Lower Bankhead — Attraction in Alberta

I walked this trail on September 24, 2022. It was a short 1 km loop that leads through the ruins of an abandoned coal mining operation and town (Bankhead) from the 1900s.

There are interpretive plaques along the way to explain the history of the area. It was super interesting to see the old foundations, buildings and even an original train and wooden carts! There were also some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains on the way.

Would recommend this trail for a relaxing afternoon or evening walk. This seems like a lesser known gem and it was fun to explore the area.

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I was so happy to find this on the map when I was looking for things to do in the Banff area. The hike is short from the parking area and is a simple loop through the ghost town. There are many examples of the old mining equipment used for coal extraction, which is very interesting to see. One of my favorite things is all the wild rutabaga growing, which is left over from when the Chinese laborers lived...

I had no idea what to expect going into Bankhead, but it was a very pleasant, easy, child friendly experience. It is well documented interpretive trail that is very informative and very beautiful in the fall. Moving from ruin to ruin and reading the plaques was very informative and even though I didn't know when I started that Bankhead was a place by the end I wanted to know more....