Icefields Parkway
Canada, north-america
232 km
2,069 m
easy
June-September (road open year-round but winter conditions can be severe)
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) is a 232-kilometer scenic highway running through the heart of the Canadian Rockies between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular mountain drives on the planet, the road parallels the Continental Divide and passes alongside ancient glaciers, turquoise lakes, thundering waterfalls, and towering limestone peaks.
The centerpiece of the drive is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains, covering 325 square kilometers. Visitors can walk to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier or take an Ice Explorer bus onto the ice itself. Other highlights include Peyto Lake with its wolf-shaped outline, Mistaya Canyon's carved limestone gorge, and the Weeping Wall where countless waterfalls cascade down a cliff face. Wildlife encounters with bears, elk, mountain goats, and wolves are frequent along this corridor.
Where is it?
Icefields Parkway is located in Alberta, Canada (north-america). Coordinates: 51.9579, -116.8457
Driving Tips
Allow a full day for the drive with stops. Fuel up in Lake Louise or Saskatchewan River Crossing as there are no other gas stations along the route. A Parks Canada pass is required. Summer weekends are very busy at popular viewpoints. Watch for wildlife on the road, especially at dawn and dusk.
Road Surface
Paved, well-maintained two-lane highway
Road Details
- Country
- Canada
- Continent
- north-america
- Region
- Alberta
- Length
- 232 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,069 m
- Difficulty
- easy
- Surface
- Paved, well-maintained two-lane highway
- Best Season
- June-September (road open year-round but winter conditions can be severe)
- Coordinates
- 51.9579, -116.8457
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