A Day In The Icefields Parkway

Before visiting Icefield Parkway, I read at countless places about the most scenic drive of Rockies. Unluckily, the day we drove through the Icefields Parkway, we were in the midst of the darkest smoke of our trip due to the number of wildfires in the region. By the way, don’t blame in on global warming 😊.

Icefields Parkway is a 233 km stretch of mountain road joining Jasper Town and Lake Louise. It takes at least 3 hours to complete the drive, not including stop points and traffic you might get. Summers (June to September) is expected to be the busiest season of the year. You will be getting a lot of RV’s slowing the highway.

The drive is considered jaw dropping with surrounding mountains and lakes with a possibility of wildlife. We drove halfway back during one of our Banff days to cover some of the highlights such as Peyto Lake.  It's not wrong to say Icefield Parkway is a national park in itself. You will need an entrance park ticket to even drive on this highway. There are various viewpoints and hiking options to explore on the way. One can easily spend the entire day driving from Jasper to Banff.

(View of the Parkway while driving)

Before heading for breathtaking drive keep few points in mind. Fill your gas tank and pack your meal for the day. Columbia Icefield Center is the only stop where you will get gas and food. It is Situated 103 km from Jasper. There is no phone connection throughout the Parkway. So, it's better to get organized for the entire day before heading out.

(Scenic view on the Icefields Parkway)

Where to stay

There are limited options to stay within Icefield Parkway and provides limited amenities. If you are visiting Icefield Parkway only for a day, then you should plan to stay either in Jasper national park or Banff national park. But, if you are planning to spend a couple of days exploring the area, you should plan your stay in Icefield Parkway to avoid extra driving.

Must Visit Stops

Athabasca Falls

Recommended Time: 30 mins – 1 hour

It is 30 km south of Jasper, approximately 30 minutes drive from the Jasper town. It has an interpretive trail of 1 km from the parking to the fall. The trail is well paved and as we headed towards the falls, we could hear the water gushing.  After spending some time at the fall, we headed towards the Athabasca Canyon. On the way, we crossed different bridges and saw the water changing its color and speed crossing the canyon and forming the Athabasca River.

(View of Athabasca Fall in the midst of smoke)

Hike along the entire canyon to enjoy its beauty from different viewpoints. Athabasca River falls over a layer of hard and soft rocks carving the short gorge and several potholes.

(Walking through the Canyon)

(Water changing its speed and color as it passes through canyons)

Luckily, we could still see fall even in the deep smoke.

Sunwapta Falls

Recommended Time: 30 mins – 2 hours

The next stop is Sunwapta Falls. It’s a 20-minute drive from Athabasca falls. This beauty has two different viewpoint - Upper falls which is easily accessible by parking area and Lower falls which is a hike of 2.5 km one way.

Mostly, people visit the upper falls and head back. From the parking lot, we reached the Upper Falls in no time. The best view of the falls is from a nearby bridge.

(Sunwapta Falls view in the midst of smoke and cloud)

After enjoying the Upper Falls, we decided to explore more and headed towards the Lower Falls. We walked along the canyon and followed the signs of the lower falls. As we headed towards the trail, it got quieter and the crowd dispersed out. We found ourselves walking in the forest and enjoyed few moments of calm.  It took us almost 45 mins to reach the lower falls.

What a stunning view. Three falls come together to form the Lower Falls. It was time to relax and enjoy the fall and the mist of water in the silence of forest before heading back.

Athabasca Glacier

Recommended Time: 30 mins -2 hour

Its approximately 45 minutes drive from Sunwapta Falls. Only way to explore the glacier is by going on Glacier Skywalk. If, you do not want to go on Skywalk you can still enjoy panoramic view from walking around Columbia Icefield Center if weather is clear. A great spot to stretch your legs and grab some coffee. If you plan to go for Glacier Skywalk get your tickets booked in advance and reach on time.

Peyto Lake

Recommended Time: 15 mins - 45 mins

It is approximately 1.15 hours drive from Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. The viewpoint is approximately 650 meters easy trail from parking. It offers an incredible view of the Lake and one of the biggest touristic attraction in Icefield Parkway, so you will always find the area to be crowded.

As we headed towards the lake it felt more like a short walk rather than a hike.

This lake is mesmerizing. I won’t ever forget the first look of the Peyto lake.

(Magical Peyto Lake)

It was definitely the most beautiful lake of my entire trip. Starfish shaped turquoise blue lake surrounded by glaciers creates a serene setup. We could spend hours just admiring the beauty it offers.

If you want to explore more, you can go for a hike and get more magnificent views. We decided first to enjoy the view from the viewpoint and click some pictures before we go back to the road and drive the to next viewpoint.

Bow Lake

Recommended Time: 15 mins - 30 mins

It is 7-minute drive from Peyto Lake or you can go for a hike which starts from Peyto Lake and takes you to Bow summit. Bow Lake lies south of bow summit. It is a 5-minute easy gradient walk from Parking lot to reach lake. You will cross Num-Ti-Jah lodge on the way to reach Bow lake. You can walk along the lake in either direction to get the view of Crowfoot Mountain, Bow Peak and Bowcrow Peak. The entire walk has amazing views. There is also a nice picnic area to enjoy.

(Bow Lake)

Bow Glacier Falls hike also starts behind Num-Ti-Jah lodge which is clearly marked. It is 4.6 km one-way trail with significant elevation gain. We were only spending a day in the park, so we did not head towards the trail.

Note:

(View of Tangle fall while driving)

These were some must do viewpoints in Icefields Parkway. There are many other viewpoints and hikes option that you can explore depending on your interest area. Some other options are Herbert lake, Helen lake, Crowfoot Glacier, Parker Ridge, Tangle Falls, etc.