surprise corner

On this drive you can get a great shot of the Banff Springs Hotel (castle). There is a place to pull over and snap pics and the's also a little hiking trail across the road with benches. We've done the trail before but it is closed during the winter.It's also a place to spot wildlife in the area so use some caution. We saw a couple coyotes in the area on this trip. If you want a photo with the castle in the background, this is the place to stop and take the photo.

The time I recommend going here is just before sunset when the light is dimming and the fairmont is glowing with its outside night lights illuminating the building. It looked like a hidden castle, nestled in the mountains. Something out of a movie - a lot of Banff looks like it is out of a movie. This was probably one of my favourite view points in Banff. A must!!

This is THE spot for a picture of the Banff Springs hotel and only a very short drive out of town. Well worth the time!

We were at a wedding and afterwards thought we would have a drive out. It was funny that we had just been to Banff Springs Hotel and here we were with a different view of it. The views and scenery is just amazing. I thought that Scotland had big mountains until I came here.

It sounds like a cool name but really aint a heck of alot there.Why not have more amenities or change the name.. Therewere some nice views though.

Nice way to see the impressive side of The Banff Springs Hotel.Not a lot of traffic. Only negative is the viewing platform is closed, maybe just for the winter?

Well worth the drive. We could see it from our room, and the staff recommended the visit. We're glad we did, if only to get a great shot of the Banff Springs Hotel. But there was much more. the panorama was stunning.

Surprise - there's the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - so what. There's a small carpark area and then you have to walk back along the road for a view of the Bow River and the hotel.

This is one of the best spots to take a photo of The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Absolutely magnificent. We stopped here in October and there was nobody around.

This is a very good spot to set up for a photo of the hotel. You can also get the river in the foreground. Close to downtown Banff.

The falls are nice and the view of the hotel is ok, but the hike to the hoo doos along the river is quite nice. No hard scrambles, some up and down, but the scenery and views are quite nice. the hoo doos are a bit of a let down, but the walk is nice. saw a huge Bull Elk across the river both ways and he was a real photogenic type.

The surprise is worth it. The view of The Fairmont Banff Springs is one that I admired online, and now that I experienced the view first hand, I appreciate it even more.

A very short drive from Banff Town Center there is an outlook that offers a lovely view of the Bow Falls and the surrounding countryside split only by the imposing Fairmont Hotel. They have biult a lookout that gives an okay view of the falls but there are some pathways that allow you to get a better angle and therefore a better view. However, do take care because these paths are not fenced and the edges are steep and sheer. Please keep hold of children's hands because it is a long way down. There are also another couple of trails that go further up the hill although you do lose sight of the river and you can hear the falls but no longer see them.We were there in September two days after significant snow fall and so the river had quite a volume of water which made the falls more spectacular. we carried on down the road on the Tunnel Mountain Drive.

Less than a mile up Buffalo Street from downtown Banff, offering a nice overlook of Bow Falls (with the Fairmont in the background), a forested trail down to its bank, which also continues on the uphill side probably back to downtown. No charge. Just good luck sometimes finding a parking place in peak season. Here Buffalo St. becomes Tunnel Mountain Drive, intersecting Tunnel Mountain Road.

Surprise Corner is a wonderful place to have a picture of Banff Springs Hotel with Sulphur Mountain in the background. It's a really striking scenic view. That said, in an area as beautiful as Banff, where isn't?!