The Icefields Parkway is a 230km stretch of highway between Lake Louise and Jasper, legally known as Highway 93 North. It is one of the most scenic drives in the Rockies, as you drive along it you get to take in views of massive mountains each side of the highway, glaciers and beautiful bright blue lakes. I have compiled a list of my top five things to do if you are heading out along the Icefields Parkway. This is by no means an exhaustive list, just my personal favorite things to do!
1. Spend The Night Along The Icefields Parkway
Lots of people rush the Icefields Parkway doing it in a day as they jet between Banff/Lake Louise and Jasper. There are some spectacular spots to camp along the Icefields Parkway, my two favourite sites are Waterfowl Lakes and the Icefields Tenting Site. Waterfowl Lakes Campground sits between Upper and Lower Waterfowl Lakes, enjoy walking out from your tent to see bright blue glacial lakes, find out more about Waterfowl Campground here. The Icefields Tent Only site sits close to the Columbia Icefield Center and almost every site offers incredible mountains and glacier views, trust me when I say, you’ll never regret watching the sunset behind the mountains and the glaciers glow in the evening light.
2. Go For A Paddle On A Glacial Lake
There are lots of beautiful lakes along the Icefields Parkway and very little beats an early morning paddle on a still lake surrounded by towering mountains. There isn’t anywhere to rent canoes, kayaks or paddle boards along the Icefields Parkway but you can rent them from Banff or Jasper and transport them yourselves, you won’t be disappointed! My two favorite lakes to paddle on are Bow Lake and Waterfowl Lake, both have fairly easy access to the lake so you don’t need to carry your boat too far and both have insane views!
3. Summit One Of The Peaks
Do your research before heading out to summit something on the Icefields Parkway, the mountains don’t just look big some of them are huge! Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies is my go to book for research and provides in depth knowledge on the trail and the route to take, pick up a copy here. The summit I’ve enjoyed the most along the Icefields Parkway is Cirque Peak.
To get to the Cirque Peak trail, pull off the highway at the Helen Lake day use area, follow the main trail up to Helen Lake and then skirt beside the lake and pick up the trail over the rock bands before heading up Cirque Peak. It’s a really steep climb past the lake, bring poles, and there is a lot of scree, but the pain is worth it, when you get to the top you have views right across the valley and you get a breathtaking view of Bow Lake below.
4. Walk On The Athabasca Glacier
This is absolutely something you shouldn’t do on your own! Stop off at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center and hop on one of their informative tours which take you out on to the Columbia Icefield or for those who are a little more adventurous sign up for a tour with the Athabasca Glacier Icewalks company. Let certified guides take you out on to the glacier for 3 or 6 hour tours to get a truly unique experience and up close look at these incredible ice beauties! To find out more and book a tour click here.
5. Hike Parker Ridge
There are a lot of incredible hiking opportunities along the Icefield Parkway but if you are short on time and can only fit in one short hike, make it Parker Ridge. The trail head is clearly signposted at the top of the hill after the big bend if you are heading to Jasper, or shortly after you enter Banff National Park if you are heading from Jasper.
The round trip to Parker Ridge is 4.8km and has an elevation gain of 270m. It’ll take approximately 2 hours so a perfect hike to fit in if you are short on time. When you gain the ridge you are rewarded with insane views of the Saskatchewan Glacier flowing out from the Columbia Icefield. If you have more time to spare you can actually take the Saskatchewan Glacier Trail from a little further down the road and get up close to the toe of the glacier.
So there it is, my top five things to do along the Icefields Parkway, this is by no means an exhaustive list, there are a lot of viewpoints and pull offs along the highway which have incredible views of mountains, glaciers and waterfalls. If I’m completely honest no stop during the drive will be disappointing, with a huge number of incredible hikes and scrambles to suit everyone’s abilities. Make sure to pack for all weather conditions, it can change rapidly out in the mountains and the weatherman can’t always be relied on, so don’t let weather ruin your trip!