Establishment of Banff National Park

Date: November 25, 1885 • Location: Banff, Canada

Banff National Park (pictured), the oldest national park in Canada, was established as the Banff Hot Springs Reserve.

Banff National Park is Canada's first national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. Located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary, Banff encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with many glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. It is bordered by Jasper National Park to the north, Yoho National Park and Kootenay National Park to the west in British Columbia, and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.