Closest thing to the Swiss Alps?

The mountains areas in the SW corner of Colorado is often called little Switzerland because of the mountain formations. More sheer granite mountains and more rugged (fewer trees) than other parts of the state. Anything around Durango, Silverton, Telluride, Ouray - San Juan nation forest area - would be similar.

Next week we are headed into the Canadian Rockies around Calgary and Banff so will let you know what that is like when we return.

Canadian Rockies are beautiful and I have done some very scenic hikes near Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara.

Then there is Manyglacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, which has gorgeous views from the rooms and a Swiss theme:

http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/lodging/many-glacier-hotel/

They offer ranger-led hikes if you are concerned about bears.

For a snow-covered peak and beautiful hiking amid wildflowers (but no cows), try Paradise Inn on Mt Rainier:

http://www.mtrainierguestservices.com/accommodations/paradise-inn
http://www.mtrainierguestservices.com/activities-and-events/summer-activities

The Banff and Jasper area of Alberta would be my recommendation. They are stunning and (IMHO) as beautiful as anything you can see in Switzerland. We lived just 11 hours away and feel very lucky to be so close. I have been going there since I was very young and have seen many changes over the years. I feel that Jasper is closer to what Banff "used to be". (A small charming town) Banff has really changed with many "high end designer" stores opening. (In my youth, it was mostly souvenir and family stores). However, the beauty that surrounds Banff is unbeatable. Summer will be busy, but the best chance at good weather. (Like all mountain areas, the weather is very unpredictable. My friends just came home from there. Why they had good weather for most of their trip, they did have snow one day...in August) The drive between Banff and Jasper is one of the prettiest I have ever been privileged to enjoy. If you decide to go, I have a few tips for you. (For example, Jasper has limited itself on how many hotels they will allow to be developed. This has led to there being more people than hotel rooms. So locals are allowed to rent out rooms in their home. It is similar to B&B's, but we did not get breakfast. We loved staying with locals who helped us plan our days.)

Many areas of the Colorado Rockies, while not exactly evocative of the Alps, are truly majestic and have lots of wonderful hiking possibilities. I really liked the Crested Butte area in the summer, hiking through high mountain meadows full of wildflowers was a bit like being in the Alps. Also, check out the Collegiate Peaks area around Buena Vista, especially the many hikes on Cottonwood Pass. And Rocky Mtn Natl Pk and Estes Park are wonderful to hike around and Estes is somewhat close to an Alpine town surrounded by snow covered mtns, although very touristy in the summer it's another of my favorites. And then there's always the area around Aspen and the Maroon Bells area, good hiking there also. So many choices.

Hi Susan & Monte,

We've been to Glacier National Park (USA) and Banff & Whistler (BC, Canada). For an anniversary, I would recommend Whistler because you could also combine your trip with some options: a stop at Victoria on Vancouver Island for a special "feel" of Europe, or staying in Vancouver. And, the drive between Vancouver & Whistler is gorgeous.

First of all let me say that I heartily concur with previous comments about Colorado in general and Rocky Mountain National Park in particular. If you've not been you really owe it to yourself to come see it.
Likewise everyone's thoughts about Banff and Jasper. The Icefields Parkway that connects the two is one of the world's great scenic drives, and the hiking is truly world class.
That said, may I suggest broadening your search a bit to include Alaska. Denali National Park is spectacular - really one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences that would be a perfect way to memorialize a major anniversary. A lesser known attraction if you're the adventurous types (and enjoy terrific hiking) is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park near the town of McCarthy. http://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm. The largest NP in the United States (6 times larger than Yellowstone) it's also bigger than the country of Switzerland...and with higher mountains - 9 of the 16 tallest peaks in North America are located within its boundary. One of the most memorable things we've ever done for one of our own anniversaries was to take a scenic flight within the park to view the surrounding glaciers - truly awe inspiring and something we still talk about years later.
We took our car on the Alaska Ferry from Seattle several years ago and spent several weeks driving around the state. Alternatively you could save time by flying into Anchorage and renting a car there. Either way the trip would be memorable for you both.

Grand Teton around Jackson Hole ? I did an amazing "float trip" for a week there. Or if the budget gets tight, hop in the car and drive to Yosemite for hiking around Tuolumne Meadows and one elaborate dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel ?

Susan & Monte. We had our honeymoon at the Banff Springs Hotel, and always plan to go back. The Rockies there and the drive up to the Jasper and Lake Louise are stunning. I think they are much less civilized than the Swiss alps, rugged with plenty of hot springs and glacial lakes to visit, even right there in town. I guess i can't think of any small village-type experience like Gimmelwald.

We've also had a great time in the Vail/Avon Colorado area, in the summertime. Lots of resorts and activities to do there. The smaller mining towns around there can be interesting.

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! Great ideas. I really have no preference where we go and all that has been suggested sound great. I've been looking up Canada flying into Calgary and driving to Banff-Lake Louise-Jasper. With goole maps it looks amazing. More research needed for Colorado and Alaska. It all sounds great- how do you choose? We like quiet, peaceful, nature, views, decent food, not high priced, and a little romance for our special day!

We also recommend flying into Calgary, then up to Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. Absolutely beautiful country. Elk slept at the door of our cabin in Jasper :)

The Banff Springs Hotel is lovely, as is the Fairmont Chateau in Lake Louise (we had lunch at both), but there are also some less-expensive hotels very close to each. Years ago (decades) we stayed at the Deer Park Lodge in Lake Louise...have no idea if it is still there and, if so, if it is still nice. It was a very short walk (as in just minutes) to the Fairmont in Lake Lousie. But, for your anniversary, a room with a lovely view of the lake in Lake Louise (which would mean the Fairmont) would be a real treat.....the lake view is THAT lovely. The road to Jasper has some absolutely breathtaking scenery.

Not that you would want to take a tour (and I don't think a tour is necessary for Canada), but you could take a look at www.tauck.com to see how they break up their Canadian Rockies tour, which can give you an idea for how many nights you might want to stay in each location.

I haven't made it to the Swiss Alps, but those who have tell me that the Canadian Rockies are as close as one can come on this continent.

Colorado is also lovely, and I spent two weeks there each summer for three years when I was younger. Lots of wonderful memories. The peaks are just higher in Canada.

Yes, the Canadian Rockies in the Banff area. A lot of Swiss and Austrian guides helped promote the Canadian Rockies to tourist: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/pioneering-spirit_how-the-swiss-helped-open-the-canadian-rockies/36226236

...early Swiss contributions in a special exhibition. These guides,
according to the exhibition, “helped cultivate an appreciation of
Canada’s Rocky Mountains and of an environment to be both preserved
and revered”.

“They were responsible for the evolution of mountaineering culture in
Canada,” says filmmaker Josias Tschanz, summing up the efforts of
pioneers like Christian Haesler, Ernst Feuz and Walter Perren, three
of the group of Swiss guides who completed no fewer than 50 of the
initial 56 first ascents of 3,000m mountains in the Rockies.

I already voted for Banff. however, I saw you wanted to hike. We have hiked and biked in this area many times. If you go to the Lake Louise area, there are hike up to "tea huts". It is similar to hiking to huts in the alps and getting something to eat. I don't think they overnight accommodations, but we really enjoyed stopping and having refreshments.

Closest in North America would be the Canadian Rockies (between Banff and Jasper is just one), or Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming (see the Ansel Adams photos).
The Colorado Rockies are good but they are different than the Swiss Alps.

Telluride! Just a stunning area.

The Canadian Rockies, hands-down. Split your time between Banff and Jasper. Hike to waterfalls, walk on a glacier, sail on a mountain lake, and see wildlife. June is better - fewer tourists and more bears.

I did a 3-week trip a few years back by car . . . bit the bullet and did that long boring drive across Nevada on 80 (50 is a pretty scenic drive, but longer), overnight in Salt Lake, then a couple nights in the Tetons, 5 nights in Yellowstone (fabulous), left as the Memorial weekend crowds were arriving, spent a night in Helena (driving through Montana is scenic), stopped at Glacier and drove the Going-to-the-Sun road, breathtakingly beautiful, then Waterton, Calgary (weekend with friends) and 10 days in Banff and Jasper. Then scenic drive through the mountains via Kamloops to Vancouver and then straight down I-5, with a stop a Rainier.

Colorado Rockies don't compare. Have you been hiking in the Colorado Plateau?

Thank you so much. Monte loves the idea of Nova Scotia, but I think I have him leaning more towards Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. It looks stunning! We both love the Swiss and Austrian Alps, so this looks like a winner.

I was thinking of around 10 nights. Would you split the time evenly between the areas of Banff and Jasper with one night at the Fairmont at Lake Louise?

Any more info or thoughts for a trip like that?

Lake Louise is less than an hour's drive from Banff. There's no need to change hotels unless you want the experience of a night at the Fairmont.

The driving is scenic. If you want to minimize it, you can visit the Athabasca Glacier and Falls on your way between Banff and Jasper.

According to Google maps, it's a 5 hour drive from Jasper to Calgary. I assume you'll fly round-trip and get/return the car there. I haven't been in summer, when it's (presumably) crowded. Driving times may be longer and parking harder to find then.

There's enough to see/do in both places to split the time fairly equally between the two. My impression was that Banff is bigger, more of an urban feel, and gets more tourism, probably because it's closer to Calgary.

It's true that you don't necessarily need to stay in Lake Louise to enjoy the hikes - it's a short drive from Banff. The Chateau would be a terrific place to celebrate an anniversary however. There are several great hikes in the area, but this one up to the 6 glaciers tea house was our favorite: http://banffandbeyond.com/plain-of-six-glaciers-the-other-tea-house-at-lake-louise/
About halfway between Lake Louise and Jasper there's another very nice hike that goes up to Wilcox Pass. After a moderate elevation gain you emerge onto a high plateau with views across to the Athabasca glacier. Saw several herds of nearly tame bighorn sheep as well some caribou off in the distance.
Know too that Parks Canada http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/index.aspx requires an entry fee for all the National Parks in Canada...including Jasper. Can purchase an annual pass for a rather nominal fee that's good for all the NP's in Canada for a year - might be more cost effective than paying daily fees if you're going to be spending a lot of time exploring the various National Parks in the area.

Beyond Banff and Lake Louise lodging options are the Banff NP back county lodges:
http://www.banfflakelouise.com/Places-to-Stay/Backcountry-Lodges

We've enjoyed Skoki and Shadow Lakes:
http://www.skoki.com
http://www.shadowlakelodge.com/summer.html
We did winter visits which are moderate skis in. The back county lodges provide meals and bedding keeping packs to carry-on size and weight or lighter.

If you prefer drive up front country lodges look into some of the historic ones like Num-Ti-Jah
http://www.sntj.ca
Or heading to nearby Yolo NP, Emerald Lake Lodge:
https://www.crmr.com/emerald/accommodation/

I would choose Moraine Lake lodge over the Fairmont Lake Louise for that one special night.

http://morainelake.com/

It is less expensive ($500 CDN instead of $800 CDN), more romantic ( smaller, more private), more scenic (check the photos), and the lodge itself is more beautiful ( in my view, anyway). Rate includes breakfast and use of the canoes.

Or try one of the sweet backcountry lodges Edgar suggested ( Skoki or Shadow Lake) if that appeals--- but they may have a 2-night minimum (appropriate given the effort to reach there).

I agree with the comments about the Banff/Lake Louise area. We kept asking each other how many times we could say "Oh, that view is SO stunning", as we drove the scenic routes.
We found an absolute gem on the Bow Valley Parkway called Baker Creek Mountain Resort. It has lodge rooms over looking Baker Creek, cabins overlooking the woods and is nestled deep in the mountains. The Bistro there has delicious food, mostly from Canadian sources.

It is about 15 minutes from Lake Louise and 30 minutes from Banff.

We actually stayed in Banff for our anniversary 2 years ago and found Baker Creek on the drive to Icefields Parkway. We have been back to Baker Creel now, twice in the last year.
There are great hikes, including the ones to the tearooms at Lake Louise. And there all are varieties, from easy hikes to very challenging ones. There are also boat rides on various lakes that are interesting and relaxing too.

Murren is my most favorite place in the world, but this area of the Canadian Rockies is just as stunning. And a lot closer to Dallas!

You guys are great! Thank you all so much for all the info! Looks like that's where we will go for our 30 anniversary! All the tips are very helpful.

If you do decide on flying into Calgery, I suggest going to the River Café for your special meal. It's in the park (I forget the name) that is on the north side of town. Very delicious food with great service. Set along the river. They grew their own herbs and edible flowers in tubs outside in front of the building. After dinner, you can stroll in the park.
Beware that the Baniff area gets pretty crowded during the summer. Just walking along the main streets in Baniff felt like NYC 5th Ave. with lots and lots of tourists. Meals were pretty expensive there. It was hard to find parking spaces at the more popular lakes.

Thank you chun for the restaurant tip. We are foodies, and it sounds wonderful!