Book Your Stay

Book Your Stay

HI Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel

Book Your Stay

Check in → Check out

People

See our groups page for bookings of 10 or more friends.

Consulte notre section groupes pour les r�servations de 10 personnes ou plus.

Welcome to

HI Castle Mountain

Wilderness Hostel

HI Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel

Hwy 1A & Hwy 93 South
Banff National Park, Alberta

Half way between Banff and Lake Louise, HI Castle Mountain is just off the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), a quieter highway where wildlife is a bit easier to spot. Within view of the iconic Castle Mountain, the hostel gives you a taste of wilderness living with some of the comforts of home, like a cozy lounge with a wood-burning stove.

Highlights
  • Located in a wildlife corridor
  • Beautiful lounge to relax in after a long day out
  • Wilderness life with creature comforts
Useful Info

Check-in: 17:00 - 22:00 (May to September) & 17:00 - 21:00 (October to April). Late arrivals cannot be accommodated.

Check-out: 10:00

View our seasonal schedule

Help lighten our laundry load! Feel free to bring your own towel.

Amenities

  • Kitchen
    Kitchen
  • Campfire pit
    Campfire pit
  • Tourist Info
    Tourist Info
  • BBQ
    BBQ
  • Linens provided
    Linens provided
All Amenities & Facilities

A glimpse of the hostel

HI Castle Mountain
HI Castle Mountain Living Room
Shared Room
Kitchen
Fire pit

Rooms & Beds

Shared Rooms

14-Bed Room

Dive back into your summer camp days in our women-only or men-only rooms, which sleep 14 people. Each bunk has ample storage underneath to store your belongings.

Check Availability

Group Bookings

Half way between Banff and Lake Louise, HI Castle Mountain hostel provides a unique setting for groups of up to 28 seeking a rustic wilderness experience with the added perks of sleeping indoors and waking up to hot showers. Make use of the hostel's fully equipped self-catering kitchen and cozy fireplace lounge.

Groups Information

I rented the entire hostel last winter for a girls' trip with 28 ladies and we had a fabulous weekend skiing, eating, and hanging out in the comfortable hostel.

Tanya Koob, Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies

For a one-week period, we lived and worked together at Castle Mountain Hostel. We prepared food and ate as a community; we slept in bunk bed dorms, sang around the fire, and together built a portable outdoor city of tent laboratories.

This hostel isn't like the other wilderness hostels for it offers hot showers, real indoor toilets, and of course warmth. This made it so much easier with winter gear and windchills dipping down near -30ºC.

478BarbaraB

A word about HI Wilderness Hostels

Learn the ins and outs of our ten special, rustic wilderness hostels in the Rockies. Find out which hostel might be best for you and what you need to know before you go.

Packages

Wilderness Season Pass

HI Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel

Get seven months of unlimited stays at wilderness hostels in the Rockies

Details

Related Offers & Discounts

Hertz Car Rental

Get up to 10% car and van rentals around the world

More Info
Bounce

15% off your luggage storage

More Info
Freeheelin' Adventures

Get 10% off on all hiking, snowshoeing and nordic ski tours

More info
Poparide

Get $5 off your first ride on Poparide

More Info

Tap into HI's huge network of discounts the moment you get your membership card. You can keep saving while you travel and long after you get back.

More Discounts

Need More Inspiration?

The Wilderness Series: Winter at HI Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel

Your snow-covered adventure hub

January 17, 2024
...

9 reasons the Rockies are way better in the winter

Sorry, bears: you snooze you lose.

October 23, 2023
...

The best Canadian hostels for every style of traveller

What kind of traveller are you?

May 15, 2023
...

Our favourite bike routes in Fernie

Discover our favourite bike routes around the world-class quaint town of Fernie.

April 30, 2023
...

How to spend winter in the Rockies... without skis

There might be a shortage of snow in the Rockies this winter, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything fun to do!

February 21, 2023
...

Our best Canadian hostels for summer stargazing

If you’re travelling in western Canada, here’s where to stay to catch the best of the shooting stars.
July 26, 2022
...

An Aussie's guide to driving in Canada

Just because you've driven in the land down under doesn't mean you're prepared for the great white north!
June 17, 2022
...

How to turn your Rockies road trip into a real Canadian safari

Get in, we're going wildlife spotting!

April 03, 2022
...

Why April is the best time to ski in the Canadian Rockies

Think it's time to pack away your winter gear? Nah, the fun is just getting started.

March 07, 2022
...

11 weird winter activities you should think about trying this year

There's a whole lot more to winter fun than skiing and hockey.

January 10, 2022
...

18 tips for the ultimate Rockies road trip

Where to go is easy, but here’s how to get the most out of this must-do road trip

August 03, 2021
...

Raising adventurous kids through wilderness hostelling

One mom’s reflections on a decade of wilderness adventures with kids.

April 07, 2021
...

One year later: the impact of the pandemic on our hostels and our people

Two hostel managers share their thoughts on the heart-breaking effects of the pandemic.

April 05, 2021
...

HI Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel receives funds to harness the sun

Thanks to your support, we’re now powered by even more sunshine

December 22, 2020
...

My rent-a-hostel staycation in the Rockies wilderness was just what I needed this year

Just you, your bubble and nothing but nature.

December 02, 2020
...

September is hands down the best month of the year in the Rockies

Just when you think summer is over...

August 26, 2020
...

19 epiphanies you’ll have on your next Canadian road trip

Hit the road and discover a few undeniable truths about this country (and yourself)

August 24, 2020
...

9 ways to visit the Canadian Rockies virtually right now

They look almost as good on a screen as they do in person. Almost.

May 13, 2020
...

Help bring solar power to HI Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel in the Rockies

This little spot in the wilderness is in the running for an HI Sustainability Fund grant.

March 10, 2020
...

5 winter escape ideas waiting for you at hostels in Canada

We’ve got special deals all over the place to help you save money.

February 21, 2020
...

How to not be a jerk to wildlife in Canada

They sure look cute and cuddly but they definitely have their etiquette rules.

July 24, 2018
...

10 hostels you’re gonna want to check out in 2018

Need some inspo for your 2018 travel bucket list? We’ve got heaps of it.

December 22, 2017
...

A Canadian Biking Adventure: Our Top 5 Cycling Routes

Exceptional cycling routes that will show you way more than any highway ever could.

July 14, 2017
...

4 Options to Work, Travel and Explore Western Canada!

Leaving home for a few months is stressful enough. Here are some tips to make your arrival in Canada nice and smooth.

April 10, 2017
...

Great Canadian Road Trip Tips

Nothing but the wide-open road and an entire country to explore. Get ready for your next road trip in Canada.

March 28, 2017
...

Oh, and we've got a lot more to say! 

Read on