Trails › Canada › Alberta › Vermilion Range
Tunnel Bench Loop (The Spine)
Next nearby hike: Tunnel Campground Loop 0.2 mi · 0.4 kmExplore Vermilion Range →
Tunnel Bench Loop (The Spine) other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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Parks Canada Trails APCA (Open Government Licence – Canada) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: May–Sep · highs 11–20 °C (52–68 °F)
- J-6°-14°24
- F-3°-12°23
- M2°-9°30
- A6°-4°41
- M11°0°71
- J16°5°90
- J20°8°66
- A20°8°70
- S15°4°57
- O7°-3°37
- N-2°-10°32
- D-8°-15°24
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
Trail facts
- Length
- 5.5 km · 3.4 mi (Parks Canada route geometry)
- Source
- Parks Canada Trails APCA (Open Government Licence – Canada)
- French name
- Boucle de la Terrasse-Tunnel (The Spine)
- Official page
- pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/cyclisme-bi
- Mountain range
- Vermilion Range (Central Front Ranges › Canadian Rockies; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 3.0 km NE of Banff (Alberta) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Banff National Park
- Connects to
- Banff Avenue (at its start or end)
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Country
- Canada
- Region
- Alberta
- Continent
- North America
- Route centre
- 51.1940, -115.5363
How it’s scored
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
More trails in the Vermilion Range
All 35 →Tunnel Bench Loop (Teddy Bear's Picnic)
3.0 km · 1.1 mi · 1.8 km away
Tunnel Bench Loop (Coastline)
7.1 km · 1.4 mi · 2.2 km away
Water Tower
10 km · 1.4 mi · 2.3 km away
The Toe (Hoodoos)
4.7 km · 1.4 mi · 2.3 km away
The Toe (Wolf Skat Alley)
5.5 km · 1.6 mi · 2.7 km away
The Toe (Super G)
5.6 km · 1.9 mi · 3.0 km away
Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreTunnel Campground Loop
0.2 mi · 0.4 km · Banff National Park
Banff Avenue
0.4 mi · 0.6 km · Banff National Park
Tunnel Bench Loop (Hoodoos)
0.5 mi · 0.8 km · Banff National Park
Hoodoos Interpretive
0.8 mi · 1.2 km · Banff National Park
Surprise Corner to Hoodoos
1.0 mi · 1.6 km · Banff National Park
Return of the Jedi
1.0 mi · 1.7 km · Banff National Park