The Icefields Parkway is a 142.6 mile drive through some of the most spectacular scenery in North America that parallels the Continental Divide. The Parkway, otherwise known as Highway 93, stretches north from Lake Louise to the town of Jasper. The Canadian Rockies are slightly shorter than their southern counterparts, but what they lack in height they make up for in grandeur. The peaks seem more jagged and steeply sloped, glaciers can be viewed, gorgeous glacial fed streams, rivers and lakes abound, and wildlife can be spotted. The highlight is the Columbia Icefield, one of the largest outside the Arctic Circle, and its numerous fanning glaciers which can be viewed along the Parkway. Columbia Icefield counts eight major glaciers and covers an area of 125 square miles.
The southern half of the Parkway is in Banff National Park and the northern half in Jasper National Park, with the Boundary being just south of the Icefields Centre. Along the drive are several campgrounds, numerous hiking trails, scenic pull outs and several sets of waterfalls including the Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the Weeping Wall. The named and well known lakes include: Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Wabasso Lake and Honeymoon Lake. Glaciers not located in the area of the Icefields Centre include the Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Glacier, and the Stutfield Glacier.
The Weeping Wall
Wildlife visible along the parkway includes bears, mountain sheep, mountain goats, wolves and even the elusive woodland caribou. Early morning and evening are the best times to view wildlife.
Warning for bears at the beginning of the Icefields Parkway
Grizzly viewed along the Icefields Parkway
Mountain Goats along the Icefields Parkway
Grizzly Bear along Icefields Parkway
Mountain sheep along Icefields Parkway
There is good signage for all of the points of interest. A national park pass is required to drive on the Parkway, with options for day pass, week pass, or an annual pass. The only hotel is located at the Icefields Centre. The are several campgrounds for tent camping and smaller RV’s. Our RV is too long for the other campgrounds, but we took advantage of the opportunity to dry camp (i.e. no hook-ups) in the RV parking lot at the Icefields Centre. It costs $15/night and comes with spectacular view of the Athabasca Glacier.
Athabasca Glacier is across from the Icefields Centre
At the Icefields Centre, you can take a Snocoach to tour the Athabasca Glacier up close and personal and/or take a walk out onto the Glacier Skywalk. We completed both of these tours and enjoyed the Snocoach tour more than the Skywalk. Both were quite busy even for being there is a shoulder season.
