Is the Standish Viewing Deck worth it?

Yes. The Standish Viewing Deck is one of the highlights of Sunshine Village and is absolutely worth visiting, especially considering how little walking is required to reach such an impressive viewpoint.

After riding the Standish Chairlift, it is only a short walk of roughly 300 metres to the viewing deck. You are already above 2,400 metres on Mount Standish, so you get true high-alpine scenery without having to complete a strenuous climb.

The biggest attraction is the panorama. From the deck, you can look across Rock Isle Lake, Grizzly Lake, and Laryx Lake at the same time, surrounded by Sunshine Meadows and the peaks of the Canadian Rockies. On especially clear days, distant Mount Assiniboine can also be visible.

The viewing deck is particularly worthwhile for non-hikers, families, seniors, photographers, and visitors with limited time. You can ride the gondola and chairlift, make the short walk to the deck, enjoy the scenery, and return without doing a long hike.

If you are hiking Sunshine Meadows, the deck is also an excellent starting point. Rather than immediately riding the chairlift back down, you can continue from Standish toward Rock Isle Lake and through the meadows, eventually returning to Sunshine Village.

If you only have time for one viewpoint at Sunshine Village, I would choose the Standish Viewing Deck. It provides perhaps the best combination of elevation, alpine lakes, mountain panoramas, and easy access anywhere in the Sunshine Meadows area. Book the Banff Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola & Standish ChairliftBooking the Banff Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola & Standish Chairlift Admission includes All taxes, fees and handling charges. Banff Gondola Home