Backpacker Buzz

Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, turns 125 years old this year. If you've ever struggled trying to figure out what to get someone for his or her birthday, try doing it for a 125-year-old.

But we're thinking something a little more personal and since experience is the best gift you can give, here are our top five places to enjoy a piece of birthday cake and some quality time with Banff National Park. So grab a slice, put on some comfortable shoes and celebrate.

The Wood-Burning Saunas at HI-Rampart Creek or HI-Mosquito Creek Wilderness Hostels
There's not much of a view, depending on who you're with, but the wood-burning saunas at HI-Rampart Creek and HI-Mosquito Creek wilderness hostels combine the words 'rustic' and 'relaxation' in fine form. Save your mad dash to the nearby frigid creeks until you're done your cake.

In the Upper Hot Springs
Humidity and icing don't mix so make sure you have a buddy hold your slice as you do your swan dive into the glorified hot tub at the Banff Upper Hot Springs. These hot springs played a big role in the development of the park. Stoney Aboriginals inhabiting the area knew about the springs for centuries but once the Europeans rolled in with their habit of taking ownership of things, no one could agree who should claim the springs. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald settled it by deeming the area a protected reserve. Add a brand new railway into the mix and you've got yourself an old timey tourist destination. Don't tell Banff National Park, but you can get 15% off admission with your HI membership card.

Early Morning at Moraine Lake
Speaking of tourists, Moraine Lake knows all about them. Just because a place is high on the priority list of coach tours doesn't mean it should be skipped. And ever since the picturesque waterhole lost its spot on the back of the Canadian $20 bill, you can't just peer into your wallet for a tourist-free, albeit green-tinged, view of the lake. Head out to Moraine early in the morning, we're talking 7 a.m. here, to beat the crowds. Head even earlier and you might snag a view of the lake at sunrise. Besides, if you were a 125-year-old national park, wouldn't you want cake for breakfast?

Sentinel Pass
Consistently voted one of the best hikes in the park. For further explanation, see Figure 1.

Figure 1

On a Bike on the Bow Valley Parkway
The Icefields Parkway gets a lot of love, and rightly so, it really is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. But its little brother, the Bow Valley Parkway, which runs parallel to the Icefields Parkway between Banff to Lake Louise, often gets overlooked. It doesn't offer quite as many wide open vistas but you'll find fewer cars, way fewer RVs and a lot more wildlife. Balance your cake on your handlebars and do the trip by bike for a slower pace that'll allow you to notice the details. As much as those adorable elk eyes just melt your heart, please don't feed the wildlife.

HI in the Park

Hostelling International has been in Banff National Park for 76 years, a spry little thing compared to the park itself. There are five HI hostels in Banff National Park. From the full-service hostels in Banff and Lake Louise, to smaller wilderness hostels in the thick of it all at Mosquito Creek, Castle Mountain and Rampart Creek.