Considered one of the world’s most spectacular drives, this scenic 232-kilometre (144 mile) highway connects Lake Louise in Banff National Park with Jasper township in Jasper National Park. It would take roughly 2 hours 45 minutes to drive the Icefields Parkway non-stop, but this is a road not to be rushed.
Following the Continental Divide, the Icefields Parkway cuts through monumental valleys of steep-sided, glacier-crowned mountains, rivers that rush through smooth-walled canyons, cascading waterfalls, fragrant pine forest and emerald green lakes, and over mountain passes. Bow Summit, at 2,088 metres, is the Parkway’s highest point and offers magical views of a sweeping alpine landscape and the turquoise, glacial-fed waters of Peyto Lake, the backdrop one of dramatic mountain peaks. One stop (of many) not to miss is the Columbia Icefield where you can venture onto the Athabasca Glacier in a tundra vehicle and walk on the ancient ice.
