We will be leaving the amazing town of Jasper, after 2½ days hitting the top sights that Jasper has to offer. We will spend the next two days traversing the Icefields Parkway. It is about 150 miles of glorious scenery - lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and mountain peaks.
NOTE: There aren’t many places to stay along the Icefields Parkway, and only one high end accommodation option.
However, there are a few Icefield Parkway hotels, including the new Glacier View Lodge at Athabasca Glacier, or the rustic Num Ti Jah Lodge at Bow Lake (currently closed).
A few hostels along the route at Mosquito Creek, Rampart Creek, and Hilda Creek offer basic bunks in shared rooms. There are also a few Icefields Parkway camping spots that all operate on a first come first serve basis, check those out here. On weekends in July and August, they fill up incredibly fast, so plan accordingly.
Valley of the Five Lakes Trail
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 138 miles
Distance from Jasper: 5.81 miles
Type of Stop: Family Friendly hike
The Valley of Five Lakes is a classic Jasper hike that’s probably the most popular in the park. You’ll come across the trailhead while driving Highway 93, just after leaving Downtown Jasper.
According to google maps, the trailhead is within the Jasper National Park - Wapiti Campground.
This is an easy Jasper hike that has five picturesque lakes along the trail. It’s a pretty flat trail that’s well developed, so it’s easy to enjoy the lakes and the varying colors of blue and green.
It’s really a great trail for those who visit the park and want a short and simple hike with amazing scenery.
Distance from Mount Robson Inn: 19.54 miles
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 124.9 miles
Type of Stop: Short walk
Athabasca Falls is one of the top things to see in Jasper National Park. Located about 20 miles south of Jasper town – with a drop of about 75 feet – Athabasca Falls isn’t a giant by waterfall standards, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dramatic and majestic in its own right.
The volume of water that rushes over the edge is very high, making the upper Athabasca River positively roar – especially during the height of the thaw in late spring. Like so many other visitor sites in the area, it’s conveniently located in Jasper National Park, which will make filling up your day with enough scenery to satisfy even the most finicky nature lover pretty easy.
There are ample hiking trails to get you to viewing areas which will allow you to ogle the river and falls in all their glory. Don’t try to get closer to take a good picture; the ground and rocks are treacherous and slippery, and a fall into the frigid water and rocky canyon wouldn’t end well.
NOTE: After leaving Athabasca Falls, after about 3.5 miles, be on the lookout for the:
Goats & Glaciers Lookout
Distance from Jasper: 23.2 miles
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 120.55 miles
Type of Stop: Viewpoint
The Goats & Glaciers lookout is exactly that. A lookout point along the Icefields Parkway that overlooks the Athabasca River with Mount Kerkeslin towering over it. You may even see some mountain goats (hence the name) has the area attracts mountain goats looking to sip up the salt on the side of the river bank.
It’s a nice quick stop and a good photo op, but it’s very easy to miss, so keep your eyes open for the pull-off, it will be on your right when driving from Jasper to Banff.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 110 miles
Distance from Jasper: 34 miles
Type of Stop: Short walk
Sunwapta Falls is an easy stop off on the Icefields Parkway that is well worth venturing to. Sunwapta Falls consists of upper and lower falls that are fed by the Athabasca Glacier.
The upper falls are more easily accessible and therefore much busier, but a 0.80 mile hike will take you to to the lower falls. Both are fantastic to visit in both the summer and the winter.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 83.9 miles
Distance from Jasper: 59.7 miles
Type of Stop: Roadside Stop
You’ll find a waterfall on your left-hand side, a small parking area on your right, and likely a small gathering of people out of their car to check out Tangle Creek Falls. It’s not the most impressive waterfall on the Icefields Parkway, but worth a quick stop!
Based on the recommendation of the writers of the blog that this info comes from, I think that we will skip the Glacier Skywalk - two reasons: time and money. $30.00 per person
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 80.78 miles
Distance from Jasper: 65.2 miles
Type of Stop: Short Hike
If you’re not feeling a full-on mountaineering climb up Athabasca, you can still go see the Athabasca Glacier, and even walk on the glacier with the Ice Explorer. Here you can get some history around the glacier and experience the fun without much physical effort for a mere $81.67 per person - I dont' think so.
You take these massive vehicles with wheels taller than a person on to the center of the Athabasca Glacier. We’re honestly mixed on the experience as the glacier has seen an extreme level of retreating, that’s a direct effect of global warming. Nonetheless it seems the decision is to “sacrifice” one glacier to help educate visitors about their wonders.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 78.30 miles
Distance from Jasper: 65.3 miles
Type of Stop: Hike
Another longer stop-off if you’re in the mood for hiking is Wilcox Pass. To hike Wilcox Pass is 5.8 miles, and 1,700 feet in elevation, and will take you between 3-5 hours to complete. But the views are fantastic.
Wilcox Pass offers mesmerizing glacial views and towering mountains. The hike flanks either side of Mount Athabasca and Andromeda, two of the tallest mountains in the Canadian Rockies; it is pretty much at the border between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 73.9 miles
Distance from Jasper: 69.2 miles
Type of Stop: Hike
If you have an extra 2-3 hours on your Icefields Parkway journey, I highly suggest hiking up to Parker Ridge as it’s one of the best Icefields Parkway hikes.
I didn’t know what to expect when we began this hike but seeing that the top of Parker Ridge didn’t look so far from the trailhead, I figured it would be relatively easy – and it was. It’s a gradual 1.55 mile incline to the ridge, all of which is pretty easy and well marked. There is nothing technical involved and absolutely no scrambling.
We saw young couples, older people, and families with young children and dogs on this hike. It truly is a hike for everyone. Given the ease, I wasn’t expecting the view to be so great, but once you get to the ridge, you have the most spectacular views over the very impressive Saskatchewan Glacier. In under an hour, you’ll have fantastic views of the Icefields and an impressive Koolaid blue glacier lake – Seriously, it doesn’t get much better!
It gets windy once you get to the ridge, so make sure you bring a jacket. Because the views were so incredible, we hung around for 30 minutes, just enjoying the sunshine, views, and taking photos.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 71.5 miles
Distance from Jasper: 72.7 miles
Type of Stop: Viewpoint or short hike
As you continue down the Icefields Parkway, there will be a pull-off point on your left. This pull-off point overlooks Panther Falls, and it’s well worth the stop to admire and grab a photo!
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 66.5 miles
Distance from Jasper: 77. miles
Type of Stop: Pull off or short walk
The Weeping Wall is a set of cliffs at the base of Cirrus Mountain on your left, as you are driving from Jasper to Banff.
If you look towards it, you’ll see water cascading down in a series of Banff waterfalls, essentially “weeping.” The biggest one is called “Teardrop.”
You can stop at the Weeping Wall Viewpoint to take everything in, or you can take a short walk to get closer to The Weeping Wall.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 48.9 miles
Distance from Jasper: 95.1 miles
Type of Stop: Pull Off
I’m not going to say this is a must-stop on the Icefields Parkway, but it’s worth mentioning the Saskatchewan River Crossing as it’s the last place you can get gas before Jasper. So even though it’s extremely overpriced, if you need to fill up, you should do it here. At the River Crossing, there’s a convenience store/souvenir shop and a small cafe.
Although it may not look like it when looking at the building, this is a significant site as it’s where the three rivers meet. The mighty North Saskatchewan, the Howse River, and the Mistaya.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 45.7 miles
Distance from Jasper: 98.2 miles
Type of Stop: Short walk
Mistaya Canyon is a popular stop on the Icefields Parkway. The pullout area for parking here is on the west side of the parkway; there’s limited parking, so it may be busy peak summer.
To reach the canyon, you’ll have to hike down the easy .5 km trail to a well-maintained fenced bridge. It’s here you can see the roaring canyon around you. Watch intensely as the powerful water churns through the rock beneath your feet.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 36.2 miles
Distance from Jasper: 107.5 miles
Type of Stop: Pull Off
The Waterfowl Lakes are two relaxed lakes in the park that see a fraction of the visitors you’ll see the other lakes on this list. They’re also very conveniently on either side of the Waterfowl Lakes Campground, which we consider one of the best campsites in Banff National Park.
The two lakes are glacial and have the classic blue color that radiates on a sunny day. They don’t require any hiking to get to and therefore are very popular for stand-up paddleboarders, canoers, and kayakers!
Even if you’re not staying at the campground, a public parking lot provides access to hiking trails around the lake and a classic Banff hike up to Chephren Lake (detailed next).
Chephren Lake
Distance from Lake Louise Village: 37.4 miles
Distance from Jasper: 106.9 miles
Type of Stop: Hike
Chephren Lake sits at the base of Mount Chephren and requires a short hike to get to from the Waterfowl Lakes campground, but it’s so worth it! Since you have to hike 4.8 miles and 790 feet in elevation gain, not many people venture out to it, meaning it is super quiet. Once you arrive at the lake, you’ll be met with yet another picture-perfect glacial lake. I would allow at least a 2 hour stop to be able to do this hike and actually enjoy Chephren Lake.
The hike is pretty mild up to the lake!
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 27.3 miles
Distance from Jasper: 116.2 miles
Type of Stop: Short walk to viewpoint
Peyto Lake (PEE-toh) is another glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park. This is probably the third most popular lake to visit in Banff, after Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
The reason is its unique shape, absolutely mind-blowingly blue water, and the scenic overlook that is easily accessible from the parking lot. They even have a handicap-accessible section that allows for the mobility impaired to witness this jaw-dropping landscape.
Peyto Lake is right off the Icefields Parkway and a must stop along the famed highway. It’s the perfect place to come and enjoy the stellar Banff National Park views in both winter and summer. The Peyto Lake viewpoint is about a 10-minute hike from the parking area and is a must-stop on any Icefields Parkway itinerary.
*If you are up for a big scramble, we suggest Observation Peak across the road.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 13.4 miles
Distance from Jasper: 130.5 miles
Type of Stop: Short hike
Bow Lake has a pull-off lookout point on the side of the road, with picnic benches nearby. Or you can pull into Num Ti Jah Lodge to get different views of the lake. If you have the time, consider hiking to Bow Glacier Falls, which is 2.86 miles from the parking lot, but with little elevation gain – plus you skirt Bow Lake almost the entire time – it’s well worth it.
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 13.4 miles
Distance from Jasper: 130.5 miles
Type of Stop: Short hike
Next up on your Icefields Parkway itinerary is Hector Lake. Hector Lake is an Alberta lake that doesn’t get visited as much as many of the other lakes on the Icefields Parkway simply because you have to hike 1.4 miles to reach it. This deters many people, but in fact, it’s very short and well worth it to see this glacial-fed lake. If you don’t want to hike to it no worries – there’s a pullover viewpoint, but it has partially obstructed views. If you’re not paying attention for the lookout or the trail access, this one is very easy to miss!
Distance to Lake Louise Village: 3.54 miles
Distance from Jasper: 104.43 miles
Type of Stop: Pull Off
The very last stop you’ll come across when you cross the park gates is Herbert Lake on your left-hand side. It may be easy to miss if you’re not paying attention, but I promise you it’s well worth a stop.
Plus, Herbert Lake is literally right off the side of the road and has a big welcoming parking area. After you park, it’s only a few steps until you are at the lake. Once here, you’ll be able to sit in silence and enjoy the views of Mount Temple in the background.
This is one of the lesser talked about lakes in the park, but it’s a local favorite. In the summer you can head here on a weekend and actually find people swimming in the lake. Plus, there’s a hidden diving board!
