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Exploring the Icefields Parkway
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JASPER, Alberta - This is one of the world’s most spectacular Canadian Rockies highways. Unsurpassed mountain scenery paralleling the Great Divide, including the Columbia Icefields, Bow and Crowfoot Glaciers, Athabasca Falls and Peyto Lake, await you on this scenic drive. Grizzly and black bear, moose, caribou and other large wildlife abound here on the outskirts of Jasper National Park.
Activities: The activities are endless as you are in one of Alberta's most popular Canadian destinations. Sightseeing, photography, wildlife watching, walking, hiking, fishing, picnicking and ice tours await you around every bend in the Icefields Parkway.
Location: North-south highway route between Lake Louise and Jasper. Fifty minutes west of Banff, two and a half hours west of Calgary, three and a half hours west of Edmonton.
Distance: 230 km (143 miles); one way: 5 hours; return trip: Full day.
Notes: The Icefields Parkway is open all year, but the few buildings (2) and services (gas station, Snocoach tour and visitor centre) along its entire length are closed from Oct – May. Fill-up with gas prior to leaving during those months. Also see our winter driving tips if you plan on driving this during the cold seasons in the Canadian Rockies.
Warning: Do not attempt to walk on the Canadian glacier by yourself. Hidden cliffs and holes covered by a stiff but thin layer of snow are very common. There have been several deaths from people falling through one of these thin layers of snow and either dying from the fall or freezing to death.
Always be safe and take a guided tour
Lake Louise to Bow Summit – The first 40 kilometres of the Icefields Parkway climbs steadily north through a Canadian sub-alpine forest and tops out in alpine meadows at Bow Summit, the highest point on the Parkway. Highlights of this section include Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake and the world famous Peyto Lake.
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Bow Summit to Saskatchewan Crossing – The next 37 kilometres of the Parkway drops from Bow Summit down into a Canadian sub-alpine forest alongside the Mistaya River and then drops further into the mountain valley bottom of the Saskatchewan River. Highlights include Mistaya Canyon, Waterfowl Lake, the Saskatchewan River valley and the opportunity to see moose and black bear.
Saskatchewan Crossing to the Columbia Icefields – From the Crossing, the Icefields Parkway follows the Saskatchewan River and then begins a steep climb towards the ice fields. This 50 kilometre section is renowned worldwide for its spectacular Canadian scenery, including Mt. Athabasca, Columbia Glacier and the Columbia Icefields.
Columbia Icefields to Jasper – Mountain goats, bighorn sheep and elk are common along the final 103 kilometres of the Parkway. The road climbs Tangle Ridge, then drops down into Canadian mountain forest and follows the Sunwapta and Athabasca Rivers into the town of Jasper. Highlights include Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls, the Kerkeslin Goat Lick and the opportunity to spot grizzly bears and mountain caribou, two of the most popular members of the Canadian wildlife family.
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For more information on Canadian Rockies activities: Click here!
