Alberta, Canada
My husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada this past August and we set aside one full day to drive the Icefields Parkway. What a experience it turned out to be!
The Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93) runs from Lake Louise in Banff National Park to Jasper in Jasper National Park. This 144-mile scenic drive is rated the “Top Drive in the World” by Conde’ Nast Traveller and it didn’t take us long into the drive to see why. The double-lane highway winds along the Continental Divide through soaring mountain peaks, turquoise lakes, sweeping valleys, ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, dramatic rock spires and thick pine forests. We looked forward to a fresh new wonder around every corner. There were plenty of scenic stops, picnic spots, hiking trails and clean portable toilets along the entire route.
We filled up our gas tank in Lake Louise (there is only one service station along the route) and began our journey. Our first stop along the way was the Crowfoot Glacier. We took advantage of the many places where we could pull off the highway to take spectacular photos or find a trailhead to hike. We took our time driving and made many “must-see” stops along the way – with Crowfoot Glacier being our first.
Just up the highway was Bow Lake, a beautiful mountain lake with turquoise water, framed by dark green evergreens on shore. Next up was Peyto Lake, the perfect Canadian Rockies photo op. We parked here and took an easy 15-minute stroll along a paved trail to the overlook. This viewpoint was the highest elevation on the Icefields Parkway and gave us spectacular views of the glacial valley and gorgeous lake below. It was breathtaking!
The halfway point between Banff and Jasper was the Saskatchewan Crossing. Not only were the river views here very scenic (including bighorn sheep!), this was the only stop for lunch, gasoline, and cell coverage. There were a couple of small restaurants, restrooms, and a small general store as well. We filled the rental car up, grabbed a quick soup & sandwich lunch, and hit the road again.
One of my favorite stops was the Columbia Icefield – the largest glacial icefield south of the Arctic Circle. This whole area made me feel like I was in another world, on another planet. The landscape resembles the moon – or what I picture the moon surface to be. We hiked the area and climbed up on rocky mounds for stunning views of the glittering glaciers all around us. It was a 360-degree view of ancient glaciers, ragged mountain peaks, and rivers of silty, glacier water run-off. There is a huge Glacier Discover Centre here where tourists can actually board an Ice Explorer bus that takes you up on the Athabasca Glacier and lets you walk on the thick ice. We chose to bypass the crowds and the long lines and explore on our own. It was an experience that I will never forget.
We were lucky that there were so many other sights and experiences from that day that we will never forget. We stopped and enjoyed the beauty and serenity of Herbert Lake. We admired the scenic views from Big Hill & Big Bend. We hiked up to the loud and powerful Sunwapta Falls. How could anyone with a sense of adventure not enjoy exploring a place with landmarks named Mosquito Creek, Tangle Falls, Weeping Wall, Mushroom Peak and Goats & Glaciers? What a great day!
