The Icefields Parkway

Dramatic mountain vistas, huge walls of ice, beautiful lakes, and spectacular waterfalls make this one of the world’s classic mountain drives.

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Feel the Earth | Wildlife

Lake Louise, Banff National Park

Travel through the majestic Canadian Rockies on a tour that is considered one of the most scenic mountain routes on Earth. Begin in the picturesque village of Lake Louise. Located in the Bow Valley, the village provides shopping, accommodation, meals, automotive services and tourist information. Some 2.5 miles (4 km) above the village is the lake itself, the world-famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, two historic teahouses, horse stables and the majestic Victoria Glacier. Near Lake Louise, visit emerald-coloured Moraine Lake. Surrounded by a panorama of 10 glaciated summits, the Wenkchemna Peaks, Moraine Lake is found at the base of the Continental Divide, the geographic point where all waters flow either west to the Pacific Ocean or east to the Atlantic Ocean.

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park

From Lake Louise, head north along the snow-capped Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park. Countless lakes and over 100 glaciers line the route. Stop at Hector Lake and see a typical lake formed in a glacial basin. From there are stellar views of Mt. Balfour and the Waputik Range to the southwest. Crowfoot Glacier once resembled a crow’s foot, with three large toe-like extensions. Legend has it that the lower “toe” of its foot broke off, leaving what you see today — two toes. At 6,785 ft. (2,068 m) above sea level, Bow Summit is the highest point on the parkway and offers one of the best mountain panoramas in the world at Peyto Lake viewpoint.

Just beyond this area is the Saskatchewan River Crossing, the junction of Highway 11. Take a short detour heading east and you’ll discover fantastic tracts of wilderness noted for fishing, trail riding and hiking, such as the Wildland Recreation Area, White Goat Wilderness, Cline River and Abraham Lake.

Columbia Icefield Ice Explorer Tour, Jasper National Park

But back along the Icefields Parkway, keep veering northwest and you’ll soon see the Weeping Wall, where water from melting snow, high on Cirrus Mountain, leaks through cracks in the cliff face and then plunges downwards as a series of graceful waterfalls (very popular with climbers in the winter). Visit the Columbia Icefield and take an “Ice Explorer” tour on the Athabasca Glacier. From the highway the Athabasca and Dome glaciers are visible and there is a fine view of the glacier-draped north face of Mt. Athabasca (12,762 ft.; 3,490 m). The “Interpretive and Information Centre” contains a scale model of its impressive 125 sq. mi (325 sq. km) area of glacial ice and snow and an audio-visual presentation.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep, Jasper National Park

Look for bighorn sheep and goats at Tangle Falls, Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint and Goat Lookout. Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint offers a view of the Sunwapta River, an excellent example of a braided river. The valley bottom is filled with sand and gravel spreading the river across the valley floor in interlacing channels. The Stutfield Glacier features a picturesque pair of icefalls, which spill down the face of Mt. Stutfield. Take the half-mile (1 km) access road from the Icefields Parkway to Sunwapta Falls and Canyon and see where the Sunwapta River changes its course abruptly from northwest to southwest, then plummets into a deep canyon producing a spectacular waterfall.

The tour ends in Jasper, a mountain retreat with all the modern amenities of a city surrounded by breathtaking scenery and an abundance of wildlife. Activities include nightlife, golfing, rafting, fishing, trailriding, hiking, hot springs bathing and a tramway ride to the top of Whistlers Mountain.

Alberta has more than 25 sample itineraries that span the province. Discover the other scenic drives with detailed trip planning advice.