The historical hamlet of Field offers small town charm in the surrounds of the majestic Rocky Mountains. It is located in the center of Yoho National Park in British Columbia, just 20 minutes west of Lake Louise, Alberta. There are less than 200 hundred people that live in the community year round.
Field Can Serve As An Ideal Base For Exploring Yoho And Banff National Parks
There are only a few services for locals and tourists, but Field can be an excellent alternative compared to the expense and crowds of Lake Louise.
From Field you will have access to all the hiking and activities that Yoho National park has to offer. Burgess Shale, Takakkaw Falls, The Sprial Tunnels, the Natural Bridge over the Kicking Horse River and Emerald Lake. These are just a few of the attractions within the park.
The access to the Columbia Icefields Parkway is less than 15 minutes away. You can easily do day trips into Banff National Park. Lake Louise is 20 minutes east and the town of Banff a further 40 minutes. The hiking and recreational area of Golden is 45 minutes west of Field.
Exploring The Historic Town Of Field
If you blink while driving past on the Trans Canada Highway you may miss this tiny former mining town, but it is well worth a visit.
Grab a map from the information center and stroll through the town to admire the historic houses and buildings. In the spring and summer months the yards are bursting with colourful flower gardens.
Historic Sites In Field, British Columbia
A Bite To Eat
After your walk through town, finish off the afternoon with lunch at the little gem called The Truffle Pigs. They have a fresh and creative menu and a whimsical decor complete with decorative flying pigs hanging from the ceiling. We enjoyed a delicious veggie burger. It’s located at the Kicking Horse Lodge and in the same building there is another eatery called the Roundhouse Pub & Grill. Across the street The Siding cafe serves a casual dining menu. Other options in the area are the restaurants at Cathedral Mountain Lodge and Emerald Lake Lodge. There are also the dining options in nearby Lake Louise.
Restaurants In Yoho National Park
Cheap Eats In Lake Louise
Accommodation Options In Field
There are sevearal historic houses have been converted into charming bed and breakfasts and guest houses.
With 14 boutique style rooms the Kicking Horse Lodge is the biggest accommodation provider in Field. They have a large family suite with its own kitchen and jacuzzi tub.
We took a tour of the newly built Fireweed Hostel. The owners are ex-world travelers so they know what is necessary to make a great hostel. We were very impressed, they have paid attention to the little details. Besides several dorm style rooms they have a two bedroom facility downstairs. It is more like a private vacation apartment, equipped with its own kitchen and washroom.
Field BC and Yoho National Park Accommodations
An Entire School For Just A Few Students
The present school was opened in 1960, but teachers have taught from their homes in Field as far back as 1895. In the past the school went up to grade 12, but now serves Kindergarten to grade three. In some years there has been as little as 3 students! When a student graduates from the school it is no small event. Last year there was only one student with this honour. Most of the town’s residents came out to celebrate the occasion.
From grade four onward the children take a bus to the town of Golden. Normally a school would not operate with such a low student population. Parks Canada uses parts of the school for offices which allows the school the funding to remain open.
Hi, My husband and I are coming to Banff from Kelowna, BC. We just moved to the Okanagan. We are meeting friends that will be coming from Denver, CO, through Glacier Park, to Banff. You have the most beautiful photography and I want to give my friends a great experience of Canada. We will be arriving by noon Thursday July 10 and leaving the area July 12th to head back to Kelowna before dark. We want to experience whatever is most scenic, short hikes, and camp 2 nights (cheap). Everyone says Hwy 93 (Peyto Lake) is a must see. I trust your judgement more than mine: should we explore Banff for a few hours, head to Lake Louise and hike “Plane of 6 Glaciers Tea House” and camp there, drive to Jasper next day and stop along the way, camp that night, drive all the way back south to Kelowna next day? Or is it better to see more around Banff, Lake Louise, and towards Revelstoke? Plane of 6 Glaciers would be the longest hike we want to do. We want to see scenery.
Thank you so much. Any guidance is appreciated!
I think that is a lot to try and pack into a such a short amount of time. The Plain of Six Glaciers hike will be 4 hours or more, it depends on how fast you hike. We’re slow and stop to take lots of photos so it was around 6 hours for us. The Icefields Parkway really deserves a full day to appreciate it. It takes a minimum of 3.5 hours to drive it, likely more with all the traffic in mid-July. Then you’ll need another 8 hours to get back to Kelowna if you are going directly from Jasper via the Yellowhead Hwy. I wouldn’t try to attempt traveling the parkway in both directions in your time frame. It sounds like you really only have a day and a half. It might be better to concentrate on some sights around Banff, then check out Lake Louise and a visit to nearby Moraine Lake as well. If you want to drive just to see Peyto Lake it will be approximately one hour in each direction from Lake Louise.
It would be wise to plan out where you want to camp as soon as possible. Some campsites can be reserved, but they book up fast. For the ones that are first come/first serve it is usually best to be there around check out time to get a spot. (usually around noon) It might not be quite as busy if your dates on not on a weekend.
Luckily for you living in Kelowna it is not that far to get to the Rockies, 5 hours to Lake Louise and just under 6 to Banff. Hopefully you will be able to come back many times to enjoy the area.