Banff National Park Banff & Jasper National Parks Of all Canada’s top sights, Banff National Park justifiably ranks as many people’s number one. As much a piece of history as a natural wonder, Canada’s…
Lake Louise Lake Louise Considered by many to be the crown jewel of Banff National Park, Lake Louise is nearly impossible to describe without resorting to clichés. This…
Moraine Lake Lake Louise The spectacular, deep teal waters of Moraine Lake are one of Banff National Park’s most iconic sights. The lake’s rugged and remote setting…
Jasper National Park Banff & Jasper National Parks Encompassing 11,228 sq km of Rocky Mountains wilderness, including jagged peaks, vast forests, glacial lakes and the magnificent Columbia Icefield, Jasper…
Athabasca Glacier Jasper National Park The tongue of the Athabasca Glacier runs from the Columbia Icefield to within walking distance of the road opposite the Icefield Centre. It can be visited…
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies Banff Town Founded by local artists Catharine and Peter Whyte, the century-old Whyte Museum is more than just a rainy-day option. It boasts a beautiful, ever…
Icefields Parkway Banff & Jasper National Parks The Icefields Pkwy is often referred to locally as the ‘world’s most spectacular road,’ and it’s tough to argue. Stretching for 230km north from Lake…
Cave & Basin National Historic Site Banff Town The Canadian National Park system was effectively born at these hot springs, discovered accidentally by three Canadian Pacific Railway employees on their…
Peyto Lake Jasper National Park You'll have already seen the indescribably vibrant blue color of Peyto Lake in a thousand publicity shots, but there's nothing like gazing at the real…
Upper Hot Springs Pool Banff Town Banff quite literally wouldn’t be Banff if it weren’t for its hot springs, which gush out from 2.5km beneath Sulphur Mountain at a constant temperature of…
Columbia Icefield Jasper National Park About halfway between Lake Louise village and Jasper Town, you'll glimpse the vast Columbia Icefield, covering an area the size of Vancouver and feeding…
Fairmont Banff Springs Banff Town Looming up beside the Bow River, the Banff Springs is a local landmark in more ways than one. Originally built in 1888, and remodeled in 1928 to resemble…
Mt Edith Cavell Jasper National Park Rising like a snowy sentinel over Jasper Town, Mt Edith Cavell (3363m) is one of the park’s most distinctive and physically arresting peaks. What it lacks…
Athabasca Falls Jasper National Park Despite being only 23m high, Athabasca Falls is Jasper’s most dramatic and voluminous waterfall, a deafening combination of sound, spray and water. The…
Lake Louise Summer Gondola Lake Louise For a bird’s-eye view of the Lake Louise area – and a good chance of spotting grizzly bears on the avalanche slopes – climb aboard the Lake Louise Gondola…
Morant's Curve Viewpoint Lake Louise Evoking oohs, ahs and countless shutter clicks from every traveler who passes near, this pullover and viewpoint on the Bow Valley Pkwy/Hwy 1A sits at a…
Banff Gondola Banff Town In summer or winter, you can summit a peak near Banff thanks to the Banff Gondola, with four-person enclosed cars that glide up to the top of Sulphur…
Vermilion Lakes Banff Town West of town, this trio of tranquil lakes is a great place for wildlife spotting: elk, beavers, owls, bald eagles and ospreys can often be seen around the…
Banff Avenue Banff Town A little over a century ago, Banff Ave was Banff. Initially, the central street was home to little more than a handful of hotels, homesteads and trail…
Bow Falls Banff Town About 500m south of town, just before the junction with Spray River, the Bow River plunges into a churning melee of white water at Bow Falls. Though the…
Marsh Loop Banff Town This 2.3km loop trail begins near the Cave & Basin National Historic Site and meanders through one of Banff’s most important areas of natural marshland…
Lake Minnewanka Banff Town Lake Minnewanka (mini-won-ka) sits 13km east of Banff Town, making it a popular escape from downtown. The scenic recreational area has plenty of hiking,…
Weeping Wall Jasper National Park This imposing rock wall towers above the east side of the Icefields Parkway, a few kilometers south of Sunwapta Pass and the Banff–Jasper border. In…
Banff Park Museum Banff Town Occupying the oldest surviving federal building in a Canadian National Park and dating from 1903, this museum is a national historic site. Its exhibits –…
Saskatchewan River Crossing Jasper National Park This junction of Hwy 93 (the Icefields Pkwy) and Hwy 11 (the David Thompson Hwy) marks the site where 19th-century fur trappers crossed the North…
Sunwapta Falls Jasper National Park Meaning 'turbulent water' in the native language of the Stoney First Nations, the 18m Sunwapta Falls formed when the glacial meltwaters of the Sunwapta…
Bridal Veil Falls Viewpoint Jasper National Park Near the Icefield Parkway's midpoint, just east of a dramatic bend in the roadway, this lookout offers amazing views southeast down the valley of the…
Surprise Corner Viewpoint Banff Town About 1.2km east of Banff Town, the Surprise Corner viewpoint looks out over the rushing white water of Bow Falls.
Tunnel Mountain Banff Town It might be Banff’s smallest mountain at 1692m, but Tunnel Mountain is still one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks. The mountain’s distinctive…
Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum Banff Town The Luxton Museum recounts the story of Alberta's indigenous people, with a strong emphasis on the Cree, Blackfoot, Blood and Stoney nations. The displays…
Old Banff Cemetery Banff Town Banff’s shaded cemetery is worth a visit, especially if you’re interested in the town’s history. Some of the gravestones date back to the 1890s; among the…
Columbia Icefield Skywalk Jasper National Park Winner of numerous architectural awards, this glass-floored, glass-sided, open-air lookout and walkway is suspended high above the Sunwapta River opposite…
Crowfoot Glacier Lookout Jasper National Park From this pullover viewpoint on the Icefields Pkwy you can see the icy behemoth of Crowfoot Glacier nestled on the rocky flanks of Crowfoot Mountain,…
Forty Mile Creek Picnic Area Banff Town This popular picnic area sits just outside Banff's city limits off Mt Norquay Rd and is a good spot to crack open a hamper if you're short on time or…
Inkpots Banff National Park These six small ponds encircled by snowcapped mountains lie just over 3km by foot from Johnston Canyon. The pools get their name from the bright blue…
Norquay Chairlift Banff Town This open-air skiing chairlift remains open in the summer, taking you on a 15-minute ride to a viewing platform on Mt Norquay (2133m). You'll find a…
Mary Schäffer Lookout Jasper National Park Mary Schäffer was the first non-indigenous woman to travel through much of the Jasper region – this lookout gives you a glimpse of the scenery she loved…
Upper Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint Lake Louise The main viewing platform for Canada's ingenious spiral railway tunnels is off Trans-Canada Hwy/Hwy 1, 8km east of the hamlet of Field.
Rest Stop Jasper National Park Pause at this picnic area on the east side of the road between Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake and watch for bears and mountain goats.
Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint Lake Louise Canada's marvel of railway engineering, the so-called 'spiral tunnels,' can be viewed from this pull-out on the Yoho Valley Rd.
