HI Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel

Had a wonderful stay here when skiing at Lake Louise and Sunshine. Very accessible to either resort, about 30 minutes or less. The prices - insanely good. My fellow guests were very friendly and interesting - this hostel has a great social setting. There is a gas pump across the street. Hosts Shauna and Eli were friendly and kept the place nice and tidy. Could improve: nonstick pans are a bit beat, only 1/2 men’s showers have decent water pressure.

Pros: - lovely communal area - nice location in nature - very clean for a hostel Cons: - uncomfortable beds. Thin used pillows and rock solid beds. - check-in at 5pm and check-out being 10am is very tight. Especially when you make your own bed and strip your own bed…even hotels where they have to clean the whole room and kitchen can do better than that. - washrooms very small for the amount of people using - unfriendly host. You could tell he was struggling to be friendly with it being the end of the summer season so was grumpy at every guest that came and checked-in. Host front desk is right across from the woman’s room with door open so felt like we were being watched, directly next to the communal area as well.

Great stay ; sparkling clean kitchen , bedroom and bath. One of the best hostel experiences - I’ve stayed in many hostels around the world but always in private rooms in the hostel. This was one of the very few hostels where I was in a dorm to save $$$ , and it didn’t disappoint - strict quiet hours were followed and people in the dorm were also civic to respect the quiet times, as a result of which I could sleep very well through the night. Kitchen has plenty of utensils and it was fantastic to cook , lots of storage room for food in the fridge and the cabinets. The male and the female dorms were separate. Each dorm had 12 beds. Only 2 baths and two toilets - but I could always use it when I needed & it was never crowded.

Absolutely incredible place. The staff are incredibly kind and welcoming; everyone made us feel right at home. The entire hostel is impeccably maintained, with perfect order, cleanliness, and attention to hygiene. It strikes a rare balance between feeling quaint and cozy while being surrounded by raw, untamed wilderness. A truly unique experience; peaceful, wild, and unforgettable.

We have stayed in many hostels in Canada and across the world. This one located 20 kms out of lake Louise, is a sensibly cheaper alternative to 500 a night option in town. Shona was engaging, knowledgeable and very direct in advice as to what best to do in the area. You are signing up to single sex dorms, in a bush land environment, there was a bear wandering trough the car park, and it was pretty quiet, Only downside was that the water system had malfunctioned which meant limited cold showers- amazing what can be done with a bucket of warm water.

One of the best hostels I stayed at in the Rockies. The atmosphere is very cozy, there are all the conveniences like hot showers, electricity, wifi, etc. The host is very friendly too and ready to give advice about the hikes around. I came here to do the Castle Mountain hike, which is the perfect location as you don't even have to take the car to start it. Although compared to Hi Banff or Lac Louise which are more "industrial" hostels, I would have loved to stay longer in this one!

2 separate dorms for male/ female same as bathrooms. Place seems clean. Love the location how close it is to all the attractions. If you’ll be out all day and all you need is a place to shower and sleep and maybe make your meals this is the place . You just have to share some space and be respectful to all the guest . I would stay here again . They do have WiFi .

Fantastic hostel located in a forest. Close to the main lakes and hiking areas in Banff. The hostel felt cosy with the fire place, the guests were pleasant and the host, Shawna, truly went above and beyond to make the experience personable and fun. I'd definitely recommend this place!

A beautiful cabin in the woods, we enjoy staying here during the winter, very easy access to all 3 ski resorts, and nice and quiet compared to Banff, and very affordable compared to Lake Louise. We've rented the entire space a few times for our outdoor group and it's a steal in price and you get all of the amenities to your group.