Icefields Parkway

The spectacular 230 km (143 mi) Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93) connects Lake Louise with Jasper; the Columbia Icefields are 127 km (79 mi) north. This route traces the Continental Divide and showcases 100 glaciers on rugged peaks, wildlife, picnic sites, camping, hiking and climbing. Access the Parkway from Hwy 1 just west of Lake Louise. Going north, Hector Lake (16 km/10 mi) offers Mt Balfour and Waputik Range views. Above Bow Lake (33 km/21 mi), Bow Glacier meltwaters cascade down massive cliffs; to the left is Crowfoot Glacier, once shaped like a crow’s three toes. There’s lodging and meals at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. Bow Summit (40 km/25 mi) is the high point on the Parkway (2068 m/6875 ft), a viewpoint for Peyto Lake, shaped like a wolf’s head. Signs tell of Englishman Bill Peyto, who became a mountain man in the 1890s. Continue to Mistaya Canyon and Saskatchewan River Crossing (77 km/48 mi), where there’s gas, food and lodging near the confluence of the Saskatchewan, Howse and Mistaya rivers. Detour 45 km (28 mi) east on Hwy 11 to the staging area for Icefield Helicopters tours and heli-hikes. Distinctive Weeping Wall (103 km/64 mi) cliffs are streaked by waterfalls fed by Cirrus Mountain meltwaters. Walk the moderate 3 km (1.8 mi) trail up Parker Ridge (116 km/72 mi) for Saskatchewan Glacier views. Highlight of the Parkway is the Columbia Icefield (127 km/79 mi) that covers 325 sq km (125 sq mi) and is up to 350 m (1150 ft) deep. Its meltwaters flow west to the Pacific, north to the Arctic, and east to Hudson’s Bay and the Atlantic. This hydrological apex is one of two in the world (the other is in Siberia). Six major glaciers flow from the Icefield; at the Athabasca Glacier visitors can walk to the glacier toe, take a guided icewalk and ride an all-terrain Ice Explorer to the glacier headwall and walkabout on ice. Across the road, the Icefield Centre offers interpretive displays, lodging and dining. From here, it’s 103 km (64 mi) to Jasper. (The route is described on in the Jasper Sightseeing section).

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