Town of Banff braces for record summer traffic

As a tourism hotspot for Canadian and international travellers alike, Banff is bracing for another busy summer season and possibly record traffic.

Although it may not quite feel like it this May long weekend, warmer weather is coming, and with Banff likely on the list for many Canadian and international travellers, it’s time to start planning their summer getaways.

Clare and Owen Shaw, who are visiting from New Zealand, just returned from a tour of Tunnel Mountain.

“We’ve seen elk, the long-horned sheep, on the tour this morning. We saw two bears,” they said together. “Banff is just so picture-postcard-beautiful. Little bit like Queenstown, New Zealand.”

Rhylenn Price, visiting from the Niagara region in Ontario, says she likes “the beautiful views.”

“It’s so nice out here, the hiking. We really enjoy hiking. And we’re here on a family trip.”

Part of this expectation from the Town of Banff stems from the Canada Strong Pass, which is back for the summer season and offers free admission to national parks.

The town’s total area is less than four square kilometres, and it recorded nearly seven million vehicles in 2025. That is up to 30,000 vehicles every day in the summer.

“We come here like every year. It’s within the driving distance,” said Fan Zhang from Calgary. “My wife just loves the nature, mountains, and we come here like every year.”

Traffic in Banff was four per cent higher last year than in 2024 – and in a news release, the town says it has few tools left to address the ever-increasing vehicle volume.

“The Town’s mayor says: “”We are expecting another record year for vehicles coming into Banff, due to the Canada Strong free pass for entering the national park, the booming population growth in the nearby Calgary region, and the desire of many Canadians to vacation at home,” said Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno in a statement.

Zhang says, “Sometimes, in the busy time, driving here is hard. We were not able to find a spot in a really short time.”

The Town says planning and good choices can help avoid traffic jams and parking shortages.

Some tips include: going car-free by using mass transportation, arriving after 5 p.m. when it’s less crowded, using local public transit to get around, and, due to construction on the other side, only entering the town using the Banff Avenue/Minnewanka exit from the highway.

“We drive here each time, but we hardly know what’s the transportation from Calgary to Banff. We never tried, we never searched,” Zhang said.

Albertans who don’t have to travel too far are encouraged to visit Banff during the less busy periods outside of the summer months.