Trans-Canada Highway 1 (6 days)
The long green and gold lines of the prairie rise gently through the foothills into the majestic Canadian Rockies in this cross-province tour. There is no better way to experience the unbridled beauty of Alberta than by driving the Trans-Canada Highway, east to west, across the province.
Points of interest in Brooks
Day 1: Medicine Hat
- Begin the trip southeast of Medicine Hat at Cypress Hills Provincial Park. The top 100 m (328 ft.) of Cypress Hills is one of the few areas in western North America untouched by the last glacial period. The unique eco-system includes 14 varieties of orchids and more than 200 species of birds along with deer, elk, moose and coyotes.
- Back on Highway 1, visit the city of Medicine Hat, described in 1907 by Rudyard Kipling as a city “with all hell for a basement” because of the huge gas fields under the city and this area. Today, visitors flock to the world’s tallest teepee (some 20 storeys high) and bask under Medicine Hat’s endless skies (sunniest spot in Canada), or tour the Clay Products Interpretive Centre and the Medalta Historic Site.
- Northwest of Medicine Hat, the highway runs through semi-arid regions where herds of pronghorn antelope are often spotted on the way to Brooks and Dinosaur Provincial Park. A UNESCO designated World Heritage Site, the 6,060-hectare (15,000-acre) park houses the Field Station of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and provides a glimpse into the prehistoric past.
- Clay Products Interpretive Centre & the Medalta Historic Site
- Cypress Hills Provincial Park
- Saamis Teepee
Points of interest in Brooks
- Brooks and District Museum
- Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Brooks Aqueduct
Day 2-3: Medicine Hat to Calgary (293 km/183 mi)
- From here head to Calgary, the southern hub and a key gateway of the province.
- Spend a couple of days seeing the sights, then continue on to Kananaskis Country. This year-round recreation area offers spectacular scenery and activities such as heli-touring, rafting, golfing, trail riding and hiking.
- The town of Canmore was established in 1883 as a coal mining town, and today is a major service centre for both Banff and Kananaskis Country. Explore the heritage walk (NWMP Barracks, Ralph Connor United Church, built in 1890), the Nordic Centre (built for the '88 Winter Olympics), or browse the local artisan shops and art galleries.
- Kananaskis Village Resort
- Kananaskis Country Golf Course
- Highwood Pass (open June 15-November 30)
- Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
- Canmore Centennial Museum
- Canmore Nordic Centre
- SilverTip Golf Course
- Stewart Creek Golf Course
Day 4-5: Calgary to Banff (129 km/80 mi)
- An alpine community nestled in the Rocky Mountains, Banff is a world-famous resort. The townsite is the perfect base for an adventure in the Canadian Rockies. Tall peaks, open wooded valleys, crystal clear waters, and narrow canyons are all preserved in their natural magnificence, and Banff lies at the heart of it all.
- Banff Natural History Museum
- Banff Park Museum
- The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Golf Course
- Bow Falls
- Cave and Basin Centennial Centre
- Hoodoos
- Lake Minnewanka Scenic Cruise
- Luxton Museum of the Plains Indians
- Sulphur Mountain Gondola Lift
- Upper Hot Springs Pool
- Vermilion Lakes
- Walter Phillips Gallery at The Banff Centre
- Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Day 6: Banff to Lake Louise (58 km/36 mi)
- From Banff take Highway 1A, a scenic, alternative route to Lake Louise that provides an opportunity to view the landscape and explore the history of the Bow River Valley at a more leisurely pace.
- Interpretive signs are located at points of interest along the highway and include highlights such as Johnston Canyon and Baker Creek.
- The Village of Lake Louise, located in Bow Valley, provides shopping, accommodation, meals, automotive services and tourist information. Four km (2.5 mi) above the village is the lake itself, dominated by the majestic Victoria Glacier and charming historic teahouses.
- Emerald-coloured Moraine Lake is surrounded by a panorama of 10 glaciated summits, the Wenkchemna Peaks, and is found at the base of the Continental Divide.
- From the Lake Louise access road follow signs on Highway 1A heading west toward the Alberta/British Columbia border. The Great Divide, another name of the continental watershed, is the geographic point where all waters flow either west to the Pacific Ocean or east to the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
- Lake Louise Summer Sightseeing Lift
- Moraine Lake & Valley of the Ten Peaks
- The Great Divide
- Victoria Glacier
Trans-Canada Highway 1
Total Distance: 480 km/300 mi
