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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
Between Banff and the town of Lake Louise there are two parallel roads, the Trans-Canada Highway and the slower, more relaxed Bow Valley Parkway.
At every turn of the road there are breathtaking views of towering snow-covered mountains, alpine lakes and of course the spectacular icefields and glaciers. Photograph (100KB).
This is a road to take at a leisurely pace, stopping at (amongst many other places) Lake Louise and nearby Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Falls.
Herbert Lake is a short way north of Lake Louise.
Peyto Lake can be seen from a viewpoint which overlooks it. From the parking area there is a short relatively steep but paved uphill walk to the viewpoint; your efforts will be well rewarded by the marvellous scene of the lake and valley that lie below.
At the Columbia Icefield you can take a commercial snowmobile tour. You can also walk up to the of the icefield. Both these activities require warm winter clothing even in the middle of summer.
There is a very good chance of seeing wildlife such as moose, elk and mountain sheep (or are they goats?) from this road.
The drive from Banff to Jasper (or Golden to Hinton) will take a full day. There is however a very good case for adopting a slower pace, giving you more time to explore, and taking an overnight stop along the way. Roughly half way along the Icefields Parkway lies Saskatchewan River Crossing. From there the David Thompson Highway runs east to the small town of Rocky Mountain House which would make a good choice for the overnight stop. You could then return to Saskatchewan River Crossing by the David Thompson Highway and continue on the Icefields Parkway.
There are entrance fees for the National Parks through which this road runs. These are detailed on the pages for each of the parks.
The Icefields Parkway is a high quality paved road, mostly wide, fairly straight and fairly flat. There is a steeper section with some curves for a mile or so at the Sunwapta Pass but this is most unlikely to cause any problems for normal vehicles in good weather. In winter conditions the entire length of this road would require extreme care however.
Canadian Rockies National Parks
Canals, Islands, Lakes, Rivers and Waterfalls
Historic Trails, Named Roads, etc
Wildlife Sighting Possibilities
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Most recently modified 5-Dec-02