Canada's Best Road Trip: Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper

renowned as the most beautiful Road in Canada and maybe even the world the icefields parkway is a Scenic 235 kilometer Highway that connects Banff and Jasper National Parks it takes about three hours to Traverse this picturesque stretch of road but you're going to want to allocate a lot more time than that prepare to be awestruck you'll have front row seats to some of the Canadian Rocky's most incredible views including towering snow-capped Peaks sparkling turquoise Lakes ancient glaciers and breathtaking viewpoints if you're planning a trip along the icefields parkway or just want to experience the impressive views here are the highlights and the top stops to make along the way including one of the most incredible hotels we've ever stayed at first you'll likely be leaving from Banff so to get to Lake Louise where the official Parkway starts I recommend traveling along Highway 1A the Bow Valley Parkway it runs parallel to Highway 1 and it's quiet and comes with a higher chance of spotting Wildlife at the end you'll find morant's curve one of the most iconic photography spots in the Rockies straight out of a Bob Ross painting then we have the famous Emerald Waters of Lake Louise you can take a leisurely stroll along the shore or go hiking to get a better vantage point of this stunning turquoise Lake framed by Soaring mountain peaks from Lake Louise you could visit Moraine Lake only 20 minutes away arguably the most beautiful Lake in all of Canada this does take a little extra planning though to get here as no private vehicles are allowed entry so grab a spot on a shuttle to get there I like the Marine Lake bus company after you continue back on the parkway Herbert lake is located right off the side of the highway this is a Serene little lake with great views there's restrooms picnic areas and you can even go for a glacial dip here next we have Bow Lake a shimmering turquoise gem Nestle that the foot of bow Glacier this is a beautiful stop with its reflective Waters mirroring the surrounding Peaks there's lots of room for vehicles to pull off from the highway and it's a great spot for photos stretching your legs or even go for another dip this is bull Lake isn't it Gorge Gorge and if Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are just too busy this is the next best alternative and the easiest to get to okay so we stopped for a quick little stretch break at pedo Lake this is one of the most famous lakes along the icefield parkway definitely worth a stop it's only about a five minute hike to get up here and the views are amazing a short hike from the parking area will lead you to a stunning Overlook offering a bird's eye view of this Vivid Blue Lake cradled by the dramatic mountain range that surrounds it there's lots of parking and the trail is paved the whole way albeit a little steep especially if you're not used to the altitude pedo lake is one of the most accessible breathtaking viewpoints in all of the Canadian Rockies well worth the stop by the way I highly recommend downloading guide along it's an audio tour guide app that shares stories tips points of interest and recommended places to visit and it's all automatically triggered by GPS so you can go at your own pace and you don't need Wi-Fi there's a specific tour for the icefields parkway which will tell you even more about all these stops and viewpoints as you pass by it's only twelve dollars and you have it forever and you can also bundle it with more areas like Banff and Vancouver mistaya Canyon is another Hidden Gem that showcases the raw power of nature here you can experience the rushing waters as they carve their way through the narrow Gorge forming sculpted rock formations and swirling pools take a short hike along the Canyon's rim to fully appreciate its grandeur next you'll come to Saskatchewan Crossing which is almost the halfway point it's a good spot for a rest break there's a gas station restaurant a bar washrooms and even a hotel called The Crossing Resort next we come to the Weeping wall Viewpoint this is a brief stop right off the highway here you can view a series of small waterfalls that look like tears flowing down the side of the mountain as you continue you'll reach the Big Bend Viewpoint which is a sweeping curve in the highway that offers expansive views of the valley below and it gives you a really good sense of how vast these mountains really are and the bend itself is a tight hairpin turn that's pretty fun to drive if you're looking for a good hike along the ice Fields Parkway I recommend Parker Rich it's a moderate five kilometers with about 250 meters of elevation gain and panoramic views at the top finally we arrive at the Columbia ice field a network of glaciers that have been around since the last ice age the star of the show is the Athabasca Glacier and when you get here it's like a postcard has come to life we parked it here for the night and checked into the Glacier View Lodge which sits on top of the Columbia icefield Discovery Center this unique and remote Lodge has unrivaled views of the glacier in fact it's the only hotel in Canada overlooking a massive Glacier this place was an experience like no other as soon as you step out of the elevator you enter the Moraine lounge and the hotel lobby area we were greeted with epic Glacier views through this floor-to-ceiling window that spans the room after checking in we got to our room one of only 30 here and as you can see it's got this contemporary Chic kind of Scandinavian Alpine Style with of course a view of the glacier every evening all Hotel guests are invited to a welcome reception with complimentary appetizers and Specialty drinks back in the Marine Lounge since we wanted to get the full experience of the icefield parkway through the hotel we booked the Columbia icefield guided experience which includes the two main attractions the Glacier Skywalk and the Columbia icefield Adventure but in a more intimate way at about 6 30 PM our small group headed out to the Glacier Skywalk the cliff Edge walkway with only glass between you and the ground which is about 300 meters below you because we booked this package our small group got to visit at the end of the day once the public tour is finished so we only had to share the views with a few other people after this breathtaking experience we ate dinner back at the hotel because we were adventuring and road tripping all day we were excited to dress up a little bit and enjoy more of an upscale dining experience altitude the hotel restaurant serves locally sourced Canadian Cuisine and offers creative cocktails a full bar and wine menu we tried the duck the lamb and the fish everything was cooked to Perfection very flavorful and the presentation paired with the exclusive view of the glacier was extra special and I have to give a shout out to the servers Liam in particular was fantastic and basically treated us like royalty after dinner we really noticed how quiet everything was by 9 pm the highway was empty of other tourists and caravanners so we took the opportunity to soak up the views all to ourselves and because of the lack of light pollution here stargazing is especially spectacular the next morning we enjoyed complimentary coffee and one last Glacier View from this vantage point before heading out on our private guided tour of the Athabasca glacier one final perk of this package is that you get to be the first to step on the glacier before anyone else we boarded what was basically a monster truck that brought us to the glacier here you get to walk on it and admire all of its Glory it's crazy to think about the fact that the icy walk-on is 365 meters thick almost 1200 feet below you but I think the best part was drinking glacial water the freshest I've ever tasted just a couple things I want to mention we did pay full price for everything here at the Glacier View Lodge and we weren't compensated or sponsored in any way and if you aren't planning to stay here or take part in the ice field experiences which do come at a cost you can also take the free short 10-minute hike at the toe of the glacier Trail for a glimpse of these views after this it's time to resume our journey along the ice Fields Parkway north towards Jasper only about 15 minutes up the road stop at Beauty Creek Trail for a Hidden Gem hike where you'll pass by several waterfalls the trail starts off on flat gravel and then as you make your way into the woods you'll pass by tons of mini waterfalls eventually finding the bigger Stanley Falls I was hypnotized watching it crash into the bowl below me it'll take you about 30 to 40 minutes to get to the top of Stanley Falls and there are plenty of spots where you can hang out and enjoy the views don't be afraid to dip your toes leaving Beauty Creek 20 minutes further you'll arrive at the double-barreled the sun WAP to Falls this is a really relaxing spot it's very shaded and only a five minute walk from the parking lot to the bridge viewing platform if you have time you could also hike down to the lower Falls another 20 minutes down the road you'll hit the impressive at the basket Falls a popular spot due to the extremely powerful Waters here so much so that you'll definitely get hit with some Misty overspray from the various Vantage points but I think this helps you appreciate the immense force and beauty of this natural wonder one final must visit stop along the ice Fields Parkway before you get to Jasper is Valley of the five lakes this Scenic four kilometer Trail takes you through a picturesque landscape of Emerald Green Lakes dense forests and striking Mountain views the paths are well marked and as the name suggests five glassy Emerald Lakes sit peacefully as the mountains loom in the distance finally we've made it to Jasper a Charming quiet and equally lovely mountain town if you have a couple days to explore the area my Jasper travel guide video is just what you need to watch next foreign

Channel: Aly Smalls

Views: 45,772

Keywords:

Id: fY9OojMyRrE

Length: 10min 4sec (604 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 02 2023