Icefields Parkway map

The Icefields Parkway (French Promenade des Glaciers), also known as Highway 93, is a scenic road in Alberta, Canada. It parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies. It travels through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, linking Lake Louise and Jasper.

The parkway, 230 km (143 mi) in length, was completed in 1940; it is named for features such as the Columbia Icefield, which is visible while traveling the parkway.

The parkway is very busy in the summer months of July and August with peak traffic flow of 100,000 vehicles per month. The parkway is primarily a two-lane highway with occasional passing lanes. The highway is well engineered to minimize grades and hairpin turns but drivers must also be on the lookout for wildlife, touring bicyclists, and vehicles stopped on the shoulder. Extreme weather conditions are also a factor, particularly during winter.

A national parks permit is required to travel on the Icefields Parkway; stations near Lake Louise and Jasper enforce the law. Commercial trucks are prohibited from using the parkway. The maximum speed limit is 90 km/h (55 mph) although the limit is reduced at Saskatchewan Crossing and the Columbia Icefield area. In winter, chains or all-season radial tires are required by law and road closures are not uncommon.

Campgrounds spot the length of the Parkway, and offer basic amenities such as water and firewood. These are typically available for a low daily rental fee.

The Parkway is easily bikable between Banff and Jasper over a three-to-five day period, and self-supported riders are quite common in the summer. Bicycle tour operators also commonly use the Parkway route, although often extend the ride to five days in order to leave time to drive back to the starting point.

Limited services are available at the Saskatchewan River Crossing and the Icefield Centre, and only from April to October. Gasoline is only available at Saskatchewan River Crossing. There is a small lodge, grocery store, restaurant and gasoline station. The crossing is at about the mid point of the Parkway.

Columbia Icefield
The Icefield is 103 km (63 miles) from Jasper and is the largest glacier accessible by road anywhere. Over 10 m (33 ft) of snow falls each winter at elevations of over 3,000 m (9,845 ft) after moist ocean winds climb 2,300 m (7,500 ft) on the west side of Mount Columbia. The glaciers at the top of the Snow Dome are a mile thick, and you can take a "Snocoach" ride up the glacier, or hike up yourself (remember, its cold, even in July). There is an interpretive center, restaurant, and the only gas station between Jasper and Banff, open from May to September.
Photos Columbia Icefield

Athabasca Falls
This chasm through which the Athabasca River falls about 30 metres is a spectacular must-see. It is only 30 km from Jasper. You can cross the chasm on a bridge and take pictures from the bottom of the drop, to see where the river narrows to just a few feet across.
Athabasca Falls

Icefields Parkway

Icefields Parkway Wiki

National Geographic driving tour

Mile by Mile travel guide