What hiking trails begin at Standish?

From the top of the Standish Chairlift, you can connect directly into the Sunshine Meadows hiking network. This is one of the best places to begin because you start high on Mount Standish and can make much of your hike downhill or gently rolling rather than climbing up from Sunshine Village.

The easiest option is the Standish Viewing Deck Loop, a short walk of about 0.7 km round trip. It takes roughly 15-30 minutes and provides panoramic views over Sunshine Meadows, including Rock Isle Lake, Grizzly Lake, and Laryx Lake.

Instead of returning to the chairlift, you can descend from the Standish Viewing Deck toward Rock Isle Lake. From the lake, you can follow Rock Isle Road back to Sunshine Village. This route is about 3.3 km and generally takes around 1-2 hours, with considerably more descent than climbing.

For a longer outing, continue into the Grizzly Lake-Laryx Lake Loop. This takes you deeper into Sunshine Meadows, past alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, larch stands, and open mountain scenery before connecting with the trails returning toward the village.

You can also use the Sunshine Meadows network to connect toward Twin Cairns and the more extensive trails beyond the main lake area. These options are better for visitors who want several hours of hiking rather than a short sightseeing walk.

For most first-time visitors, a particularly good route is Standish Chairlift → Standish Viewing Deck → Rock Isle Lake → Sunshine Meadows → Sunshine Village. It lets you ride up to the highest point first and then hike primarily downhill through the most scenic part of the meadows. 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