BOU AVENUE
Lower Bankhead
Teresa Kosmala, Zosia Zgolak and I visited Lower Bankhead in Alberta's Banff National Park on 18 October 2025.  An interpretive trail loops through the remnants of what was once a thriving coal mining town, and informative exhibits along the way provide glimpses into the town's short-lived but fascinating history.  Before hiking the interpretive loop, we visited the ruins of the town's church which is accessed via an unsigned trail at the east end of the Lower Bankhead parking lot (51.23285, -115.52288).  The loop itself is accessed via a set of stairs descending from a viewpoint on the southwest side of the same parking lot.  The entire visit took us about an hour, and we had a lot of fun poking around the various ruins and artifacts in the area.  I think this is a great outing for families especially when combined with other nearby "touristy" destinations like Johnson Lake and Lake Minnewanka.
Stairway to heaven? Zosia watches Teresa climb the steps of what is left of Holy Trinity Church.
Feels like this could be converted into a swimming pool! Here is a view of the "interior" of the church from the top of the steps.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
This place would be creepy at night... The first ruin along the interpretive trail is the lamp house which served as a safety feature for coal miners.  Miners were assigned numbered lamps, and these would be counted at the end of shifts to ensure that no one was missing.
Just like grocery shopping at Wholesale Club! Zosia and Teresa try to push a coal mining rail car.
Breathe deeply! Air pumps like this one provided fresh air for miners to breathe while working in the coal mines.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
It's crazy how the forest is swallowing up the remnants of the building. Zosia and Teresa stand on the foundation of what used to be a power house which supplied electricity for the coal mining operation as well as the town.
Reminds me of some ancient ruin from The Lord Of The Rings! Zosia and Teresa stretch across a doorway at what used to be the briquette plant.  The mined coal was processed into briquettes for use in train engines and to heat homes.
Who's getting a lump of coal for Christmas? Teresa holds up a piece of coal from a slack heap consisting of mining waste with no commercial value.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Jedzie pociąg z daleka, Ani chwili nie czeka, Konduktorze łaskawy, Zabierz nas do Warszawy.

This compressed air locomotive actually came from a mine in Canmore but is representative of the ones used in Bankhead.  Compressed air was safer to use than a combustion engine inside a mine which was full of volatile gases.

 

Such a historic walk! Teresa and Zosia finish their tour of Lower Bankhead with Mount Inglismaldie visible in the distance.