Day 13: Banff to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway
Our day began at 6 a.m. and finally wrapped up at 11 p.m. We were completely exhausted by the end of it, but every single minute was worth it. Countless hours of planning went into this leg of the trip—we even teamed up with Gemini and Claude to iron out the final details for our ambitious 20-stop itinerary!
Before leaving Banff, we took the RV for a final spin through town to top off the gas tank, knowing we were heading into smaller, more expensive areas.
Heading north on the Icefields Parkway, the views were breathtaking right out of the gate. We simply couldn’t stop snapping photos. Our first few scenic pullouts included Herbert Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, and Bow Lake.
Our first real hike of the day was at Peyto Lake. We got an early start specifically to secure parking, as these lots fill up fast. The Peyto lot is quite large, but since our RV and tow car are longer than a standard spot, we parked along the very back, taking up eight car spaces. We started on the main paved path to the viewing deck, but the true highlight was venturing off onto a side trail. There, we enjoyed the tremendous views all to ourselves and had a great time scrambling over the massive rocks.
On our way back, we couldn’t resist taking a picture of the main viewing deck just to capture how packed it had become. By the time we returned to the parking lot, every single space was full. We made a lot of people very happy by freeing up our eight spots, feeling incredibly grateful that we wouldn’t have been able to stop at all had we arrived any later.
Next up were Waterfowl Lakes and Mistaya Canyon.
With so much driving, it was a real treat to eat lunch outside, surrounded by the river and the mountains. Despite some intense binocular scanning, the mountain goats remained elusive.
Weeping Wall was next on the itinerary. It was just a quick drive-by, but we could easily imagine how stunning it must be in the winter when the falls freeze over.
A crazy hairpin turn let us know exactly where we were on the Parkway and led us to Panther Falls. This is a hidden waterfall that you can only see from a hiking trail because it flows through a rock under the highway. It sits directly opposite the much more visible Bridal Veil Falls, so a lot of people don’t even realize it’s a two-for-one hike!
Up next: even more incredible scenery, including a beautiful roadside glacier.
When we reached the Wilcox Pass trail, we originally planned to tackle the 5-7 mile hike. However, given how far into our day we were, we opted for the 3-mile version instead. Nicholas was determined to climb a specific rock along the way, trying several different “routes” before finally conquering it. We loved seeing his determination!
At the top, we were met with crazy winds, five bighorn sheep, and one of the red Adirondack chairs that Canada places at select national park viewpoints as a fun surprise.
Further down the road, there’s a massive complex at the Athabasca Glacier where you can take a specialized vehicle right out onto the ice. We stopped by the visitor center to learn more, but ultimately felt glad we chose a simpler hike near the glacier’s edge. Honestly, it would be tough to top the helicopter glacier hike we did in New Zealand, so we didn’t feel the need to try! The skies did open up on us while we were there, pelting us with icy rain, but thankfully, the storm passed as soon as we walked away.
Tangle Creek Falls was spectacular and right alongside the road. Our notes mentioned that we couldn’t park there, but with the lot nearly empty, we ignored the “maximum size” sign just a little bit and hopped out to enjoy the view for a few minutes.
By this point, we were getting a bit burned out on waterfalls and rivers, but we pushed through to see a few more. Sunwapta Falls was next. We also stopped at the Goat Lick, which was our best chance to spot mountain goats, but we struck out again. Athabasca Falls was our final stop of the day, and even though it was another waterfall, it was absolutely worth it.
We were all smiles thinking about what a successful day we’d had. We found parking everywhere we wanted, enjoyed low crowds, and soaked in the incredible beauty surrounding us. Kelly drove the entire trip, while Rob played the role of super-navigator and stop-planner. It was a true team effort, and because of it, we enjoyed an unforgettable journey along the Icefields Parkway!
To top it all off, we spotted a bear and a caribou along the road, plus a herd of elk as we pulled into Jasper.
We finally arrived at Whistlers Campground, named for the distinct noise the local ground squirrels make when calling to one another. Cooper was the first to hit the campground showers and came out steaming after a long, hot wash. Kelly went next, enjoying warm water for exactly 60 seconds before it went freezing cold for the rest of her shower. She came marching back to the RV to let him know he was officially on her list! 😉