Filming in Banff Townsite & Area

Surprise Corner

The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is a grand Scottish baronial-style hotel nestled in the beautiful Rocky Mountain landscape. From the mysterious legends of haunted halls to its royal legacy and storied heritage, The Fairmont Banff Springs offers its guests not just a room, but an authentic experience steeped in rich Canadian history. 

The hotel offers a fabulous backdrop for filming, and Surprise Corner offers one of the best views of the iconic landmark. There is a spacious viewing platform with plenty of room for equipment and crew to set up.

Surprise Corner is suitable for filming in summer and winter and for live broadcasts.

The Rundle Terrace at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

The view from the Rundle Terrace at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel looks towards the Fairholme Range of mountains and is flanked by Cascade Mountain to the left and Rundle Mountain to the right. The Stanley Thompson Golf Course is cradled beneath them in the valley below. The terrace provides plenty of room for stage set up and media equipment. The nearby private driveway to the side of the location also allows for satellite trucks to base themselves nearby for live broadcasts.

The Rundle Terrace is suitable for filming in summer and winter and for live broadcasts.

The Top of the Rocky Mountains Banff Gondola

Take the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain where the original mineral hot springs were discovered, leading to the creation of Banff National Park. The views across the valleys and soaring peaks of the Rocky Mountains are spectacular. The town of Banff is also visible from up here.

There is a large platform and walkway at the top with plenty of space for crews to set up and film. There is also a cafeteria-style restaurant at the top for crews who require catering services during filming. Public restrooms are on site.

Suitable for filming during winter and summer. Not suitable for live broadcast.

The Green Spot on Mount Norquay

With a broad, sweeping view across the town of Banff and towards iconic Mount Rundle and the Bow River, the “green spot” (as it is popularly known by local residents) on Mount Norquay provides a beautiful backdrop for filming. From this south-facing vantage point, the meandering Bow River and Vermillion Lakes are also visible.

There is space for support and satellite vehicles to pull up close to the green spot on the Mount Norquay access road.

The Green Spot is suitable for filming in winter and summer, and for live broadcasts.

Mythical Minnewanka

At 28 kilometres long, Lake Minnewanka is the longest lake in Banff National Park and a great location for a scenic boat cruise. As the only lake in Banff that permits motorized boating, Minnewanka offers a unique opportunity for film crews to capture the surrounding scenery from the water.

There’s more to the lake than stunning scenery: it’s known to First Nations as “Lake of the Water Spirits”; hides a submerged town under its waters; and houses ancient archaeological findings.

Hop aboard the Lake Minnewanka Cruise and film this legendary lake surrounded by Canada’s famous Rocky Mountain scenery.

Lake Minnewanka is suitable for filming in the summer and for live broadcasts.

Tunnel Mountain

A short 4.3 km hike to the top of Tunnel Mountain provides access to great panoramic views of the town of Banff and the Bourgeau Range in the far distance. The mountain is also known as the Sleeping Buffalo due to its resemblance of a resting bison from a distance. It was once planned to build a railway tunnel through it. Another route for the train tracks was found but the name Tunnel Mountain stuck anyway.

Tunnel Mountain is suitable for filming in the summer and winter. It is not suitable for live broadcasts.

Vermilion Lakes

The Vermilion Lakes are three lakes located just west of the town of Banff in the Bow River valley, at the foot of Mount Norquay. Their backdrop is the impressive Mount Rundle. There are a series of floating docks along the edge of the lakes and support vehicles and satellite trucks can easily pull up alongside the lakes on the Vermillion Lakes Road which runs the length of the shoreline.

This location provides film crews with easy access to stunning sunrise and sunset scenes, kayaking and canoeing all within minutes from the town of Banff.

Vermilion Lakes are suitable for filming during winter and summer, and for live broadcasts.

Central Park

Central Park, in the heart of the town of Banff, occupies an expanse of land alongside the Bow River and the historic log building that houses Banff National Park Museum.

The Louis Trondo Gazebo can provide a useful base for film crews who want to take advantage of the many vistas and angles offered at this site, or as a stage for live broadcasts. The gazebo has a 30 foot diameter octagonal layout, opening onto the Central Park lawns. Public washrooms and parking spaces for crew vehicles and satellite trucks are close by.

Central Park is suitable for filming during summer and winter, and for live broadcasts.

Hoodoos Viewpoint

Hoodoos are mystical-looking rocks made of sedimentary rock covered by harder rock that does not erode easily. Once the softer sedimentary rock erodes, rock needles or tower-like natural spires are left standing.

There is a viewpoint off Tunnel Mountain Road where hoodoos can be seen, with the turquoise waters of the Bow River in the backdrop. Vehicles have easy access to this area and it can provide a quiet backdrop for both live remote filming or taped segments.

Hoodoos viewpoint is suitable for filming in winter, summer, and for live broadcasts.

Banff Avenue

Banff’s famous main street was purposely designed in the late 19th century to incorporate the magnificent Cascade Mountain as the focal point. This bustling avenue of boutiques, outfitters and restaurants provides an interesting juxtaposition of infrastructure amidst wilderness. The scene is easily filmed from the sidewalks or median that runs its length. Most businesses along Banff Avenue welcome crews to film the storefronts and interiors with a little advanced notice.

Filming in the town of Banff that may require interruption to the regular flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic requires a special permit from the Town of Banff.

Banff Avenue is suitable for filming during winter, summer and for live broadcasts.

The Cliffhouse at Mount Norquay

The Cliffhouse was first built in the early 1950s and is an important part of Mount Norquay Ski Resort’s history. You can ride up the North American Chair with filming equipment and capture a picture perfect perspective of the town of Banff and Bow Valley. There are catering and restroom amenities and the site can be made available for exclusive film use upon request.

The Cliffhouse is suitable for filming in winter and summer, but not for live broadcast.

The Shaw Amphitheatre at The Banff Centre

Opened in July 2011, the Shaw Amphitheatre is an outdoor performance venue which can seat audiences of over 1,600. The spectacular venue boasts expansive views of the Bourgeau and Sulphur mountain ranges and features the latest in lighting, sound, and digital technology.

The Shaw Amphitheatre offers an unparalleled performance venue for music, opera, dance and more. This location and stage is a perfect venue for large broadcast projects requiring state-of-the-art outdoor staging facilities.

The Banff Centre is also home to several indoor theatres.

The Shaw Amphitheatre is suitable for winter and summer filming and live broadcast.

Bow River

There are many scenic spots along the Bow River as it winds through the heart of Banff. It has often been used as a picturesque and convenient interview location. The combination of the water with surrounding mountain ranges offers many different angles from which to film a succession of quick live remotes from one spot.

The Bow River is suitable for winter and summer filming, and live broadcast.