icefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway extends 230 kilometres (143 miles), connecting Lake Louise to Jasper, Alberta. The Columbia Icefields, along the parkway, form the border between Banff and Jasper National Park. The North Saskatchewan River traverses northern sections of Banff, flowing out of the Columbia Icefields, through Saskatchewan Crossing, and out of Banff into David Thompson country.
Ecoregions
Banff National Park spans three ecoregions, including montaine, subalpine, and alpine. The subalpine ecoregion, which consists mainly of dense forest, comprises 53% of Banff's area. [7] 27% of the park is located above the treeline, in the alpine ecoregion. [7] A small portion (3%) of the park, located at lower elevations, is in the montane ecoregion. [7]
Some of the park's many photogenic vistas are Lake Minnewanka, Mount Rundle, the Vermillion Lakes, Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks (renowned for its turquoise blue waters), Bow Lake, and Peyto Lake.
Climate
Located on the eastern side of the continental divide, Banff National Park receives 472.3 mm of precipitation on average [8] annually. This is considerably less than received in Yoho National Park on the western side of the divide in British Columbia, with 884.2 mm annual precipitation at Wapta Lake and 616.4 at Boulder Creek. [8] 234 cm of snow falls on average falls each winter in the Banff townsite, while 289.7 cm falls in Lake Louise.
During winter months, temperatures in Banff are moderated, compared to Edmonton and other areas of central and northern Alberta, due to chinook winds and other influences from British Columbia. The mean low temperature during January is -14.6 C, and the mean high temperature is -4.6 C for the town of Banff. [8] Weather conditions during summer months are pleasant, with high temperatures during July averaging 21.9 C, and daily low temperatures averaging 7.4 C. [8]
Geology
The Canadian Rockies were formed 80-120 million years ago, as a product of thrust faults. [9] The mountains are comprised of sedimentary rock, including shale, sandstone, and limestone. Over the past 80-120 million years, differential erosion has eroded the foothills moreso than the front range. Geological features in Banff include hogback ridges, and dip slopes.
Biology
Elk are common in the valleys of the park, including around the Banff townsite. Other wildlife include moose, caribou, bighorn sheep, deer, wolves, black bears and grizzly bears, as well as smaller mammals including beavers, pikas, shrew, chipmunks, squirrels, and weasels.
Mountain pine beetles
Mountain pine beetles have caused a number of large-scale infestations in Banff National Park, feeding off of the phloem of mature lodgepole pines. Alberta's first known outbreak occurred in 1940, infecting 4300 hectares of forest in Banff. [10] A second major outbreak occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Banff and the surrounding Rocky Mountains region.
Tourism
Banff National Park is the top tourist attraction in Alberta, contributing an estimated $6 billion annually to the economy. [11]
Attractions include mineral hot springs, mountain scenery, camping, climbing, hiking, golfing, horse-back riding, alpine and nordic skiing, and Lake Louise. Several ski resorts are located within the park: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Mountain Resort, and Mount Norquay ski resort.
A park pass is required for stopping in the park and permit checks are common during the summer months, especially at Lake Louise and the start of the Icefields Parkway. A permit is not required if travelling straight through the park without stopping. The Trans-Canada Highway goes through the park. The death of wildlife on the highway from vehicles is a problem, which has resulted in the highway being fenced off and the construction of wildlife under- and over-passes.
Human impact
The impact of human activity on Banff National Park has been an increasing concern. [citation needed] With the Trans-Canada Highway passing through Banff, concerns have arisen about the hazards posed for wildlife, due to vehicle traffic and as a "barrier" to wildlife migration. Wildlife underpasses have been constructed at a number of points along the Trans-Canada Highway to help alleviate this problem.
Canmore, Alberta, located just outside the Banff boundary, has grown rapidly to serve increasing demands of tourists. The Banff townsite has also developed significantly. Concerns have arisen over the rapid pace of development. [citation needed]
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Banff Park -
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Location of Banff National Park
See also
- List of Alberta provincial parks
- List of Canadian provincial parks
- List of Canadian national parks
- List of World Heritage Sites in the Americas
References
- ^ Fedje, Daryl W., James M. White, Michael C. Wilson, D. Erle Nelson, John S. Vogel, John R. Southon (1995). "Vermilion Lakes Site: Adaptations and Environments in the Canadian Rockies during the Latest Pleistocene and Early Holocene". American Antiquity. 60(1): 81–108.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e Hildebrandt, Walter (1995). "Historical Analysis of Parks Canada and Banff National Park, 1968-1995". Banff-Bow Valley Study.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Banff Townsite Area". Parks Canada. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
- ^ "Hotel History". Fairmont Banff Springs.
- ^ "Banff National Park Management Plan". Parks Canada. 2004, May. Retrieved 2006-06-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ketterer, Shirley (2005, August). "2005 Banff Municipal Census". Town of Banff. Retrieved 2006-06-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Ecoregions of Banff National Park". Parks Canada.
- ^ a b c d "Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000". Environment Canada. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
- ^ Gadd, Benn (1992). Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Corax Press.
- ^ "Mountain Pine Beetle Management Guide" (PDF). Sustainable Resource Development, Government of Alberta. 2004, January.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Page, Robert, Suzanne Bayley, J. Douglas Cook, Jeffrey E. Green, J.R. Brent Ritchie (1996, October). "Banff-Bow Valley: At the Crossroads - Summary Report" (PDF). Banff-Bow Valley Task Force.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite journal requires|journal=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
