Did you know that there's a large waterfall just five minutes drive from downtown Banff? This is Bow Falls and it is a wide, powerfull cascade across the Bow River.
There is a large parking area right at the falls or you can walk the Bow Falls Trail from downtown Banff. It takes around 15 minutes from the Banff Avenue bridge.
A Parks Canada parks pass is required to explore Banff National Park ($22/day for a vehicle of up to 7 people).