Athabasca Glacier
With more than 200 glaciers along the route, the Icefields Parkway (230 km) provides scenic and recreational opportunities in a trip that can be made in a day. The Trans-Canada Highway follows the main ranges of the Canadian Rockies, a mountain range that is traversed in both Banff and Jasper national parks. As you climb to 3,300 m (10,827 ft) you experience spectacular mountain and glacier views that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Depending on the time of year, you’ll find hiking trails, mountain climbing routes, back-country adventures, and alpine lodges, all located along a well maintained, shouldered roadway.
Banff to Lake Louise: 40 km (25 mi)
If you start your trip in the town of Banff, you’ll find hotels that range from mountain castles and hostels to campgrounds. Explore museums, art galleries, fine dining and four-seasons outdoor pursuits ranging from hiking and snowshoeing to white water rafting and world-class downhill or cross country skiing. Five minutes from town, the Banff Gondola rises to an elevation of 2,281 m (7, 484 ft), giving you a majestic view from Sulphur Mountain. The luxurious Fairmont Banff Springs is known as the ‘Castle in the Wilderness, and regularly attracts royalty, movie stars, and adventurers from around the world.
Lake Louise to Peyto Lake: 40 km (25 mi)
In Lake Louise you'll find the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and one of the most photographed emerald lakes on the planet. The remarkable background of the lake is where the Mount Victoria Glacier rises. Nearby, you can see the Crowfoot Glacier and visit Moraine Lake, famous for its aquamarine blue waters, and a favourite with hikers who climb to majestic viewpoints for photographs. About 30 km (19 mi) north of Lake Louise is Hector Lake, which is the largest natural lake in Banff National Park—and the park itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Peyto Lake to Saskatchewan Crossing: 73 km (45 mi)
This stretch of the trip includes Snowbird Glacier and Mount Chephren, where you can see moose and black bears. You’ll get to Saskatchewan Crossing, where three rivers meet. This is what attracted fur traders and explorers in the 1800s. The Bow Summit is 2,088 m (6,850 ft) above sea level and it’s the highest point on the drive from Banff to Jasper. Just over the Bow Summit, you can find a great view of Peyto Lake by walking along a paved trail. You’ll discover short paths to the Peyto Lake viewpoint or the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. Mount Chephren, once named the White Pyramid, is one of a few mountains in the Canadian Rockies that resemble pyramids. Saskatchewan Crossing to Columbia Icefields: 50 km (31 mi)
The Columbia Icefield is one of the few places in the world where you can actually step onto glacial ice formed millennia ago. The seasonal Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience is a 90-minute adventure where you board a six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle that takes 56 passengers out onto the Athabasca Glacier to stand on top of 300 m of solid ice. The Columbia Icefield Visitors' Centre is open from mid-April to mid-October. Parker's Ridge is at about midpoint on the Icefields Parkway, and the 5.9 km (~4 mi) long trail is a very popular hike, commanding a great view of glaciers.
Columbia Icefield to Jasper: 103 km (64 mi)
The town of Jasper is serene, providing a rustic stop that nonetheless offers superb alpine accommodations including the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. On the way to Jasper, the Kerkeslin Goat Lick viewpoint at kilometre 192 from Banff provides a great view across the Athabasca River to Mt. Christie, Mt. Brussels and Mt. Fryatt.