One of the most beautiful regions in the world, the Canadian Rockies are filled with inspiring scenery including snow-capped mountains, rushing waterfalls, glacier-fed lakes and an abundance of wildlife. Each season is completely different in this part of the world. Summer is peak season where everything is open to enjoy all there is on offer, but along with it comes hordes of tourists and limited accommodation availability. The shoulder seasons offer pleasant weather and fewer tourists, while winter brings snow-covered landscapes, frozen lakes and ice frozen waterfalls. Magical whichever season you choose, planning a road trip is the best way to explore it!
The following guide includes the must-see highlights along the Trans-Canada Highway and the Icefield Parkway between Banff and Jasper, as well as how to get there, how long to spend, where to base yourself, and the best time of year to visit.
☼ The town of Canmore ☼
Canmore is the first major mountain town you’ll reach as you drive west into the Canadian Rockies from Calgary and is one of two main options to base yourself whilst exploring the area (although more on that later).
Slightly smaller and quieter than the town of Banff, some of the must-see highlights aside from exploring the town include the Three Sisters, the three distinctive peaks dominating the Canmore skyline. Grassi Lakes is one of the best short walks from Canmore, with two incredibily clear turqouise lakes that sit beneath dramatic cliffs. Bow River / Policeman’s Creek offers a more relaxed scenic walk with beautiful mountain backdrops.
* base yourself in Banff or Canmore
☼ The town of Banff ☼
Banff is the iconic resort town inside the Rocky Mountains of Alberta within Banff National Park. Some of the popular must dos include wandering along Banff Avenue, crossing the Banff Pedestrian Bridge, relaxing at the Banff Upper Hot Springs, taking a gondola up Sulphur Mountain or visiting Fairmont Banff Springs, a historic hotel built in the 1888s and often called the Castle in the Rockies.
More scenic sights include Bow River & Bow Falls, with easy access from town and a spot to enjoy views of the river and falls with Mount Rundle in the backdrop. Tunnel Mountain & Surprise Corner also offer beautiful viewpoints towards Banff and surrounding mountains.
Not far from Banff, and a great place to spot wildlife, are Vermillion Lakes viewpoint, Mount Norquay lookout, Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka loop.
* base yourself in Banff or Canmore
☼ Banff National Park ☼
This is where the big-ticket Canadian Rockies scenery really starts. Canada’s oldest national park, it contains an enormous number of lakes, mountains, glaciers and hiking trails. Must-sees include:
Lake Louise: The most well-known turquoise glacial lake surrounded by enormous mountains. Must-dos include the Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail, a 4.5km return mostly level walk towards Victoria Glacier. You don’t need to walk the entire lakeshore to enjoy it; even just walking 1-2km along the lake will allow you to soak in all the views. Longer hikes include Lake Agnes and the Tea House Trail, Plain of Six Glaciers and the Big Beehive.
Moraine Lake: This mirror-like turquoise lake surrounded by glaciers is one you simply cannot miss. Short walks from here include the 500m Rockpile Viewpoint, with longer walks such as the Lakeshore Trail, Consolation Lakes and for serious hikers, the Sentinel Pass.
Keep in mind that both Lake Louise & Moraine Lake are some of the most popular tourist spots and once the carpark is full, you will be denied entry and sent to the overflow car park to catch a shuttle bus. This can add hours to your visit! so best to try to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Johnston Canyon: One of my favourites in the region, the canyon walk follows Johnston Creek through its narrow limestone gorge, with canyons, waterfalls and beautiful scenery along the way. Must-sees include Lower Falls (1.1km one way), Upper Falls (2.4km one way) and the Canyon Walks. If you’re wanting a longer hike, continue to the Ink Pots.
Not far from Lake Louise you’ll find the Lake Louise Gondola, which takes you up Whitehorn Mountain. A major ski and snowboard resort in the winter, it becomes a great alpine sightseeing and hiking area in the summer. Keep your eyes peeled here for grizzly bears!
The Bow Valley Parkway, off Highway 1, is the scenic route between Banff and Lake Louise and includes the must-see views of Castle Mountain and its castle-like peak and the iconic Morant’s Curve, the famous railway viewpoint where trains curve through the mountains.
* close enough to base yourself in Canmore or Banff
☼ Yoho National Park ☼
Whilst a slight detour, Yoho National Park is one of my favourite spots in the Rockies and I recommend dedicating a full day (at the very least) to explore everything it has to offer, including spectacular waterfalls, emerald lakes, glaciers and dramatic mountain views. The scenery is next level! Must-sees include:
Emerald Lake: one of the most beautiful in the region, the emerald water is surrounded by mountain peaks and a quaint lodge perched on it’s shores. You can enjoy views right as you enter, join the easy 5km walk around the lake or chose the longer hiking options into the mountains.
Natural Bridge: close to Emerald Lake, you’ll find a powerful section of the Kicking Horse River that’s carved through limestone, creating a natural bridge. Takakkaw Falls is an easy 1.8km return, mostly flat walk from the car park to the base of the powerful waterfall and a must see! The longer 4.4km return walk to Wapta Falls is another relatively easy walk to the huge viewpoint over the falls. Be sure to stop in the cute town of Field.
* Stay somewhere along the Trans-Canada Hwy or Icefields Parkway. I recommend the beautiful Cathedral Mountain Lodge in Field.
☼ The Icefield Parkway ☼
As the road trip continues north along the highway, the route becomes more remote but just as scenic as you pass snow-capped peaks, ancient glaciers and bright turquoise lakes. Must-sees include
Peyto Lake: Unmistakably shaped like a wolf, this is my favourite lake in the Rockies and one you are not going to want to miss and only a 1km return walk to the main viewpoint.
Mistaya Canyon: a short 1km return walk through the forest takes you down to the canyon. The trail ends at a viewpoint over the narrow gorge, where the Mistaya River has carved through the limestone.
Along this section of the drive are plenty of easy roadside stops and short walks, including Herbert Lake, Hector Lake, the shoreline of Bow Lake and Waterfowl Lakes.
Easy roadside viewpoints include Saskatchewan River Crossing, a great place to stop for some Canadian Poutine and refill the fuel tank if required. Weeping Wall is an enormous cliff with water cascading down it’s face, while Big Bend offers views of the Icefields Parkway curling around the mountains. You’ll also find the Cirrus Mountain Viewpoint and Wilcox Viewpoint along this stretch.
At the top of the Big Bend Viewpoint, you’ll find a large pull-in to explore two waterfalls. Bridal Veil Falls is a short 500m return, easy walk to a viewpoint. Panther Falls is a 1.5km return trail through the forest that is short but steeper. Panther Falls is also the iconic waterfall that we saw in the winter, and we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the whole waterfall frozen! Worth the visit.
* I recommend staying somewhere nearby, like the Glacier View Inn at Athabasca Glacier.
☼ Columbia Icefield ☼
The Glacier Discovery Centre is where you’ll find the visitors information and tours to book, as some of the sights in this area aren’t free without a tour, unlike most of the sights we’ve seen so far.
Athabasca Glacier is the most accessible glacier in Canada. There are two ways to explore it. The first is by foot, with a 1.8km return trail towards the glacier and around the rocky landscape, although you can’t walk on the glacier independently without a tour. The second is a paid tour on the Ice Explorer Truck, which takes you directly onto the glacier, where you can spend 2-3 hours exploring, enjoying the views and a cup of hot chocolate.
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is another paid activity. A shuttle takes you to the glass-floored platform suspended 280m above the Sunwapta Valley, with views of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. Generally if you book the Columbia Icefield Adventure, this option is included.
You’ll find a couple of quick roadside pull-ins and short walks, including Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint overlooking the enormous Stutfield Glacier, and Tangle Falls, a multi-tiered, cascading waterfall down the limestone cliffs right beside the Parkway.
* Stay at the Glacier View Inn at Athabasca Glacier.
☼ Jasper & Jasper National Park ☼
As we continue north towards Jasper and Jasper National Park, we’ll leave the major glaciers sights behind us but there are still plenty of waterfalls, mountains and lakes to see and explore.
Sunwapta Falls is one of the major waterfalls on the Jasper section of the parkway. The Sunwapta river is fed by the melting glacier water that plunges through a narrow limestone gorge. You’ll find multiple viewpoints around the Upper Falls, a short and paved walk including the scenic footbridge. The Lower Falls is a longer 2.6km return trail that follows the river to a series of three lower waterfalls.
Keep your eyes out for the couple of scenic stops, including Goats & Glaciers Viewpoint, a 10-20 minute stroll to a viewpoint that overlooks the river valley and, as the name suggests, a spot to potentially see mountain goats and glaciers. Not far along, you’ll find Mount Christie Viewpoint, a flat 5-10 minute walk to the viewpoint.
Athabasca Falls is an absolute must-see! You’ll find a series of short walks, all paved and mostly easy to get around including the Upper Falls Viewpoint, where you’ll find your first view of the falls and Athabasca River. The main falls / gorge is where you’ll see the main waterfall plunging into the canyon, and the Bridge & Lower viewpoints with the best views of the turquoise water and narrow gorge.
Once you’ve left the falls, you’ll find the last roadside stop, Athabasca Pass Lookout before continuing to Jasper.
The town of Jasper is the final stop on the classic road trip from Banff to Jasper. With a number of restaurants, cafes and shops to explore, the town sits along the Athabasca River and is a lovely place to wander around.
There are a number of lakes close by and worth visiting for a scenic drive and walk, including Pyramid Lake, with Pyramid Island perched in the middle and connected to the mainland by a small wooden bridge, as well as Patricia Lake, Lake Annette and Lake Edith.
☼ Maligne Canyon & Falls ☼
Whilst towns aren’t usually our thing, we wanted to explore nearby Maligne Canyon, which is an absolute must-see. The canyon offers lookouts over a narrow limestone gorge, rushing waterfalls, cascading turquoise water, deep canyons and springs. The trail follows the gorge with multiple viewpoints, stairs and bridges, with a series of six bridges to explore in the area.
First & Second Bridge are short, easy walks close to the main car park, making them the most popular on the trail. For longer walks, continue to Third Bridge and a little further to Forth Bridge, making it a 2.2km track each way. It’s really up to you how far you want to walk!
Both Fifth Bridge & Sixth Bridge can be accessed via longer walks, but my suggestion is to simply drive around to them as they are much further away than the first four, and both are roadside so it might make the long walk feel a little useless!
You can choose to continue through the Maligne Valley, following the Maligne River towards Medicine Lake and the increasing mountainous valley.
* Spend 2 nights in Jasper. We stayed at Jasper Downtown Hostel due to availability but it was great!
☼ What next? ☼
It’s the end of the Canadian Rockies road trip, and most people venture back to Calgary or Vancouver. Heading back to Vancouver is a big drive, so we recommend allowing 1-2 nights to break up the journey. Popular towns to stay in are Kamloops or Kelowna, depending which route you choose to take. Some highlights to check out on the way include:
Golden
White-water rafting down the Kicking Horse River
Glacier National Park
Revelstoke
Salmon Arm
Hope
Bridal Veil Falls
Vancouver City
Whistler
Squamish
Shannon Falls
Vancouver Island
☼ Wildlife In The Rockies ☼
There’s plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife throughout the region, even in the main towns, as well as along the highways and hiking trails, although sightings can never be guaranteed. Some of the animals you may be lucky enough to spot include black bears, grizzly bears, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, coyotes, wolves, deer and more.
☼ How to get there & around ☼
The two closest major cities to fly into are Vancouver to the west and Calgary to the east. Whilst you can join a tour, the best way to explore the Rockies is to hire a car and hit the road! It can be explored in any direction, whether it be a round trip or one-way – whichever you prefer. Driving is really easy and gives you the most flexibility, as you can stop whenever you like, spend as long as you want at each spot, and choose what time you want to visit each sight, allowing you to avoid the crowds.
You’ll need a Parks Canada Pass to enter national parks including Banff NP, Jasper NP and Yoho NP, with all information including current fees, is available on the Parks Canada website.
☼ How long to go for ☼
My ultimate Rockies trip would involve living in the region for 6-12 months so that I could truly experience the region, but unfortunately that isn’t going to work for everyone (including myself). If planning a road trip, I personally think 7 days is the minimum required to see the highlights but as always, the longer the better here! Of course, you could breeze through it in 5 days, but what’s the fun in that?
☼ Where to stay / base yourself ☼
Both Banff and Canmore are great towns to base yourself, but we also found that staying at different spots along the Trans-Canada highway and Icefields Parkway was a great way to get a feel for the different regions without having to backtrack each day. As a minimum, I would recommend 2-3 days in Banff or Canmore, 3 nights scattered along the Parkway and 2 nights in Jasper at the end.
The Rockies are filled with a wide range of accommodation options, from camping, hostel, hotel and lodges to Airbnbs and more. In peak season, accommodation books up very quickly, so it’s recommended to plan months in advance. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my own advice and booked only a month out from our trip, so accommodation was sparse. We stayed in all types of accommodation during our trip, including Airbnb, hotels, lodges and even a hostel, which was a great option for a cheaper night stay.
Deciding between Banff or Canmore? It might sound like a hard choice, but both towns are great options. Canmore is only an extra 20 minutes outside of Banff, so travel-wise it’s not a huge distance. Both towns offer great atmosphere and plenty of places to eat and explore. If it comes down to cost or availability, then you might find Canmore the slightly better choice. It has a more local town feel and a lovely atmosphere, like a cute, smaller version of Banff. We found Canmore great! Of course, Banff is the idyllic town of the Canadian Rockies and is usually first choice by most. Accommodation might be a little more expensive, but you’ll be in the hustle and bustle, have more restaurants to enjoy, as well as the advantage of being a little closer to the national parks.
☼ Best time of year to visit ☼
It was in the month of March when we first booked our trip to the west coast of Canada and I will admit that I underestimated the Canadian winter. I didn’t realise everything would be completely covered in snow but it was the most amazing surprise. You can check out our trip in the winter time here.
The Rockies are completely different every season and have different highlights for different reasons, so expect to book more than one trip in your lifetime!
However, if you are road tripping, the months of June to early October will be the best time to ensure the roads are safe to drive on and that most of the attractions are open. Certain trails will close closer to winter, so be sure to research the spots you want to visit and when they are open to avoid missing out.
And whatever season you choose, you’re in for an incredibly time.
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