Peak Majesty: A Canadian Rockies
A week of turquoise glacial lakes, jagged peaks, and the most beautiful drive on the planet.
Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Arrival in the Rockies
Grab your SUV and hit the Trans-Canada Highway. The transition from the flat prairies to the looming wall of the Rockies is a moment you won't forget.
Calgary International Airport
Grab your SUV and hit the Trans-Canada Highway. The transition from the flat prairies to the looming wall of the Rockies is a moment you won't forget.
Banff Avenue
Dragon Fli Empire is a Canadian hip hop duo formed in 2002 from Calgary, comprising Tarik Robinson, also known as Teekay (MC/producer), and Adam Hicks, also known as DJ Cosm (DJ/producer).
Banff Gondola
Head up Sulphur Mountain for a panoramic view of the entire Bow Valley. If you're feeling energetic, you can hike up and take the gondola down, but the boardwalk at the summit is a must-do for the views.
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Banff Upper Hot Springs are commercially developed hot springs located in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, near the Banff townsite. Europeans first became aware of the springs in 1883. As it has been developed since, the hot pool is outdoors and while in the pool, visitors can look across the valley to Mount Rundle.
The Alpine Icons
Spend the night near Lake Louise village to get a head start on the Parkway tomorrow.
Johnston Canyon
Johnston Creek is a tributary of the Bow River in Canada's Rocky Mountains. The creek is located in Banff National Park.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is a beautiful mountain lake in the middle of Banff National Park in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and at the far end is a large glacier. The lake is quite isolated, but provides a magnificent setting for a luxury resort, the Château Lake Louise, and a conference wing on the 'inland' side of the hotel.
Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake is a snow and glacially fed alpine lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 1,884 metres (6,181 ft). The lake has a surface area of 50 hectares.
The Icefields Parkway North
Crash in Jasper tonight. It has a much more "local" and rugged feel than Banff.
Bow Lake
Start your drive on Highway 93 North. This is the first major stop. The reflection of Crowfoot Glacier in the still water is stunning.
Peyto Lake
Banff National Park is in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta. Together with six other national parks it makes up the UNESCO World Heritage site "Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks". Established in 1885, it is the world's third oldest national park, after Yellowstone National Park in the United States, and Royal National Park in Australia.
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is roughly midway down the Icefields Parkway on Highway 93 in Jasper National Park within the Alberta Rockies. Jasper National Park is adjacent to the north of Banff National Park. The Columbia Icefield has several named glaciers, but the Athabasca Glacier is the main one that is accessible and most visible from the highway and visitor centre.
Sunwapta Falls
Sunwapta Falls is a pair of waterfalls of the Sunwapta River in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Jasper’s Wild Side
100km, 2h drive
Maligne Canyon
Maligne Canyon is a slot canyon located in the Jasper National Park near Jasper, Alberta, Canada. Eroded out of the Palliser Formation, the canyon measures over 50 metres (160 ft) deep. Popular for sightseeing and exploration, the area contains waterfalls, underground stream outlets, birds and plant life.
Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake is a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The lake is famed for the colour of its azure water, the surrounding peaks, the three glaciers visible from the lake, and Spirit Island, a frequently and very famously photographed islet. The lake is located 44 km (27 mi) south of Jasper town, and is accessible by motor vehicle, including shuttle buses from Jasper.
Jasper SkyTram
Get a bird's-eye view of the Jasper townsite and the surrounding wilderness. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mount Robson in British Columbia.
Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake is a lake in Nevada, United States. Enclosed entirely within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reservation, it is the end point for the Truckee River which begins at Lake Tahoe.
The Parkway Southbound
Start your journey back south. These falls aren't the highest, but the sheer volume of water forcing its way through the quartzite is incredible.
Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Icefields Parkway.
Mistaya Canyon
Mistaya Canyon in the western part of the Canadian province of Alberta is formed by the Mistaya River. Tourists visiting Banff National Park often visit the canyon because of its distinctive curvy walls and because it is easy to access, being just off the Icefields Parkway. The 0.
Saskatchewan River Crossing
Saskatchewan River Crossing is a locality in western Alberta, Canada. It is located within Banff National Park at the junction of Highway 93 and Highway 11. It is administered by Improvement District No. 9.
Castle Junction
Castle Junction is a locality where the northern extent of the Banff–Windermere Highway intersects with the Trans-Canada Highway, the Bow River, and Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park, Alberta. It is named after the nearby Castle Mountain, clearly visible from the junction. The area is also referred to as Castle Mountain; however, the official location is approximately 1.6 km (1.
Canmore & Kananaskis
A local favorite hike in Canmore. It’s easy-to-moderate and leads to two brilliant green pools. The views back toward the town and the Rundle Forebay are great.
Grassi Lakes
The Upper and Lower Grassi Lakes lie at an elevation of about 1,525 m (5,003 ft) in the southern Canadian Rockies overlooking the town of Canmore, Alberta. They receive their water from the Spray Lakes Reservoir on the Spray River. The land is part of the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, which is part of the Kananaskis Country park system.
Canmore Engine Bridge
Take a stroll along the Bow River to this historic rail bridge. It’s the best spot to photograph the "Three Sisters" peaks.
Kananaskis Village
Kananaskis Country is a network of wilderness parks in the Alberta Rockies region on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. This is a large region but its northern boundary is only about half an hour's drive west of Alberta's largest city, Calgary, along the Trans-Canada Highway (#1).
Farewell to the Mountains
One last morning view. It’s a peaceful spot where locals take their dogs, with the mountains reflecting perfectly in the water.
Quarry Lake
A quarry lake, also known as a pit lake, is a lake that is formed after a quarry has been dug through a mining operation.
Mount Yamnuska
Mount John Laurie is a mountain in the Canadian Rockies, in Alberta's Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Head back to the airport, drop off the rental, and catch your flight home.
- Get a Parks Canada Discovery Pass early to avoid lines at the park gates.
- Fuel up in Jasper or Lake Louise; gas is expensive and rare on the Icefields Parkway!