What hiking trails start from the gondola?

From the top of the Sunshine Village Gondola, you can access the Sunshine Meadows trail system, one of the best-known high-alpine hiking areas in Banff National Park. The advantage is that the gondola does most of the elevation gain for you, so you begin hiking high in the mountains rather than climbing all the way from the valley.

One of the main routes leads toward Rock Isle Lake, the signature lake of Sunshine Meadows. From this area, trails can be combined to explore Grizzly Lake and Laryx Lake, creating a longer circuit through open meadows, forest patches, wildflower areas, and alpine lake scenery. Sunshine's current summer sightseeing information highlights all three lakes as major features visible from the Standish area.

You can also take the Standish Chairlift from the village and begin your walk higher on Mount Standish. From the upper chairlift station, a short walk leads to the Standish Viewing Deck, with panoramic views over Sunshine Meadows and the three alpine lakes. From there, you can hike down through the Sunshine Meadows trail system instead of taking the chairlift back to the village.

For a relatively easy outing, you can concentrate on Standish Viewing Deck and Rock Isle Lake. For a longer hike, continue through the meadows toward Grizzly Lake and Laryx Lake, linking the trails into a larger circuit before returning to Sunshine Village.

There are also routes extending beyond the immediate sightseeing area toward the Continental Divide and more extensive backcountry terrain, but these are better suited to hikers looking for a longer mountain outing.

Overall, you don't have to be a serious hiker to enjoy Sunshine Meadows. You can choose anything from a short scenic walk of roughly an hour or two to several hours of hiking, with the gondola and Standish Chairlift allowing you to customize how much climbing and walking you want to do. 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