Canada’s Icefields Parkway Is an Epic Winter Drive

One of the most spectacular drives in the world is lined with glaciers you can see from your car—year-round. But in winter, the effect is magnified with the addition of snow-covered peaks and frozen waterfalls, often being scaled by ice climbers. 

The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) connects two of Canada’s jewels: Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. The nearly 145-mile drive passes through vast and wild terrain, providing a great visual reward for very little effort. From the warmth of your car, you can see the Crowfoot Glacier, the frozen Bow Lake, and Tangle Falls, an ice climbing haven. You can even stand at the foot of the great Athabasca Glacier, which feels vast but is really just one of the six “toes” of the Columbia Icefield, the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains.

The journey begins in the hamlet of Lake Louise, just north of Banff, and continues to Jasper. Along the drive, you’ll witness a winter wonderland of ice-covered lakes, icefalls, and great blue glaciers surrounded by an endless lineup of mountain peaks. It is a frozen dream come to life.

Here are some tips on how to best enjoy this iconic drive.

Trails Off the Icefields Parkway

If you’re willing to venture from your car on foot, snowshoes, or skis, there is even more to explore. A 0.4-mile trail from a designated parking lot off the parkway leads to a lookout over Peyto Lake, one of the most photographed sites in the Canadian Rockies. At the Saskatchewan River Crossing, be sure to pull over, step outside, and walk a short distance from the road to take in views of the expansive intersection of the Saskatchewan and Howse river valleys. 

Those with a bit more time can hit the slopes at the Lake Louise Ski Resort near the Icefield Parkway’s southern start.

Ice Climbing Off the Icefields Parkway

In this corner of Canada, you’ll find a lifetime’s worth of ice climbing routes. “The ice climbing is really good, arguably the best in the world in terms of access and the length of the season and the quantity and quality. It’s pretty hard to beat,” Braeden Ennis, a former guide with Alpine Air Adventures, told Travel + Leisure.

One such example of accessible ice climbing in the region is Tangle Falls, which is set right off the parkway, 85 miles north of Lake Louise. The climbing is considered easy, even for beginners, although unless you are extremely experienced and have all your own gear, you’ll want to book a guide. (We recommend Alpine Air Adventures.)

Other more difficult routes off the parkway include Shades of Beauty, Kerkeslin Falls, and Curtain Call.

Practical Information

The drive, which is surrounded by wilderness, is even more untamed in the winter. And while a drive under 145 miles may not seem like much, you should give yourself a full day to travel one-way because there’s so much to do and see on the Icefields Parkway. Here are our top tips:

• To drive the Icefields Parkway, you’ll need a Canadian national park pass, which can be purchased online or at the parks’ visitor centers.
• The parkway’s roadside services—think roadside hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and gift shops—close in September and don’t reopen until June.
• There is no cell service.
• Consider wrapping up your journey in the morning. During the winter months, there isn’t any road maintenance on the Icefields Parkway between 3:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. daily.
• Always check the weather and road conditions on 511 Alberta before you depart. 
• Before you leave your point of origin, fill up your fuel tank and purchase plenty of water and food. You should also pack extra warm clothes in case of an emergency and for any out-of-the-car outings you have planned. Even roadside viewpoints can be cold and often have uneven surfaces.