Legend of the Rockies: The
7 day Roadigo trip with 23 stops: Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Calgary to Banff
Grab your SUV (definitely get AWD) and hit the Trans-Canada Highway. The moment the prairies turn into jagged peaks is pure magic.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Grab your SUV (definitely get AWD) and hit the Trans-Canada Highway. The moment the prairies turn into jagged peaks is pure magic.
Banff Town Center
Park the car and walk Bear Street. Grab a "BeaverTails" pastry (the cinnamon-sugar classic) before heading up the Banff Gondola for a 360-degree view of the Bow Valley.
Bow Falls
Bow Falls is a major waterfall on the Bow River, Alberta just before the junction of it and the Spray River. They are located near the Banff Springs Hotel and golf course on the left-hand side of River Road.
Lakes of the Clouds
You have to take the shuttle now (personal cars aren't allowed), but seeing the "Twenty Dollar View" from the Rockpile is non-negotiable. The blue is almost neon.
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.
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.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Grab a drink at the Lakeview Lounge. It’s pricey, but those floor-to-ceiling windows are worth one expensive cocktail.
The Icefields Parkway North
This is the start of Highway 93, one of the world's most beautiful drives. Bow Lake is right off the road and usually glass-calm in the morning.
Bow Lake
This is the start of Highway 93, one of the world's most beautiful drives. Bow Lake is right off the road and usually glass-calm in the morning.
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.
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.
Glaciers and Giants
Park at the Discovery Centre. You can walk up to the "toe" of the Athabasca Glacier to see how much it has receded, or take the big-wheeled bus onto the ice.
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.
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.
Jasper Townsite
Much chillier and more "local" than Banff. Keep an eye out for elk literally wandering the sidewalks.
Jasper’s Wild Side
Follow the trail across the first five bridges. The depth of the canyon is dizzying.
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.
Miette Hot Springs
Miette Hot Springs are commercially developed hot springs in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, between the towns of Hinton and Jasper. The pool is outdoors and offers visitors a view of the surrounding Fiddle River Valley.
The High Road South
We're heading back south, but the views are different from this direction. Stop at any viewpoints you missed on the way up.
Jasper to Saskatchewan River Crossing
We're heading back south, but the views are different from this direction. Stop at any viewpoints you missed on the way up.
Abraham Lake
Abraham Lake, also known as Lake Abraham, is an artificial lake and Alberta's largest reservoir. It is located in the "Kootenay Plains area of the Canadian Rockies' front range", on the North Saskatchewan River in western Alberta, Canada.
Johnston Canyon
Johnston Creek is a tributary of the Bow River in Canada's Rocky Mountains. The creek is located in Banff National Park.
Canmore Peaks and Departure
Snap a photo of the iconic triple peaks from the Bow River bridge.
Three Sisters Viewpoint
Snap a photo of the iconic triple peaks from the Bow River bridge.
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 Brewing Company
Grab a flight of local craft beer and some snacks before the final easy stretch back to the city.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Drop off the car and catch your flight home.
- Buy a "Parks Canada Discovery Pass" online before you go to skip the lines at the park gates.
- Gas up in Lake Louise or Jasper; the only station on the Icefields Parkway (Saskatchewan River Crossing) is very expensive.