If you’re doing research on the Canadian Rockies or a trip to Banff National Park, no doubt that you’ve seen the photo of a train snaking its way though the mountains. It looks like it was taken off the pages of a fairy tale! That particular spot is called “Morant’s Curve” and is an insanely popular place for photographers to capture that iconic image while visiting this area – and if you’re visiting the area, you probably want a shot at photographing Morant’s Curve with a train going through the mountains. In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about photographing Morant’s Curve, timing, and how to see a train at Morant’s Curve in Banff. Let’s begin!

What is Morant’s Curve?

Morant’s Curve is a picturesque bend in the railway tracks located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The charm of Morant’s Curve lies in the juxtaposition of the powerful locomotives traversing the serene and awe-inspiring mountainous landscape. The curve is named after Nicholas Morant, a Canadian Pacific Railway photographer who captured the iconic image of a train curving around the tracks against a backdrop of majestic mountains.

Where is Morant’s Curve?

The location of Morant’s Curve is along the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of the town of Lake Louise. The curve itself is situated between the Castle Mountain and Pilot Mountain, providing a dramatic natural frame for the passing trains.

There is no sign for this viewpoint, so you’ll have to save the location in your google maps. You will see a small parking area on the northbound side of the road, and a viewing platform on the southbound side.

How to see a train at Morats Curve? Is there a train schedule for Morant’s Curve?

Unfortunately, there is no set schedule. The majority of these trains passing through are freight trains, therefore, their schedules are not public information. In short, you’re going to have to pack your patience if you want to see a train pass through.

If you’re coming from Banff townsite and traveling north on the Bow Valley Parkway, keep your eyes peeled to your left, watching the train tracks for any passing trains. If you see one headed north, they will be passing through Morants Curve and you will likely be able to beat the train there to take a photo. However, because the train will be going northbound, you won’t get the iconic picture of it entering the curve.

What you want is not only a train, but a southbound train. And it’s a matter of pure luck.

But part of the fun of being here is the wait! We thought it was exiting to wait around with other photographers, trying to listen for train whistles and rumbles. It’s said that the trains run about every hour, but again, there is no set schedule. You could potentially wait here all day and never see a train.

We waited for about 45 minutes with no train in sight. We couldn’t wait here all day – we had other things we wanted to see, so we threw in the towel and headed out.

…and this brings me to my (what I like to call!) “insider tip.”

See a Southbound Train at Morant’s Curve by Getting Ahead of It!

Our next destination was Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, so we had to get to out to the Trans-Canada Highway. Along the way, I had another stop on my map – “Spiral Tunnels” which was another trainspotting viewpoint along the Trans-Canada highway.

We hopped out of the car and to our surprise, there were two trains going through the Spiral Tunnels, southbound, right at that moment. There’s only one place for these trains to go — these trains were headed down to Morant’s Curve — so we hopped back in the car, peeled out of the parking lot and drove the 30 minutes back to Morant’s Curve and waited for the trains.

The speed limit on the Trans Canada Highway is higher than what the train is going so you’ll be able to beat it with time to spare. I feel like this could be turned into one of those brain teaser math problems – “If a train is going 40mph, and your car is going 50mph…what time will you see it at Morant’s Curve?”

We beat the train by about 10 minutes, and yes, you can definitely hear a train whistle in the distance as it gets closer. We had our cameras at the ready and snapped away as the train passed through the mountains.

Lucky for us, the second train was right behind it – it was only about 5 minutes away, so we had the chance to photograph two southbound trains going through Morant’s Curve! What luck! We initially thought we got ‘skunked’ on this whole thing, but ended up getting more than what we expected!

So if you spot a train at the Spiral Tunnels Viewpoint, get your ass in gear and drive down to Morant’s Curve, as it’ll be there shortly!

Again, you’re never guaranteed to see a train, but with a little patience, you might get to take that iconic photo on your Banff National Park vacation. Good luck!