The town of Banff was formed as a result of the industrial revolution. In the late 1800's and the advent of the train travel, the Canadian Pacific Railway was formed to physically unite Canada from coast to coast. Imagine having the responsibility of selecting the locations for where the train stations would be located along that route. It must have been an awesome job. There was no town of Banff before the railroad was built. So what was the main reason for its selection? Was it the rugged mountains? The gorgeous pristine mountain lakes? Was it the roaring rivers and waterfalls? Nope. Surprisingly enough, it was a series of natural hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain. When the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to build a string of grand hotels across Canada to attract wealthy visitors to the railway, the town was born. Today, the town is the southern entrance to Banff National Park and is one of the most visited resort towns in Canada. Being located in such a target-rich natural setting, you can see why. Where else can you hop in your car downtown and drive a mere one-and-a-half miles to look at this scene at Vermillion Lakes?