"Adventure Tourism Information About Places Ya'Gotta Go To!"
If you want to see the Canadian Rockies, there is one trip that you must take. The Icefields Parkway (Hwy. 93) is the road that travels through Banff and Jasper National Parks, between Lake Louise and the Town of Jasper. The Parkway follows the valleys that funnel the headwaters of the Bow, Saskatchewan and Athabasca Rivers into Alberta. These rivers are fed by the glaciers, high in the mountains, known as Crowfoot, Bow and Athabasca. The latter is better known as the Columbia Icefields and is a must see for any trekker to the Canadian Rockies.
The Icefields Parkway is great traveled either north or south and can be combined with a loop, east through Alberta, or west through British Columbia and on to Yoho, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks. The Parkway begins at Lake Louise Junction, on the Trans-Canada #1 Highway, the town of Jasper. Parks Canada produces a map of the Icefields Parkway.
If you're planning a trip the Canadian Rocky Mountains and travel the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper Nationl Park you can book your trip from our main Ya'Gotta Travel booking page. From other cities worldwide go tointernational page, with flights, hotels and car rentals. Ya'gotta Travel can also plan escorted tours of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
In order to take in the great side trips and day hikes, don't rush. You can easily drive the 230 km (143 miles) in a day and even do it as a full day, return trip, but that's rushing it. For drivers, as in all of the National Parks, there is low speed limited imposed, for the protection of animals that cross the road. It averages 90 km/hr, with slower speeds for areas of greater animal concentration.
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Actually, to really take in the Icefields Parkway, several days works great! If you plan to take all the many, great backcountry treks...Give yourself several weeks, or better yet plan well, or live close by.
For overnight back country treks, in Canada's National Parks, permits are required, from the park office and can be difficult to acquire do to the quota system. Dogs are not allowed in the back country, of the National Parks, nor are open fires. Always check with the park office for trail closures, bear warnings and other regulations prior to departure.
Travelers into the back country should be trained in map and compass use, proper gear, layered clothing, emergency first aide, water purification, food storage and disposal. In these areas bear avoidance skills are mandatory!
Another rule of thumb in the mountain backcountry is that during the late spring, during the month of June, you should keep your treks to the lower altitude, as high passes are often snow bound until after Canada Day (July 1). Even during July many of these areas are very wet with meltwater and steam and rivers can be high. Sometimes keeping your treks to later in the summer, or early fall can reduce problems with mosquitoes.
Make sure to start early in the day, to enjoy the beauty of the mountains, in the morning. If you're looking for accommodations, along the way, hotels are very scarce (except at Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper), but there are several rustic hostels and campgrounds. If you're camping, these fill up fast, during the busy summer season, which is another good reason for leaving early. You may be advised to drive right to your campground, for the night, and even backtrack for the trekking.
During the summer months sites in campgrounds in Banff and Jasper are at a premium and it is suggested that campers should use Parks Canada's online Campground Reservation Service. Travelers using hotels, motels, hostels and bed and breakfast are also encouraged to make reservations.
The road is great for experienced cyclists, but the climb up Bow Summit will be tough. Be prepared for shifts in weather and temperature, animals (even the occasional bear) on the road and many, many tourists.
There is regular bus service on the Parkway and it is also covered by many tour bus lines. At most junctions you will also see hitchhikers.
If you stay at Lake Louise you can take in the lake and its many tourists, but
there also lots of great side trips. While at the lakeshore you can either go to
the top of big beehive,
(stop at the lake Agnes Teahouse) or Mt. Fairview (more strenuous) for
spectacular views of the lake and the glacier that feeds it. All together the
Lake Louise area is a dayhiker's heaven, which includes treks to Larch Valley,
Sentinal Pass, Paradise Valley, Eiffel Lake, Wenkchemna Pass, Consolation Lakes,
Plain of the Six Glaciers and the Saddleback.
After leaving Lake Louise, you are now on to the Icefields Parkway. If it's a sunny day, make sure to take the obligatory trip up to Peyto Lake lookout, for one of the best examples of how minerals in mountain lake water, reflect light. This colour of this lake ranges from turquoise to teal!
On this day you can also take in the great day hikes in the area. Some of the
best are Bow Falls,which is well worth the short trek in to see how the water
slides down this inclined rock face. A more extreme hike, but well worth the
cross valley views the Crowfoot Glacier, is Dolomite Pass. From the top of the
pass, experienced backcountry trekkers can travel down the
Sifflur River to the Kootenay Plains and the North Saskatchewan River.
For an overnight camp try for the Mosquito Creek Campground (23 kms. north of Hwy. #1). The trailhead for the Molar Pass treks is right across the road. If you can't find space there, move further north to Waterfowl Lake Campground (57 kms. north of Hwy #1). The trail to Cirque and Chephren Lakes leaves from there and both can covered as a 13 km. round trip day hike.
Shortly before the Parkway crosses over from Banff to Jasper National Park, you reach Saskatchewan River Crossing, where you find the only gas station on the route, which (of course in not important for the cyclists). What is important to all travelers, is that the road going east will take you out of the park and into central Alberta, via the David Thompson Highway
In this part of Banff you will find the trail to Glacier Lake, for a long day hike, or short overnight trip and access to Howse Pass, David Thompson's route he learned from the aboriginals to go over the mountains. This route will take hardy tekkers to Golden, BC. 2007 will mark the bi-centennial of the this fur-trade explorer's trip over the pass.
You can also take the long switch back up to Sunset Pass, where you can day hike to Sunset Lookout (pack water). Serious backpackers or trail riders can continue on to Pinto Lake and also down the Cline River to the David Thompson Highway. Both this trail and Sifflur River go out of the park into wilderness areas, where the trails and campgrounds aren't as well marked or developed as in the park.
In this area of Banff, you also find the Weeping Wall, where glacial springs, seep out of the rockface. This is a favourite spot for ice climbers, in the winter.
Just north of the park park, in south end of
Jasper,
backpackers will find Some of the best high country packing in the Canadian
Rockies! the Glacier Trail (90 kms.) links to Nigel, Brazeau, Poboktan, and
Jonas Passes. There is also access to Maligne Pass, which will take trekkers
over to Maligne Lake and up into the rugged Skyline Trail!
No trip to the Canadian Rockies is complete without a trip to the Columbia Icefields. For the trekker there are spectacular views of the Columbia Icefields, from Wilcox Pass and Parker's Ridge. During the summer, in the high meadows of Wilcox Pass you will often find big horn sheep rams grazing. For a chilly night of camping, try the Wilcox Campground, south of the Icefields Interpretive Centre.
It's well worth going to the toe of the glacier to see how fast it's melting. You can also take an interesting trip through the Centre and many travellers take snowcoach rides out onto the glacier.
Water that melts from the snow dome, at the very top of the glacier has the uniqueness of flowing to three oceans:
Further up the Parkway is Sunwapta Falls, the trailhead to Fortress Lake and you will sometimes see mountain goats on the slopes above. When you get to Athabasca Falls, you must take a tour around one of the best examples of the power of water, in the Canadian Rockies. You can actually walk down ancient erosion channels, through the rock.
At Athabasca Falls turn off the Highway 93 and go onto the old 93A highway. This older version of the Icefields Parkway, will lead you to some great hiking to the Geraldine Lakes and two of the great Jasper backpacks...Fryatt and Tonquin Valley. You can also take the well known trip up to Mount Edith Cavell, the peak that dominates the Jasper skyline. Prior to arriving at the turnoff to Mount Edith Cavell and if you're wanting a quite campgound than those near the town of Jasper, try the Wabasso.
From Jasper, travelers can loop back west to either Cariboo Country, down to the Okanagan Valley and Kelowna. Going east you can go to Hinton, or Grande Cache
If you would like more information about Alberta, go to our
Ya'Gotta: Alberta Adventure Travel Information.
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If you would like more information about other great destinantions go to our Alberta Ya'Gotta: Adventure Travel Information, Adventure Travel Destinations and Alberta Adventure Travel Links pages.
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