Explore/Canada/CA/Icefields Parkway — Banff to Jasper

CABanff, CanadaEasyPaved2-day tripMotoVault Pick

Icefields Parkway — Banff toJasper.

Distance

230 km

Duration

2 days

Climb

2,800 m

Rating

4.9 / 5

2341 reviews

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Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

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

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Day-by-day

2 days, 2 moods.

A suggested split across 2 days with 11 waypoints to discover along the way.

DAY 01

Banff Townsite → Columbia Icefield

6 stops

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.

Reviews

From riders.

2341 verified rides logged on this route.

4.9/ 5

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

2341 verified rides

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DAY 02

Sunwapta Falls → Jasper, AB

5 stops

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.