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The Icefields Parkway Drive Guide
- petermorley200
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
We drove from Canmore to Jasper in excellent weather and stopped at all the places along the Icefields Parkway that we planned to see. I have highlighted these stops in red on the map. The Icefield Parkway is an excellent drive but is very popular. It helps that commercial vehicles usually aren't allowed on the Icefield Parkway.
After staying 2 nights in Jasper we drove back along the Icefields Parkway and saw the fantastic scenery from a different angle. It's worth driving both ways on the Icefields Parkway in case the weather isn't good on the way up. Also one day on the Icefields Parkway isn't sufficient if you intend to hike.
We drove along the Icefield Parkway in mid September and managed to quickly park at all the places but the car parks were pretty full. Parking must be a problem in July and August I was glad we weren't driving a RV as it makes parking so much more difficult.
The places that we visited along the Icefield Parkway are below:
1. Bow Lake
Bow Lake is very scenic and worth stopping for. There is a viewpoint along the Icefield Parkway with limited parking and it gets very busy. We found that by just walking 50 metres north along the road the view was better and there was no one else around.
The Lodge at Bow Lake is at the northern end of Bow Lake and at the lodge there is a larger public parking area. From the lodge there is a trail along the northern lakeshore that continues to Bow Glacier Falls. The final section of this trail was closed in 2025 due to rockfall.
2. Peyto Lake
There's a car park off the Icefields Parkway and a 750 metre paved trail up to the wooden viewing platform. The platform is usually jammed with visitors but it's well worth going to see the stunning turquoise coloured Peyto Lake.
3. Waterfowl Lakes Viewpoint
We stopped off at the Waterfowl Lakes campground and walked 15 minutes to the edge of Waterfowl Lakes. However, the view was much better from the parking area on the edge of the Icefields Parkway
4. Mistaya Canyon
There's a reasonably sized car park for Mistaya Canyon just off the Icefields Parkway. When we visited in mid September the car park was almost full. Mistaya Canyon is a 10 minutes walk downhill from the car park. It's well worth seeing.
5. The Weeping Wall
We stopped on the way back from Jasper as the parking is on the west side of the Icefields Parkway. The scenery is nice enough but the weeping wall was a disappointment as it was hard to see any water.
6. Columbia Icefield
This is the major attraction for many people on the Icefields Parkway. Everyone stops here and there are huge car parks on the eastern side of the Icefields Parkway.
The Columbia Icefield Adventure involves travelling on a huge vehicle to the Columbia Glacier and spending about 30 minutes on the glacier. This tour costs a whopping $125! This cost includes the Columbia Icefield Skywalk which is a glass floor walkway suspended from the hillside.
We didn't do the Columbia Icefield Adventure for several reasons:
The cost is far too high.
We had done it in 1980 when the cost was reasonable and the Columbia Glacier was larger and quicker to access.
I have hiked on more impressive glaciers in Nepal for free.
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is a touristy gimmick.
You have to allow 2.5 to 3 hours for the tour but only 30 minutes is spent on the glacier.
You can walk to the toe of the Columbia Glacier for free and it's only a 15 minute walk each way.
If you want to walk to the toe of the glacier you turn left once you reach the huge parking lot for the Columbia Icefield Adventure which is on the right hand side of the road to Jasper. Don't stop at the first parking area, which is a long way from the glacier, but drive to the parking area at the end of the road.
From the last parking area it's a 15 minute walk up a slight hill to the toe of the Columbia Glacier. There are markers along the trail indicating the position of the glacier over the last 100 years. They indicate that the Columbia Glacier has been receding for a long time.
It's well worth doing this walk to see the Columbia Glacier and the impressive lateral moraine. It takes far less time than doing the expensive tour. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk looked like a tourist trap frequented by tour groups.
7. Tangle Falls
Tangle Falls are on the east side of the Icefields Parkway and there is plenty of parking on the west side. It is therefore easier to stop on the way back from Jasper. It's a quick stop but definitely worth doing so.
8. Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint
The Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint has plenty of parking on the west side of the Icefields Parkway and the parking area should be accessed when driving southwards. There's a good view and it's worth a quick stop.
9. Sunwapta Falls
The turnoff for the Sunwapta Falls car park is at the Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge. It's only a 5 minute walk from the car park to the upper falls. There's a bridge over the canyon so both sides of the falls can be seen.
It's a further 2 kilometres to the Lower Sunwapta Falls. They are worth seeing but the Upper Sunwapta Falls are more impressive.
10. Goats and Glaciers Viewpoint
There's plenty of parking on the west side of the Icefield Parkway and the spectacular viewpoint is just a few steps away. We didn't see any goats but they do come to lick the salt from the rock.
11. Athabasca Falls
The impressive Athabasca Falls are a popular stop. They could easily be visited from Jasper if you didn't have time whilst driving along the Icefields Parkway.
The car park is a 5 minute walk from the Athabasca Falls and there are extensive viewing areas around the falls.
12. Hikes along the Icefields Parkway
The best hike along the Icefields Parkway is the 4 hour Wilcox Pass trail. The Parker Ridge trail is another good trail and the hike takes about 2 hours.
Close to Jasper is the popular Valley of 5 Lakes Lakes trail which takes 1.5 to 2 hours. This hike can be done when staying at Jasper as the trailhead is only a 10 minute drive away. Unfortunately the trail was closed in 2025 due to the impact of the July 2024 fires. It seems that the trail will be reopened in 2026.
13. Accommodation in Jasper
Accommodation in Jasper is in short supply and expensive. I booked 9 months ahead and paid $460 a night for a studio cabin at Pine Bungalows. We were very happy with the cabin apart from the price! The resort is well run and the cabins nicely furnished and in excellent condition. It wasn't rustic.
I only booked 2 nights at Jasper as the terrible fire in July 2024 meant that the popular Maligne Canyon trail, Valley of 5 Lakes trail and the Mount Edith Cavell area were still closed.
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