There are so many things to do along the Icefields Parkway that you could spend weeks alone exploring the 143 mile road that travels through the heart of the Canadian Rockies.
Driving the Icefields Parkway was truly the highlights of our 2 weeks Canadian Rockies road trip and we’re already itching to return! It isn’t an easy task, but in this post, we’ll help you narrow down the best stops along the Icefields Parkway.
What is the Icefields Parkway?
The Icefields Parkway is a scenic highway that travels from Lake Louise to Jasper, connecting Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. It’s often called “the most beautiful road in the world”. It’s full of incredible hikes, overlooks, waterfalls, glaciers, and turquoise lakes.
Preparing to drive the Icefields Parkway
Gas stations along the highway are sparse, but there is one gas station that serves as a convenience store, campground, and gas station called Saskatchewan River Crossing, which is located about halfway between Jasper and Lake Louise.
The gas is sold at a premium, so we would highly recommend filling up in Lake Louise before embarking starting your drive along the Icefields Parkway.
In order to recreate responsibly while exploring the Icefields Parkway:
- Be sure to carry bear spray while exploring the Canadian Rockies
- Stay on trail while hiking to avoid damaging the environment
- Leave no trace and pack out everything you pack in, including biodegradable food waste!
- Don’t pick wildflowers
- Be prepared for any type of weather and bring warm layers and rain gear
- A Parks Pass is required to drive the road
- Don’t approach wildlife! Stay at least 100 yards from bears and 25 yards from other animals
How long does it take to drive the Icefields Parkway?
The entire length of the road takes 3 hours without stops, but we highly recommend dedicating one or two full days to driving the road! You want to make sure you have time if you want to stop for photos and hikes.
We decided to dedicate a full day and a half to driving the road from Lake Louise to Jasper. In Jasper, we stayed for 2 nights, and then headed back to Lake Louise with a few more stops.
If you want to visit all of the stops listed in this blog post, we would recommend at least 1.5 days (with an early wake up call!)
When is the best time of year to drive the Icefields Parkway?
During the summer, daylight hours are very long allowing for early starts and late bedtimes, meaning more time for exploring and hiking during the day!
When we visited in late June, the sunrise was around 5:30 AM and the sun didn’t set until around 10:30 PM. If you want to hit all of the best stops along the Icefields Parkway mentioned in this post, we would recommend a summer or early fall visit.
It’s definitely possible to drive the Icefields Parkway during the winter, but conditions can be treacherous and unpredictable and many hikes will not be accessible. Be sure to check current road conditions on the park website.
Where to stay on the Icefields Parkway
We would recommend staying in Lake Louise, Banff, or Canmore on the front end of your trip and staying at least one night in Jasper (and two nights, if you also want to explore Jasper) after driving the Icefields Parkway.
Best stops on the Icefields Parkway (in order from Lake Louise to Jasper)
Herbert Lake
This is a quick stop with no hiking required and would make a great sunrise photography spot along the Icefields Parkway if you’re starting the drive early (which we highly recommend to beat crowds!).
This small lake is often overlooked by tourists, but there are beautiful reflections at sunrise.
Hector Lake
Hector Lake is another underrated lake with more impressive views than Herbert, but requires a short hike to reach it. The hike should take just over an hour and is a little under 3 miles.
The hike is considered intermediate due to a potentially dangerous river crossing, so be sure to check current trail conditions. The early morning light results in stunning reflections here.
Crowfoot Glacier Overlook
This is another quick pullout with no hiking required. This is an easy stop just before Bow Lake that we would highly recommend visiting just before or after Bow lake.
We loved the photos we were able to get here of the majestic Crowfoot Glacier.
Bow Lake
Bow Lake was one of our favorite stops along the Icefields Parkway! We visited around 8 AM and it was pretty crowded, so this would be a good place to take sunrise photos if you’re looking to avoid crowds.
Bow Lake is one of the most popular stops along the Icefields Parkway for a reason: the turquoise water was some of the prettiest we’ve ever seen.
The area around Bow Lake is home to several hiking trails including the popular Bow Summit Overlook, as well a historic lodge overlooking the lake and provides accommodations and casual grab-and-go dining.
Peyto Lake Overlook
Peyto Lake may be the most photographed spot along the Icefields Parkway. We had seen so many breathtaking photos of Peyto Lake and seeing it in person was even better.
You can visit the main overlook which is sure to have tons of people or you can do a short hike to a rocky outcrop without the crowds. The trail is not marked so many people don’t know about it.
There are many descriptions of how to get to the secret spot online, so do your research and if you take the hidden trail, be sure to stay on trail to minimize environmental impacts.
Waterfowl Lakes
This roadside lake requires no hiking, but may be dificult to find as its not marked. Google Maps is your best bet! There’s a small trail that leads down to the lake and we had it completely to ourselves!
Chephren Lake
If you’re up for more hiking, the 5 mile round trip hike to Chephren Lake is a great option. This is anotehr lake that’s underrated and you have a good chance of having to yourself.
Due to the lower crowds, this one would be a great option for midday when the crowds are busy at the more popular stops along the Icefields Parkway.
Mistaya Canyon
This is a beautiful canyon that requires just a short hike to see the impressive flow of the Mistaya River through the majestic canyon walls. The trail is family friendly and only about one mile long.
This will be a crowded stop, but it’s worth it! You can walk onto the rocks near the river, but be very careful as the rocks may be slippery.
Weeping Wall Viewpoint
This is a must stop along the Icefields Parkway since it’s just a quick roadside stop that is accessible from the road.
The Weeping Wall is a series of cascading waterfalls that flow down the face of a massive rock formation. It’s a stunning and easy photography spot.
Wilcox Pass Red Chair Hike
This hike is the perfect choose your own adventure hike! We only hiked to the Red Chairs as we had a long day exploring the Icefields Parkway and wanted to have energy for other hikes that day, but you could continue on to the Wilcox Pass Viewpoint and even to Wilcox Pass.
Even the 2 mile hike to the red chairs offered absolutely breathtaking views overlooking Athabasca Glacier! We’ve never hiked for chairs before but this hike is a short one for a big reward.
When hiking in the Canadian Rockies, don’t forget
- Please remember to respect the environment, stay on the trail, and leave no trace
- Do not pick wildflowers
- Bring bug spray and sunscreen
- Pack out all of your trash
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it
- Never run from a bear and stay 300 yards from bears
- Stay 25 yards from other wildlife
Athabasca Glacier/Columbia Icefields
Have you ever wanted to walk on North America’s largest glacier? You can at the Columbia Icefield! There are some ethical concerns about walking on a receding glacier and this is still an amazing stop if you don’t do the glacier tour.
We didn’t do the glacier walk tour and instead, we hiked to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier which still let us get up close and provided breathtaking views.
The Columbia Icefields Skywalk is another great option in this area that requires advanced tickets. The Skywak is a walkway that extends out from the cliff’s edge providing panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, glaciers, and valleys.
The views looked incredible and this is a family friendly and accessible activity for anyone.
Next time we visit, we want to take a mountaineering course and summit the Athabasca Glacier! This 2 day adventure looked epic.
Tangle Creek Falls
Tangle Creek Falls is such a fun, quick, and beautiful roadside stop! No hiking is required. We stayed here longer than most people, taking time to take photos and even set up our tripod and walked close to the waterfall.
Upper and Lower Sunwapta Falls
We actually ran out of time to stop here, but it’s first on our list for next time! A two mile hike will take you to a view of these beautiful falls.
Abasthca Falls
This is an easy hike to another stunning waterfall through a canyon. It’s closer to Jasper National Park and we did it in the morning after staying the night in Jasper.
The short trail offers several fenced in viewpoints of the falls and some really neat features like stairs between mossy canyon walls. This is an accessible stop for most people as the trail is paved.
