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Banff: Grizzly Bear Refuge & Emerald Lake with Chairlift

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/8

Duration10h

GroupUp to 24

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Meet a rescued grizzly in the Rockies, then ride a chairlift over the mountains

You ride a chairlift to a grizzly bear refuge, walk to a 254-metre waterfall, stop at an emerald-coloured lake, and cross Canada's highest suspension bridge—all with a professional guide and return transport from Banff included. The day runs full but not rushed, and the group size keeps it manageable.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Takakkaw Falls viewpoint
Optional walk to base of falls
Stop at Emerald Lake viewpoint
Ride open-chairlift to Grizzly Bear Refuge
Meet Boo and learn about grizzlies
Descend back down chairlift

The Experience

Most people visit Banff to hike or photograph peaks. You're doing that, but you're also riding an open chairlift partway up Kicking Horse Mountain to meet Boo, a rescued grizzly with paws the size of hubcaps, living in a 20-acre sanctuary. The contrast hits you fast: emerald water, then a bear the size of a car, then lunch at a suspension bridge 130 metres above the valley floor. It's not the usual loop.

The day starts with Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park—Canada's second-highest waterfall, dropping 254 metres in one stretch. You can see it from the parking area or take a short 0.5-kilometre walk on a paved trail to the base if you want to feel the mist. After that, you head to the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge. The chairlift ride up is open-air, which means you're exposed to the mountain the whole way. At the top, a guide walks you through Boo's habitat and his story—how he hunts and forages just like wild grizzlies do, but safely contained. You descend the same chairlift, and the whole thing takes maybe an hour and a half, including the ride down.

There's a brief stop at Emerald Lake on the way back, where the water is so jade-coloured it doesn't look real, and you'll pass the Golden Skybridge—a suspension bridge that opened in 2025 where you can grab lunch and sit with the view. The group stays small, under 24 people per guide, so it doesn't feel like a cattle run. Return transport to Banff is included, which means you don't have to drive yourself after a full day in the mountains.

What’s included

Your day includes return transport from Banff, a professional guide, entry to the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge, a chairlift ride up and down the mountain, visits to Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake, and access to the Golden Skybridge.
Infant rates do not include food.
Groups of 9 or more have a 7-day cancellation policy.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Discover Banff Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want the main Rockies highlights—waterfalls, lakes, mountains—plus a singular experience (meeting a grizzly in a refuge) without arranging transport or timing the stops yourself. The small group size and included guide mean you're not navigating the day alone.