The Icefields Parkway is along Alberta Highway Route 93 and is not to be missed if you're on your way to visit Jasper from either Banff or Canmore. The 288-kilometer route through the Canadian Rockies is one of the most scenic routes in the world when it comes to stunning mountain ranges and lake backdrops. I've witnessed this firsthand and am guilty of doing the same but resist the urge to take photos or videos while driving. Use a GoPro or have someone else capture the footage. The beautiful views are distracting and I've seen people swerve while driving trying to get that Gram worthy photo. It's not worth getting into an accident or even worse, lose your life over it. There is one lane for traffic going in and outbound. I guarantee you will encounter a slow poke during your travels through this stretch of road. Oftentimes it's a slow RV or camper. Just overtake when appropriate and use caution. If you run into wildlife, also proceed with caution. Lastly I'll leave you with a few tips... #1) Make sure you have gas. Fill up your gas tank at Lake Louise before entering through the Icefields Parkway a.k.a. Alberta Route 93. There is a second opportunity if you still have about 150km left in your tank to fill up at the Crossing Gas station near the Saskatchewan River Crossing. This will be your last opportunity to get gas. You will be sorry and stranded if you don't do this. If you're ultra paranoid, carry an extra portable fuel tank and fill that up too. #2) There is no cellphone service for a good portion of this highway. Your phone will go dead for the most part and only Emergency SOS calls are allowed with very limited signal. The reason being is due to Parks Canada restricting infrastructure development. Also the Canadian Rockies are protected wilderness. Google maps will still work and get you to your destination but that's pretty much it. #3) Prepare to make unexpected stops and allow for a few hours on top of your expected commute to make it to your destination. As mentioned earlier, there are several breathtaking points of interest along the way that will lure you out of your car and satisfy your wanderlust. Thankfully there are a bunch of overlook rest stops along the way where you can park your car and enjoy the views. read more

Pretty decent mode of travel; sometimes it can be annoying to be stuck in a slow moving group and unable to pass. If that happens, pull over at an overlook and take a break. read more

Icefields Parkway - Hiking Near Me - Jasper, Alberta

The Icefields Parkway took us through Banff & Jasper National Parks. The parkway links Lake Louise with Jasper is considered one of the most beautiful journeys on the planet, Alberta's Highway 93. Most of the scenic places that we stopped were along this parkway. Rated as one of the top drives in the world by Condé Nast Traveller, the Icefield Parkway is a 144 mile stretch of highway winding along the Continental Divide through soaring rocky mountain peaks, icefields and vast sweeping valleys. As we drove along the ice fields Parkway, we saw cars stopped on the side with cameras, sticking out the windows. We knew that that meant that there was an animal nearby to view. From our tour bus I saw sheep, moose, goats and marmot, and eagles. read more

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Do you like scenic drives? Do you like smooth open roads with mild rather than tight and scary turns? If you like both scenarios, the Icefields Parkway is one you will love. In fact Condé Nast Traveler named this Icefields Parkway drive one of the top 10 drives in the entire world! It was a 125 mile, 2 hour and 15 minute drive for us from Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefield and I enjoyed every minute of it. I've previously experienced 3 particularly memorable and scenic drives - one from Fairbanks to Denali National Park in Alaska, the Pacific Coast Highway in Calif, and the Amalfi coast in Italy - and I must say this one has them all beat just from the variety of beautiful natural scenes along the way. Don't just read this, look at some of the photos, and better yet, just do the drive yourself if you ever get the opportunity! The only thing we missed was seeing some wildlife along the way, but that's a random hit or miss occurrence anyway. read more

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Icefields Parkway Drive is what dreams are made of. To experience this road is unlike any other in the world! For all you nature and park enthusiasts out there...actually, for EVERYONE OUT THERE, you MUST, MUST do this drive! For me...and I've traveled and driven through many a places...this right here, Icefields Parkway...was THE BEST and MOST SCENIC DRIVE I have ever witnessed! It's not just me...you can easily read on the internet... Icefields Parkway is considered one of the "Top 10 Best Drives in the World"! If you're headed north (like I was) from Banff to Jasper...which is a very common way of going, especially for American tourists crossing the Canadian border, Icefields Parkway begins just past the Lake Louise Village area. It ends 232 kilometers north or 144 miles in the town of Jasper, Alberta. Before I go into details for everything I experienced...I'll just say that there's nothing like snowcapped mountains and turquoise blue lakes. That's what you'll discover on this drive. The mountains grab you and smack you in your face with stunning beauty and the colorful turquoise blue and green lakes are sights to behold. Also great are some of the hikes trekking you high above the landscape for glorious views below. Interestingly, there were barely many waterfalls and there was only 1 worthwhile glacier to visit, and that was of course...Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields. Still...there's more than enough to see and do here including plenty of campgrounds and rustic lodges. Also, wildlife...there were bears walking alongside the road! Yeah, they are not shy and you can grab some unbelievable pics and videos of bears while on the parkway! Also...this Icefields Parkway pretty much runs near 4 Canadian National Parks...Banff, Kootenay, Yoho and Jasper. So coming here, and basically the entire Canadian Rockies area...there is so much to see and do. I needed 2 weeks along my summer road trip to accomplish all the sights, attractions and landmarks on my To-Do List. But for this Icefields Parkway...I used about 3 - 4 days to drive it. Lets get started! These are the stops I made just after departing from Lake Louise Village... - Herbert Lake - quick pullover to see a quiet lake with mountains in the backdrop. - Crowfoot Glacier - side stop off the road where the rugged mountains hover on top of you! - Bow Lake - pull into this stop and park your car. Walk on a short pathway for incredible sights of a colorful lake with ice particles floating in the waters and mountains all around! - Peyto Lake - 6/10's of a mile walk to an overlook platform for impeccable views. This vista point spot was fantastic! Then if interested you can hike the Bow Summit Lookout Trail for 3 miles each way to and from the peak. I was here in mid-June and this trail was accessible but still covered in snow. - Waterfowl Lakes - greenish looking lakes when the sun's shining. I only visited the Lower Lake from Icefields Parkway. But you can turn into the parking lot and hike to the Upper Lake. There's camping as well. - Mistaya Canyon - walk over a bridge and along a canyon gorge with a river running through. People were climbing on the rocks for their best photo opps. - Saskatchewan Crossing - middle of the parkway where you can stop for food, supplies, a restaurant, gas and souvenirs. I got some popcorn and hot chocolate here. They have lodging too. - Before crossing into Jasper, the road will wind up and around the mountains. There'll be areas to pull off to the side of the road and appreciate the setting. I stopped a few times before eventually reaching Parker Ridge Trail. - Parker Ridge Trail - I had read great things about, but too early in the season for me to hike. You encounter snow at the trailhead of the 4.8 kilometer hike. - Jasper National Park Sign - good for a picture. - Wilcox Pass Trail - I heard wonderful things, but it was closed this June 2022. - Columbia Icefield and Tour - you must do the Tour of Athabasca Glacier along with the Skywalk Overlook. $100 - Canadian but worth it. The Glacier Lodge was great as well. Camping available too. I ate dinner at the restaurant, Altitude. Also, hike to "The Toe" of the glacier. - Tangle Creek Falls - just past Columbia Icefields. A beautiful waterfall off the side of the road. - Sunwapta Falls - decent. Popular with tour buses. Walk along a paved pathway. - Athabasca Falls - another popular area to walk around and take pics of a river flowing through a canyon within a mountainous background. - Valley of the Five Lakes - terrific stop to hike around and view pristine, reflective and colorful lakes! Loved this spot and one of the most popular! - Whistlers Campground - offered by Jasper National Park - this campground had everything! Affordable and one of the best campsites I have ever stayed at! - Town of Jasper - explore the area and that's it. You've successfully completed Icefields Parkway Drive. What a journey! What memories! So blessed! read more

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One word: glacier. We did The Colombia Ice Field adventure and it was one of our favorite parts of the trip. Tickets aren't cheap, but it's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime-type experience. A bus takes you to a GIANT ice vehicle that has the ability to drive down steep inclines and over the massive ice field. Our tour guide, Lexie, was super fun and informative. She gave us a bunch of interesting facts about the glacier, the area, and the vehicle. We learned that each of the vehicles' huge ice tires are $6000 and also... the only other glacier with these vehicles is in Alaska - cool! Once you reach the glacier, you can go on the ice and explore for 25 minutes. What do you do there? There's flags from various countries you can take pictures with, you can taste the water of the melting ice, and you can slip/slide around on the surface. The drive to the ice field was gorgeous and we loved being in Jasper Park. We barely grazed the surface of exploring the park, but we'd love to come back one day! read more

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Amazing scenery on this drive. This stretch of highway between Lake Louise and Jasper is blessed with one great view after another. There are so many stops along the way it's a matter of how much time you want to spend. Overall, this is a relaxing drive with great scenery from the 1st kilometer to the last. Highly recommend! read more

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Ah the famous Columbia Icefield Parkway, aka known as Highway 93 connecting Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. Its a very long, 3.5-hour drive (assuming nonstop), but definitely one of the most memorable and scenic drives you'll ever have in your life! And you should make a few stops, since you may want to stop to do some hiking, check out a waterfall or lake, or just to stare in awe at all nature throws at you. The drive itself is on a perfectly smooth, mostly 1-lane freeway that has gentle turns and curves. The landscape in front of you seem to alternate colors from all seasons as does the weather. Cloudy here, then sunny, and then some rain occasionally. You're continuously surrounded by mountains, trees, and sometimes water - and the view is never boring. Some of my personal tips for making this journey are below. 1. Rent a comfortable vehicle, preferably with a GPS. You won't get cell service past Lake Louise, so for the directionally-challenged like us, a GPS still works especially if you take a lot of side trips. We rented a Ford Flex from Avis with seat warmers, GPS, and USB charging ports - super comfortable. 2. Travel on a full tank of gas, since there are only stations at Lake Louise, Saskatchewan Crossing, and Jasper. 3. The speed limit is 90 km/hr mostly, but does fluctuate at times especially near construction zones. There are plenty of passing lanes, and never be offended if someone behind you wants to pass. When safe to do so, you should also pass since you will find that slow-moving vehicle at time that blocks your view. Passing is not about racing, its about making sure there's nothing in front of you in case wildlife pulls out or if the vehicle ahead of you slams on the brakes for whatever reason. 4. Our favorite stops were Peyto Lake, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, Waterfowl Lake, and yes the essential stop at the Columbia Ice Fields Discover Center. They have the best restroom options, additional tours to experience glaciers, a museum, and cafeteria that serves decent Chinese vegetarian soy-sauce chow mein. read more

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Ice fields parkway (Hwy 93) is 146 miles of mountain paradise. It's consistently chosen in the top ten lists of the best drives to take. It would definitely be number one on my list. Look around you and you'll easily see why this area became the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site. It winds its way through Banff and Jasper National Park. You're surrounded by a hundred ancient glaciers, mountain waterfalls, and turquoise lakes. Signs along the highway clearly mark every place to stop including viewpoints, hiking trails, and campgrounds. There's only one gas station on this highway, so fill up first at Jasper's townsite or at Lake Louise. My favorite stops: Moraine Lake, Herbert Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Waterfowl Lake, Weeping Wall, Sunwapta Falls, Columbia Icefields, Athabasca Falls, and the areas surrounding the Jasper townsite. Take your time on this drive. If you drive straight through, it will take you 3 hours. It took me a full day because of all the amazing activities along the way. read more

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We spent Labor Day weekend in Banff and planned to take a day trip out to do the glacier walk. You will not be disappointed. We had to wait just over one hour after purchasing tickets as we had a group of 10. We initially boarded a charter bus that took us to the boarding area for the monster bus that took us to the glacier. We boarded the monster bus and made the trek up to the glacier from the welcome center. It's about a 15-20 minute ride from the boarding area. We got super lucky and it actually snowed earlier in the morning. As such, it made for some awesome scenery and nice white snow on the mountaintops. I won't talk much about the Skywalk as that was slightly underwhelming. Really glad we did the glacier walk as that made this trip a huge success! read more

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You have to go. I wouldn't compare it to the Amalfi or Oregon Coasts, to the Oslo-Bergen drive, to Grossglockner High Alpine Road, the Great Ocean Road or anywhere else in the world because they are all different. But IF you happen to be in Southwestern Alberta then go. The BIG TRICK on this drive is not spending $125 to feed your family HAMBURGERS. Unlike the other drives I've mentioned, the Icefields Parkway, or at least most of it, is pocketed with chic, boutique hamlets, or as we call them in the States, Tourist Traps. So instead of letting yourself become mesmerized by the amazing scenery, darling storefront signs, cute chocolate bear paws and the dimpled smile from the cute Canadian feline taking your money, pack a picnic. Window shopping is fun but remember to stay on the sidewalk where you can better enjoy gawking at the couple leaving the "museum quality art house" with an outrageously expensive, one-of-a-kind bear statue in the palm of their hand. To fight the fascinating trance that the Icefields Parkway blankets over your better judgement, repeat after me, "Picnics are my friend. Picnics are my friend. Picnics are my friend..." Then, Get Into The WILD !! read more

Icefields Parkway - Hiking Near Me - Jasper, Alberta

Hands down, this is one of the most beautiful drives ever! There's literally a stunning and breathtaking vista at every turn. And it's a different experience on every trip. In many ways, it's a scenic drive of a lifetime. I haven't taken the long loop like Jen d. has, but I am that kind of driver! And there are some neat places to stop and sometimes stay on the way. For example, I might have stopped at Miette Hot Springs outside of Jasper for a nice soak. Or perhaps had a nice lunch in the very handsomely appointed Jasper Park Lodge. Or taken the glacier tour at the Columbia Icefield. So many choices! I have done this drive 3 ways: from Banff to Jasper and return. From Jasper to the Columbia Icefield and return and from Banff to the Columbia Icefield in return. I remember the Banff to Jasper trip in particular because in one direction we were going through a blizzard. It's also a good idea to have your car in good shape and full of gas. Between Banff and Jasper, there is really only 1 gas station at the Saskatchewan River crossing. But by all means, make the effort and make this drive. read more

the Icefields Parkway is my favorite drive. I drive to Jasper about once a mobnth through the spring,summer and fall season, simply to enjoy the drive and the scenery. I have my own little routine that I like to enjoy, which includes a quick stop at Peyto Lake, Bow Glacier/NumTiJah Lodge, and then on to South Crossing for a quick softdrink and browse through their 2800 sq ft gift shop to shake off the drive. Then... on to Columbia Icefields, check out the markers and to admire the glacier. Back on the road, a quick stop at Athabasca Falls to have another quick walk to stretch and take in the beautiful waterfall. I love hearing the sound when I first open up the door to my truck to step outside. Its never goodbye when I get off of Highway 93. Its always, "see you later". For some reason, this drive helps me leave the hustle and bustle of Calgary behind. We are so lucky to have such a world-class attraction right in our back yard. We have paradise a two short hours away. read more

Icefields Parkway - Hiking Near Me - Jasper, Alberta

The most beautiful drive I have been on! GoogleMaps said it would take 3.5 hours, but it took over 8 simply because we stopped several times to take in different sites and hikes. We stopped at least 10 times. I can definitely see why people say you should drive it both ways. Unfortunately, I only got to drive it from Jasper to Lake Louise, but my next time there I will definitely drive it both ways. read more

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Beautiful drive between Banff and Jasper! There are a lot of stopping points along the way to get out of the car to stretch your legs, and the views are very good. It's pretty much driving through nature, and it's a very relaxing and beautiful drive. It does become all the same after a while though, with the mountains, trees, and occasional waterfall drip off the side of the mountain. read more

This is certainly the best road trip we have taken when it comes to scenery. The trip we took was LONG, as we started at our house in Calgary, headed up through Banff and Lake Louise. Then took the Icefields Parkway through the mountains to Jasper (through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park). And then went from Jasper to Edmonton and back to Calgary. In ONE very very long day. But boy was it memorable. We saw animals (elk, goats, and so on), the Columbia Icefields, some of the most majestic mountain scenery of anywhere, and then stopped in Jasper for food and a bit of shopping. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdehaan/sets/72157603658090465/ Well worth the trip, and all that driving. I'd definitely recommend staying overnight in Jasper instead of trying to do what we did (a spontaneous trip without measuring miles... ouch). read more

I've driven the fabled Oregon Coast, in fact I've driven North America coast to coast many times. I've seen the Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley. The swamps of the south, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Highway 50 across Nevada. This is the most beautiful drive I've ever done. Soaring mountains, animals by the ka-zillion. I saw grizzlies, turkeys, goats, rams, bluebirds, jays, osprey, buffalo. Lakes, azure and topaz colored rivers. Dont go through you life without driving this road! read more

The trip to the ice fields was a neat experience. I'm glad I had an opportunity to go over and see the glacier, however. I don't think I would need to go a second time. It is a bit of a tourist trap as you have to wait in line, pay a register for a particular bus tour over to the glacier where you are there for under 30 minutes. It would be more fun to do a hike of the glacier in my opinion. read more

This is hands down the most beautiful stretch of road in the world. The vistas and the colors are breathtaking. There isn't much more that I can add that hasn't already been said except make sure you have plenty of film or room on your card cause there are more than enough amazing shots to get read more

Even during late summer when the snow is most melted this is an unbelievably spectacular drive. I have driven many scenic roads around the world and this road tops them all. You have absolutely everything along this road! As you will be making lots of stops, do reserve a whole day for a trip between Jasper and Lake Louise. Be aware that you need a Jasper/Banff national park pass for this road, but it's totally worth it! read more

If you are in either Jasper National Park or even in Banff national Park you really need to head over to the Icefields Parkway! Where else in the world can you take a giant purpose built monster bus onto a glacier and then get out and walk on the glacier? Glacier travel is often very dangerous and can also involved very long hard hikes to get to the glaciers. With this experience they monitor the ice field and take the hard long hike out of the equasion. Where could you go wrong? read more

The most beautiful drive ever! Definitely a must see! Great places to stop and view the enormous glaciers!!

I did this in September 2012 as an all guys trip. Let me tell you I do not enjoy long drives but everyone in the car was was mesmerized by the beautiful mountains, snow peaked mountains and beautiful running water (low waterline season). The Icefields were melted and not very icy at that time but still very beautiful. I don't think September is the best time to take in the sights though - given that, it was still worth it and I would love to go again. Lots of wildlife like moose crossing rivers, bears from afar and others in Jasper. If you have a very active group you will have a lot of fun there. Rent a bike and take on some trails - bring extra water and food, the black diamond trails will take a lot longer if you're not as experienced. Recommendations: Instead of staying in Jasper, we drove another hour north to Hinton and stayed at the travellodge or whatever there. Regular pricing and its a new facility with complimentary breakfast. If you stay at Hinton, Miette hotsprings is a detour on the way north through some remote and winding forest roads. It's worth the stop for the small fee and definitely very relaxing after a long day of hiking/biking. You can watch the sun set through the many mountains while in hotspring water. Just fantastic. Fill up your gas tank at BANFF and make sure you have enough to get to Jasper. Pack a lunch or dinner or both, the only rest stop between BANFF and JASPER is a total rip off. Gas was 1.10 in Banff and 1.60ish for regular at that stop, full service complete with rude old men. Like another guy said, complete tourist trap. I understand the economics of transportation but still. read more

Connecting Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, the Icefields Parkway is a well maintained road offering incredible scenery. It's a 'toll road" in the sense that a park pass is required to drive it. Driving beneath the snow-capped peaks, glimmering glaciers, and towering peaks lining the Icefields parkway was really awe-inspiring. I drove the parkway in a day making many stops and short hikes but would have loved to spend more time venturing out to all the stops along the way. My favorite locations off the road in both parks were the Columbia Icefields, the Athbasca Falls, the Sunwapta Falls, and Peyto Lake (with the classification that while Lake Louise and Jasper are the stated endpoints of the road, they aren't technically on the Icefields Parkway itself). I was also lucky enough to see a fair amount of wild-life driving up and then back down it. The scenery really was amazing and different both ways. However, If you are going only one direction, I would recommend driving down from Jasper. read more

this is an absolutely beautiful drive. i had driven the pacific coast highway, i have driven in the swiss and italian alps, hell, i've driven the west coast of scotland - all breath-takingly beautiful drives, and the icefield parkway is definitely up there with the best of them. the landscape changes so much from start to finish. the water in the lakes, OH THE WATER - so beautiful, so topaz, seriously it took my breath away. we also saw loads of animals, including a mama bear and a baby bear right by the side of the road! amazing. read more