Distance
230 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
2,800 m
Rating
4.9 / 5
2341 reviews
Icefields Parkway — Banff to Jasper.
Highway 93 between Banff and Jasper — 230 km of continuous Rocky Mountain panorama with glaciers at road level, elk on the verge, and the Columbia Icefield crossing the Continental Divide. Widely considered the most beautiful road in Canada.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance230 km
Days2
Total climb2,800 m
Fuel stops1 along route
DifficultyEasy
Loading map...
2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 11 waypoints to discover along the way.
Banff TownsiteStart · Full services in Banff. The parkway begins at Lake Louise, 57 km north — ride through the Bow Valley to warm up. Fuel is available at Lake Louise village.
Lake LouiseScenic Point · The emerald turquoise lake backed by the Victoria Glacier — one of the most photographed lakes in the world. Arrive before 9am to beat the crowds on the lakeshore path.
Bow Summit — Peyto LakeMountain Pass · Highest point on the parkway at 2,069 m. Walk 500 m to the Bow Summit overlook for Peyto Lake — a wolf-head-shaped turquoise lake set in a glacial valley below. The defining parkway view.
Mistaya CanyonScenic Point · A 500 m walk from the highway to a narrow limestone slot canyon carved by the Mistaya River. The canyon walls are undercut in waves — unusual geology worth the short detour.
Saskatchewan River CrossingFuel Stop · The only fuel on the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper. Fill up here. A cafeteria and gift shop; basic services. The North Saskatchewan River braids across a wide gravel flood plain.
Columbia IcefieldOvernight · Overnight at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre — the only accommodation at the icefield itself. The Athabasca Glacier is 200 m from the building; walk to the toe for scale. Wake up to a glacier view.
Sunwapta FallsScenic Point · A powerful double waterfall where the Sunwapta River drops through a tight limestone canyon. An easy 5-minute walk from the parking area. The lower falls (1 km further) are less visited and more dramatic.
Athabasca FallsPhoto Spot · The most powerful waterfall in the Canadian Rockies. The full width of the Athabasca River — 60 m — is forced through a 23 m-wide canyon and drops 23 m. Spray and thunder.
Valley of the Five LakesScenic Point · A 4 km trail through Jasper NP meadows to five glacially carved lakes of different mineral colours — turquoise, emerald, and sapphire in the same valley. Mountain goats on the cliffs above.
Jasper TownsiteRestaurant · Smaller and more relaxed than Banff. Elk regularly walk through the townsite in evenings. The Jasper Brewing Company has good food and the Jasper Pale Ale — a fitting end to 230 km of Rocky Mountain riding.
Jasper, ABEnd · End of the Icefields Parkway. Jasper National Park is an International Dark Sky Preserve — the Milky Way is visible on clear nights. The Icefields Parkway back is equally magnificent in the opposite direction.
From riders.
2341 verified rides logged on this route.
4.9/ 5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
2341 verified rides
More routes in Canada
Save this ride. Open the app.
Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.
Open in MotoVault
Navigate this route with GPS