The Icefields Parkway is impossible to miss if you plan on seeing Banff and/or Jasper National Parks. It’s nearly 170 miles between these two parks, but the time clicks by as you’re engorged in the beauty of the mountains, lakes and animals surrounding you. Even if you’re short on time, you will not be disappointed by this drive or a few pit stops! We had a blast as part of our 12 day trip with our 11 month old.
Banff National Park
This park is worth a trip unto itself. If you want to read all about it, check out my article, Banff, There It Is. From here you can take one of the most scenic roads, the Icefields Parkway to another gorgeous park called Jasper National Park. This article focuses on some of our favorite stops between the two parks in order from east to west.
Bow Lake
Leaving Banff, Bow Lake was the first lake where we stopped and got out. It’s about 30 minutes from Lake Louise and there is limited parking by the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. It was pretty cold when we got out, so we didn’t linger too long but enjoyed taking a few pictures before warming back up in the car.
Peyto Lake
Only a stone’s throw away, this lake should not be missed! It boasts the beautiful glacial deep teal color and has a unique shape with the mountains in the background. It was quite a steep hike from the parking lot, but also rewarding because of it. The path is a bit narrow for two way traffic, but everyone seemed to manage and pass when they could.
Icefields Parkway Itself
In early September, the leaves weren’t all quite changing to fall foliage, but we did have fun pointing out the few that were red, orange and yellow! Good thing we were keeping our eyes on the road so we didn’t miss the huge group of big horned sheep ready to cross the road. There are places to pull off on the parkway, so we pulled over to watch the group together. It’s an extremely enjoyable drive between Banff and Jasper.
Athabasca Glacier
It was extremely cold and windy, but we managed to bundle Addy up and start walking toward this glacier in the Canadian Rockier. There are signs that show where the glacier was at different points in time and it’s hard to believe how much it has receded (the picture below shows where the glacier was in 2006). The hike is worth getting out of the car for, but if you’re short on time, you can at least catch a glimpse from across the Icefields Parkway. We didn’t pay to walk on the Columbia Icefield, but if that interests you, make sure to do your research.
Sunwapta Falls
Technically we entered Jasper National Park to see this beautiful waterfall. The river is split around an island and then it that joins at the waterfall. There’s a quick walk down to it or a view from the bridge. I would imagine once the fall colors are in full effect it would be ridiculously beautiful here. We got a tiny taste as you can see from our pictures.
Athabasca Falls
Also in Jasper National Park, this waterfall is a gusher. It’s a quick walk to the waterfall and then it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to walk through the canyon. We headed back to the Icefields Parkway and saw a huge elk before making it to the town of Jasper.
Jasper National Park
The Icefields Parkway connects two incredible parks. I would love for you to check out my article, Bear Jammed in Jasper to get a taste of Jasper National Park and some of the incredible hikes and wildlife it has to offer. Here’s a taste!
And in case you missed it, check out Yoohoo! Yoho is Where It’s At! to read about our adventures through the neighboring British Columbia National Parks and On the Border of Glacier and Waterton Lakes to see how our trip started off. In total five posts summarize our 12 day trip! Be sure to subscribe for email notifications or follow us on Instagram.
Treat Yourself to Travel 