Banff Canada, Tourist Attractions, National Park

Banff National Park - Canada

First national park of Canada, the Banff National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 1985. Situated in the Canadian Rocky Mountain, province of Alberta.

The Banff National Park is Canada’s first national park. It was established in 1885 and has 1,600 km (994 mi) of maintained trails. It has a total area of almost 7,000 km², breathtaking scenarios, ski station and many other attractions. It is visited by about 4,5 million people annually, in the four seasons of the year. During the summer, the day light extends until the 11pm.

The Fairmont Banff Springs, iconic castle in the heart of Banff National Park, located at the base of Rundle Mountain.

Winter in Banff National Park, with trees covered by snow. The park features diverse tree species adapted to the mountain environment. Key tree species include Lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce and Subalpine fir at lower elevations, while higher up they are commonly found.

Bull elk in the Banff National Park, the park's most common ungulate. They can be seen throughout the park along the roadways.

Adult male elk are known as "bulls" and weigh an average of 600-700 pounds. Elk are vegetarian and eat grasses, forbs, and acorns, as well as the bark, leaves, and buds from shrubs and trees. During the fall breeding season, known as "rut", male elk make their bugling calls to challenge other bulls and attract cows.