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BANFF is the unquestioned capital of the Canadian Rockies, and with its intense summer buzz it can be a fun, bustling and likeable base - but if you've come to commune with nature, you'll want to leave as soon as possible. Although the town is quite small, it handles an immense amount of tourist traffic, much of it of the RV and mega-coach-tour variety. Anything up to 50,000 visitors daily flock here in high season, making this the largest and busiest urban focus of any national park anywhere in the world. Backpackers are abundant in summer, and the Japanese presence is also marked, with a huge number of Japanese signs and menus in shops and restaurants. The Japanese also own around a third of the town's accommodation, including two of the three largest hotels, and their investment here is an ongoing bone of contention among some townspeople who would prefer local investment. What's rather odd, given all the people, however, is that there's next to nothing to do or see, save a couple of small museums, a cable-car ride and the chance to gawp at the crowds on Banff Avenue , the town's long main street, a thoroughfare lined with probably more souvenir stores and upmarket outdoor-clothing and -equipment shops than anywhere in North America. Whether or not your main aim is to avoid the crowds, however, some contact with the town is inevitable, as it contains essential shops and services almost impossible to come by elsewhere in the park. Many of the more rewarding walks locally are some way from the town - you'll need a car or have to hire a bike to explore properly - but some surprisingly good strolls start just minutes from the main street.
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