The Icefields Parkway, aka Highway 93. Anywhere you look, anyone you ask, will say it’s one of the most spectacular drives on the planet. And it’s true. (Look at these 360° panoramas to see for yourself.) Imagine 230 km (140 miles) of unparalleled alpine splendour; turquoise lakes nestled perfectly between mountain peaks, wildlife grazing almost within arm’s reach. Doable in a day or a week by RV, car or bicycle, with or without hikes, hotels or hostels, the choice is yours. It’s almost a cliché of mountain perfection. Everyone can leave happy from a trip down Highway 93.

Officially the Icefields Parkway runs between Lake Louise and stretches down the spine of the Rockies to the town of Jasper. Banff is an easy start point, but making the trip from Jasper, heading south works just as well. Regardless of where you start, there are a few stops you should consider ‘essential viewing’. Let’s start with Lake Louise. Instead of just leaving Banff and whipping past the turnoff to the townsite, hang a left and head up to the lake. Take a stroll through the castle-like Chateau Lake Louise, check out the canoes and take the pictures. Why pass up picture perfection if it’s there? 

Just up the road sits Moraine Lake, a short and gentle hike from a well-paved parking lot. Pack a lunch and picnic next to impossibly blue water. Take a moment to enjoy the view that once graced our twenty-dollar bills.

Forty km (26 miles) north of Lake Louise lies Peyto Lake. Named for Bill Peyto, an early guide in the Banff area, the glacier fed lake is a ten-minute drive off Highway 93 and at the end of a short paved trail. A longer trail around the lake takes hikers to see the glacier that feeds the lake.

Next point of interest – Bow Summit. The summit is noteworthy for being the highest point of the drive from Banff to Jasper. It’s also the highest piece of public road in the country at 2,088 meters or 6,800 feet above sea level. From this point in either direction – it’s all downhill from here.

Saskatchewan River Crossing is the point where three rivers meet. There’s the Howse, the Mistaya and this is where the mighty North Saskatchewan starts its long trip toward Lake Winnipeg. It’s also the only place to gas up before Jasper.

The Weeping Wall is next down the road with a viewpoint just north of the Crossing. Talk about a mountain of tears. Water tumbles down the face of Cirrus Mountain from a height of 100 meters (330 feet.)

A hike up to Parker’s Ridge provides a break from the drive and a spectacular view. The trail is 5.9 km long (3.7 miles) and climbs 250 meters (820 feet) and at the end, hikers find themselves surrounded by ice-covered peaks with names like Castleguard, Andromeda and Athabasca, and a view of the Saskatchewan Glacier.

The Columbia Icefields are next on the map, offering visitors a chance to touch the remnants of the last ice age. During tourist season, special all-terrain vehicles or Snowcoaches, venture back in time taking visitors up the Athabasca Glacier. Do not wander on the glaciers by yourself. Cliffs and deep crevasses are often deceptively hidden and several people have died after falling through the thin layers of ice and snow. Covering 325 square kilometres with sections of ice up to 365 metres (1200 feet), this is the largest body of ice south of the North Pole and one of the reasons the Rocky Mountain Parks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Back on the road and heading toward Jasper, keep an eye out for the Kerkeslin Goat Lick. This is a likely spot for an up-close and personal experience with the local population of mountain goats. The goat lick is a naturally occurring deposit of salt and minerals that attract the goats down from their usual high altitude haunts.

As you wrap up the trip and approach the town of Jasper take a short side trip to Athabasca Falls. The 23 meter (75 foot) falls may not be the tallest falls in these hills, but they make up for lack of height in sheer power. The Athabasca River carries more water than any river in the Rockies and it’s all concentrated here in an impressive display of noise, mist, and gushing powerful torrents.

From here, the next stop is the town of Jasper and all of its urban delights. Restaurants, campgrounds, B&Bs, hotels, motels all feel like the big city after the panoramas of the Icefields Parkway. 

Accommodation along the Parkway ranges from campgrounds to high-end hotels with prices that reflect the spread. From Chateau Lake Louise to the Jasper Park Lodge, the five star lodgings are gorgeous, pricey and often booked solid. But don’t let that scare you because more than 15 campgrounds along the route can give you a true mountain adventure. Five hostels between Lake Louise and Jasper are another option. There’s the classy International Hostel at Lake Louise with private rooms, a pool table and wi-fi, to the more rustic abode at Beauty Creek with no running water or flush toilets. There are also dozens of motel and B&Bs to be found at either end of the Parkway in Banff and Jasper and a few motels and lodges on the Parkway itself.

See panoramic photos of the Icefields Parkway.

NOTES:The Parkway (the road) is open all year but the few buildings (2) and services (gas station, Snocoach tour and visitor centre) along it’s entire length are closed from Oct – May…. so fill up with gas prior to leaving…. and check the road reports if you plan on driving this during the cold seasons.

Pat Barford, My Destination Alberta
November 2011

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Photos: Peyto Lake and Icefields Parkway with motorcoach courtesy of Travel Alberta