Hiking time: 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
Distance: 3.5 miles, one way.
Elevation gain: 2165 feet.
Difficulty: easy uphill, with lots of switchbacks.
This is an easy but rewarding hike up the Summit of Sulpher Mountain. Have lunch and a drink at the top and treat yourself to a gondola ride on the way down.
Start: The trailhead is near the upper lot’s northwest corner, at a gated service road.
End: The lower gondola terminal, where you’ll end the trip, is at the southeast end of the lower parking lot.
The Journey:
Start hiking up the service road, which turns right.
Just after about 100 yards, switchback left. Do not remain on the service road.
At 1.4 miles, a left branch off leads to a small waterfall. Have a look and then continue up the main trail. The next switchback brings you to the old rest house. The remainder of the ascent is a bit steeper and can be muddy int spring, depending on snowfall.
Reach the upper gondola terminal at the top of Sulphur Mountain at 3.5 miles and 7415 feet. For an improved view, cross the gondola platform and follow the boardwalk northwest a third of a mile along the ridge crest to 7447.5 foot Sanson Peak. The stone building here is a historic weather station, named after meteorologist Norman Sanson, who summited Sulphur Mountain more than a thousand times, long before the gondola was built.
South of the upper gondola terminal, a trail leads a half-mile through the sub-alpine forest to another vantage point. The view is almost the same, but the setting is more tranquil and natural.
Bonus: Bring a swimsuit. When you reach the bottom, make sure to head to Upper Banff Hot Springs, located close to the Banff Gondola parking area. This is Banff National Park’s only hot springs pool and has offered an authentic Canadian experience for over a hundred years.
