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Access and
parking: Golf course trailhead - turn off Spray
Avenue on to the golf course road and park at the Bow
Falls viewpoint; Banff Springs Hotel trailhead - park on
Spray Avenue and walk past the hotel to the wooden gate
across the Spray River fire road.
Note:
The main trail, Trail 1, is not a complete loop. Finding
your way back on foot fr trailhead to the other is
difficult - Trail 2 lets you do it the easier way, on
skis.
Length and classification: Trail
I (loop) - 10.8 kin, Moderate; Trail 2 (one-way) - 1.9
km, Easy; Trail 3 (one-way) -5.8 kin, Moderate.
Description: Trail I runs up one
side of the Spray River and down the other, forming a
10.8 km hairpin-shaped trail with one end at the Banff
Springs Hotel and the other on the golf course. Beginning
at the golf course, the trail starts halfway down the
first fairway. It crosses the fairway and immediately
climbs to the top of a short steep hillside. Not far from
here is a view of Sulphur Mountain and the gondola on the
opposite side of the river. The now virtually flat trail
continues to an arched wooden footbridge, 5.3 km from the
golf course.
On the other side of this bridge, the
trail turns right and follows the Spray River fire road
downstream. On this side of the river, the trail climbs
and drops several times and also crosses two avalanche
zones. Skiers can return to the golf course by turning
off on to Trail 2 (see description below). Trail I ends,
5.5 km from the bridge, at the Banff Springs Hotel
trailhead.
Trail 2, in combination with part of
Trail 1, forms a smaller hairpin-shaped trail up one side
of the Spray River and down the other. To get on to Trail
2 from the golf course, ski across the first fairway
keeping close to the river. Trail 2 travels alongside the
river for 0.8 km to another arched wooden bridge. Rocks
from the abandoned quarry here were used in the
construction of the Banff Springs Hotel, the park
administration building, the Banff post office and other
local buildings. After crossing the bridge, you climb
uphill for a short distance to join Trail 1, less than I
km from the Banff Springs trailhead.
Trail 3 follows the route of the
Banff-Canmore ski touring trail as far as Goat Creek. The
touring trail ends on the Spray Reservoir road still a
long way from the town of Canmore, so if you intend to
ski the entire trail, arrange return transportation
beforehand. Trail 3 starts at the bridge at the far end
of Trail I and follows the Spray River fire road upstream
for 4 km. The road branches at a sign here. Take the road
to the left, not the Spray River road which continues
ahead. If you cross a footbridge immediately after this
junction you are on the right trail! Two kilometres
farther on you arrive at the Goat Creek bridge where the
trail ends. Return to Banff by the same route. Trail 3 is
relatively level except for the hills at the two bridges.
All the Spray River trails are located
on roads and are easy to follow. Just the same, it is a
good idea to double check your direction now and then; a
wrong turn at any of the junctions could lead you astray.
Hazards: Skiing on the Spray
River is not recommended. Trail I crosses two avalanche
zones on the west side of the Spray River.
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