Icefields Parkway
Banff And Jasper National Parks (Parks Canada) / UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks · Jasper, Alberta
The Icefields Parkway is Highway 93 North, a paved two-lane road of about 230 km that runs between Lake Louise in Banff National Park and Jasper in Jasper National Park, along the spine of the Canadian Rockies. It is regularly named one of the great scenic drives of the world. Glaciers hang off the peaks on both sides, turquoise lakes sit a few steps from the shoulder, and the Columbia Icefield pushes the Athabasca Glacier almost to the road. Driving it without stops takes three to four hours, but almost nobody should: plan a full day, or split it over two days with a night at a hostel or lodge. It is for anyone with a car or a tour seat who likes mountains. A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop. The honest warnings are few services, limited fuel, no cell signal for long stretches, slow wildlife traffic in summer and winter conditions that can close the road, so confirm the road report before you start.
Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, Highway 93 North, Jasper, Alberta, T0E 1E0, Canada
The Parkway is a public highway and is open all year, 24 hours a day, but closures happen. Avalanche control, heavy snow, wildfire smoke, rockfall and crashes can shut sections for hours or days, especially from late autumn to spring, so check the provincial and Parks Canada road reports before leaving Lake Louise or Jasper. A Parks Canada pass is required if you stop anywhere within the national parks. Winter tires or chains are a legal requirement on this road in winter, roughly November to March - confirm the exact dates. Fuel, food and washrooms are limited and seasonal, and the glacier tours and walkway at the Columbia Icefield run roughly spring to autumn. Do not plan to drive it after dark.
Icefields Parkway on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos