My personal favourite location for photography in the Rockies is Lake Ohara which requires advanced bookings in order to get bused in the 12pm to the lake.
As far as accommodations go, I like to stay at Guest houses in Field BC which is in Yoho National Park.
big country wrote:
It's doable but you are cramming a lot in two weeks. Baanf is crowded. Been 2x and will never go back
There is a stretch of highway leading out of baanf where you can potentially see lots of wildlife.
Glacier is awesome. I'd spend at least 5 days there.
If you want less crowds, you have to get away from the tourist traps like the towns of Banff and Lake Louise. The Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper has most of the park's best scenery, and more wildlife as you get closer to Jasper.
Many of us locals avoid Banff and head for Kananaskis instead. It's between Calgary and Banff, and has similar scenery and wildlife opportunities without the commercialization and crowds.
Waterton National Park borders Glacier NP along the US border, and is usually much less crowded. It's a leisurely 3-hour drive south of Calgary.
If it's in your budget, you might think about heli-hiking. My wife and I went last summer and it was really one of the most amazing things we've ever done.
We have avoided Banff due to crowds and excess development, much prefer Jasper NP. Beckers is a nice place to stay if you need a hotel in the area. The Icefield Parkway drive is spectacular as is the Columbia Icefield itself. Moraine Lake is wonderful too, though much closer to Banff than Jasper...
Mt. Edith Cavell just south of Jasper is amazing. Follow route to the hostel up at the base. Glaciers, ice caves, glacial runoff lakes, and the mountain herself. Definitely heavy on the grizzlies though, as is much of the area.
