Name: HI-Castle Mountain Hostel
Address: Highway 1A & Hwy 93 South, Banff, AB T1L 1B3, Canada, Castle Junction, Castle Junction, Castle Junction, T1L1B3, Canada
Rating: 9

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Common kitchen

Meals

Barbecue grill(s)

Recreation

Offsite parking reservations required

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hostel

Banff Airport

HI-Castle Mountain Hostel

We booked this hostel as part of our road trip around the Canadian Rockies and this ended up being one of our favourite places we stayed!

As we walked through the door of this hostel, the fire in the lounge was going and Shauna the manager was extremely welcoming therefore we instantly felt at home. The large kitchen was well equipped & the bathrooms/ showers  were clean and the beds were very comfortable.

One evening we walked about 5 minutes down the road (Shauna's suggestion) and saw the sky - so many stars so clearly since there was no light pollution!

Great little hidden gem - can't wait to come back again soon.

I stayed at HI-Castle Mountain Wilderness hostel again this year. Great kitchen, comfortable beds, away from the crows of tourists. The 2 managers I met were very friendly. Everything was clean and I will be coming back. I stayed in the Lake Louis Hostel and that was more of a "hotel". I much prefer Hi Castle for its seclusion.

I stayed at the HI-Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel for 2 nights. I stayed here because of its proximity to Castle Mountain. It's really nice. The manager was very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere of this place is very serene. The kitchen is really big with lots of room to cook and eat. The bunk rooms are great and the bathrooms are nice and clean too. If I'm ever back in this area I will definitely be staying here again.

I recently stayed at this hostel and it was a great experience. Castle Mountain is a small place around 20 minutes outside of Banff. That is sufficient to escape the crowds and explore.

The hostel is small with 14 bed male and 14 bed female dorms. There are no private rooms. The large common space with kitchen and living space is very suited to being social- one of the best aspects of hostelling.

All the hostel was very clean and tidy. The dorms are locked between 10am and 5pm every day with check in from 5pm until 10pm. This means being organsied with all your kit for tue day. During the day you should really be out hiking anyway! Shona the manager was very welcoming and helpful. 

Some points to note: 

1. There is no public transport to the hostel. The nearest is the shuttle to Banff from Johnson Canyon which is 6km from the hostel. Like the rest of the Rockies, getting around without private transport is hard.

2. It is a wilderness hostel, there is not anything in Castle Mountain other than a gas station and small shop. Bring supplies with you.

3. There is no WiFi or internet access for guests. You will have to talk to people! Card payment is available.

4. It's not really near very much. Several people while I was there cut short their stay because it wasn't close to much. Check these things before you book/arrive.

Other than that, it's a great stay and a welcome respite from the crowds of Banff or Jasper. It's also cheaper to stay too! Would recommend.

Unique memories in that Hostel. We spent a few nights in 2 separate vacations. Tony is not just a manager. He can be a story teller, he can teach you what "the wild" is, how to respect wildlife. My wife and I from time to time still remember how a sweet person he is. The hostel is very clean, you can use the kitchen, there are separate dorms for males/females and also a mixed one. The location is in the heart of Banff park. The first time, the day we arrived there was a grizzly bear with cubs nearby!
We will never forget Tony and this Hostel!

This one is listed in the "wilderness" category of the HI hostels in Alberta, but it has consistent electricity, running water and hot showers.  Pretty comfortable, and hardly feels busy even during the high season.  The manager Tony is a unique character, but he keeps the place spotlessly will do his best to ensure that everyone is checked in with beds prepared before 10:00 P.M.  If you are looking for an efficient stay that lets you spend a maximum of time exploring the park you'll appreciate his attention to detail and rules.

Meanwhile, the common space is comfy and the kitchen area is quite spacious, with three fridges and lots of baskets to store your own food.

Just note that the dorms are both gender segregated, and that they are locked after 10:00 A.M.

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.

Castle Junction

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Warm and inviting- good place to stay

Cosy & Secluded Stay

I will keep coming back to Castle Junction

Great Hostel to stay at.

Great hostel. Remember the wilderness tag!

The best wilderness Hostel ever

Sort of a "Luxury" Wilderness Hostel

I would look elsewhere. The man named Tony who operates the hostel was not attentive to the clientele. While many patrons sat cold covered in pillows he simply would not use to the wood burning stove because he personally did not want to after I asked him. I booked the hostel for the cozy common area and it was nothing to that degree. I will not return in the future.

HI-Castle Mountain Hostel

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Popular

Services and amenities

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Parking

Pets

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Conditions of accommodation

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For corporate clients