Are the Canadian Rockies that special?
Are the Canadian Rockies that special? Absolutely! They are especially unique for the many glacial green lakes and rivers. Did you know these are caused by the 2000+ glaciers that flow down the mountains as ice falls? The snow-topped mountains add to the stunning scenery.
The other unique thing is the sheer amount of wilderness. Banff is not the only park. The natural beauty and spectacular views are preserved in seven adjacent Rocky Mountain Provincial and National Parks (NPs). Their combined area is 57% of the size of Switzerland! There are only three towns with about 13,000 residents, and only because they existed before the national parks were established. People can only live here if they work in the parks!
Another unique thing is the easy access to all this wilderness in the comfort of your car. The 261 km (162 miles) route from Emerald Lake to Icefields Parkway to Jasper town is open all year. It is the most scenic and uncommercialized highway in North America.
Here you will find the most beautiful turquoise lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, and wildlife. There are 3400 km of superb hiking trails — some are short and easy, some are long. The Rocky Mountains Itineraries section provides five customized itineraries for every traveller.
Are the Canadian Rockies more beautiful than the American Rockies, the Swiss Alps, or the New Zealand Alps? Is Canada more beautiful than other countries? What is the best itinerary for the Canadian Rockies? Are there hidden gems to get away from tourists? Why are the lakes turquoise? Find the answers in the Frequently Asked Questions section.
Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our advice below is not based on a couple of tourist trips. Our recommendations are based on our extensive experience living in Alberta (AB). We are avid hikers, nature lovers and photographers (all photos are my own). The Rocky Mountains were our weekend playground. We often hosted out-of-province friends and family using the itineraries we are recommending.
All of our recommendations are top-rated by Google Maps Ratings, which is based on everyone, not just tourists. Each place in our custom Rocky Mountain Itinerary Map is appended with a Google Maps Rating (G0 to G5).
Rocky Mountains Itineraries
Here are some of the itineraries we have triaged from living in Alberta for a long time.
If you have less than 8 days, then use Your Ultimate Canadian Rockies Travel Guide – One Week Itinerary.
If you do not have a car, then use the 15 Things You Must Do in Banff and Lake Louise guide – this is the only area with bus and shuttle transportation
If you have more than 7 days (8 nights), then use the above detailed guides to expand the one-week itinerary. Also read the section Other Places to Add to Your Itinerary for places outside the Rockies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Canada the most beautiful country?
Are the Canadian Rockies more beautiful than the American Rockies, the Swiss Alps, or the New Zealand Alps? Is Canada more beautiful than other countries?
Can one really say one country is more beautiful? Read the next post to find out what features make a country beautiful. Then you can decide which country you think is the most beautiful.
Why are the lakes turquoise?
The ubiquitous turquoise lakes are caused by rock flour! But how? See the explanation in the Icefield Parkway — Do not Miss the Best Road Trip in Canada.
Where do you get Parks Passes?
Yes, you must buy a pass to use the Rocky Mountain National Parks (NP). They are run by Parks Canada, a federal government agency. No, they can not be used for Provincial Parks (PP). Two major east-west Trans-Canada routes (highways 1 and 16) travel through the Rockies. Cars and trucks in transit do NOT need a park pass.
The minute you park, hike, drive the Icefield Parkway, or do some other activity, you must have an NP pass. Do not bother ordering the pass by mail via the internet. You may change your travel plans or dates, or perhaps you will not receive the pass by mail in time.
There is no problem getting the pass in person as you enter the parks. There are kiosks at the Banff NP south entrance, the Park Information Centre in Banff town, and the Icefield Parkway south entrance. Driving east into Yoho, there are no open kiosks whenever we have travelled there. Get your pass at the Golden Visitor Centre or the Icefield Parkway north entrance. In Jasper, get them at the Icefield Parkway north entrance.
The day pass is $11 per adult or $22 per family/group. The annual Discovery Pass is $75.25 per adult or $151.25 per family/group in one vehicle. There are no multi-day passes. There are discounts for children and seniors. The pass grants you access to all 80 Parks Canada sites. The day of departure is included without charge. You simply have to be out of the park by 16:00 hrs.
Should you travel by car?
There is no public transportation between the towns of Golden, Lake Louise and Jasper. To see the best sights of the Canadian Rockies, you need to drive your own vehicle or rent a car.
The Icefields Parkway travels 232 km from Lake Louise Village to the town of Jasper. It provides easy access to rugged Rockies, gorgeous glaciers, and turquoise lakes.
Note: Stay within the 90 kph or any reduced speed limit. People and animals are crossing the road in many locations. Fines are very steep!
What if you do not want to rent a car?
You can still visit the Rockies. You are limited to staying at the towns of Canmore, Banff, or Lake Louise. These locations have bus service from Calgary and shuttle service between these locations. For the shuttle to Lake Louise/Moraine Lake, see the Parks Canada Shuttles section.
Where should you stay?
Only the villages that existed in the 19th-century Rockies are still here. They are owned by Parks Canada and cannot expand without the approval of Parks Canada, which is rarely given. Everyone has to commute. Accommodation is busy and booked well in advance. Hotel accommodation is either expensive or more expensive.
The options are Banff town, Lake Louise Village, and Jasper town inside the parks. The other options are Golden, Canmore, and Hinton outside the parks. If you want the most touristy locations and facilities, then your choice is Banff and Canmore. Our favourite place was Lake Louise village because it has the most central location to the most important sights. We would stay in Banff in the autumn.
Camping
The only inexpensive option is to camp. In Jasper NP, we used to camp at Wabasso. It was destroyed by the 2024 forest fire and is being reconstructed. Wapiti Campground is operating at reduced capacity for 2025. Whistlers and Miette Campgrounds are fully open. The fees are the same for all places: tent site $30.50, electrical services $36.
The problem in the summer is that they are reservable and it can be hard to get in at the last minute. Avoid weekends and statutory holidays. There is an overflow area, but it is better suited to vans and trailers. We used to drive in on Thursday night and stay in the overflow area then get a tent site the next day when people left.
In Banff NP, we camped at Lake Louise, Tunnel Mountain and Two Jack campgrounds. Our favourite First Come First Served (FCFS) campground was Waterfowl Lake in the middle of the Icefields Parkway. FCFS sites are not reservable and are the best bet for last-minute travellers. Most FCFS sites do not fill up until 16:00 to 17:00 hrs.
Robson Meadows Campground (tent site $24 to $28) is open from May 18 to Sept. 16. It is right across Hwy 16 from the visitor centre so it a very good location with those glorious views of Mt. Robson. It is not convenient for Jasper NP but we used it as our jumping off point for Northern British Columbia (BC).
When is the best time to visit the Rockies?
Here are the average high temperatures and rain days in Banff by season. I have divided the months by temperature similarity rather than traditional seasons.
Winter (Nov-Mar) is both cold and snowy, but a haven for skiers.
Spring (Apr-May) is warm enough for a road trip. But there will still be snow even at lower elevations. Many lakes may be at least partially frozen, so you will not necessarily see the turquoise colours.
Summer (Jun-Aug) is warm and sunny. This is the best season for wildflowers and hiking when the snow has melted (hopefully). If you want to go in high season, you need to book your accommodation well in advance. Avoid regular and especially long weekends as they are booked by the locals well in advance.
Yet, these historical averages do not show current global climate changes. During the summer of 2024, we experienced high temperatures of 33 to 36°C. Summer is also the high season. You need to book ahead and pay a lot of money unless you are camping.
Autumn (Sep 17°C and Oct 10°C) could be very beautiful time. You can still go hiking depending on when the first permanent snow starts. But the days are shorter, and it could snow in October – definitely at the higher elevations. On the plus side, the lighting is softer, for better photography. The autumn foliage is gorgeous and snow highlights the rock layers of the mountains. It is ideal for photography.
| Season | Mean High Temp | Rain Days per Month |
|---|---|---|
| Nov-Mar | -0.8°C 30.6°F | 4.4 |
| Apr-May | 11.5°C 52.7°F | 6.5 |
| Jun-Aug | 21.3°C 70.4°F | 8.0 |
| Sep-Oct | 13.5°C 56.3°F | 5.0 |
Should you go to Glacier NP, Montana?
If you are on a less than two-week trip, I disagree with going to Glacier NP. It takes 4.5 hours each way to drive 408 km (254 mi) south. You have to return to Calgary as you cannot leave a Canadian rental car in the USA (and vice versa). The main sight is the 50-mile (80 km) long Going-to-the-Sun Road. We loved it, but now it is spoiled by overtourism. From June 13 to September 28, you need a vehicle reservation to enter between 07:00 and 15:00 hrs. The road is only open from mid-June to mid-October.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road does not compare. The Emerald Lake to Icefields Parkway route provides 261 km (162 mi) of easy access to uncommercialized wilderness. Here you will find the most beautiful turquoise lakes, gorgeous glaciers and mountain views. The Icefields Parkway is open year-round.
Should you go to Dinosaur Provincial Park?
If you have more than a week, then absolutely. This is the best and closest must-see to the Rockies. Dinosaur Provincial Park (G4.8) is the world’s richest source of Cretaceous Era fossils. The best reason to visit Dinosaur PP is the interpretive program. Be sure to join a guided fossil safari, where you can find your own bones. Even if you gave up dinosaurs after age six, come here and you will reignite your inner fossil hunter.
Other Places to Add to Your Itinerary
Here are “nearby” places you might want to explore:
Final Comments
Banff town and Lake Louise are wonderful places to visit. But if you skip the Icefields Parkway, you have missed the essence of the Rockies. It is like going to Paris and missing the Eiffel Tower.
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Itinerary Maps & Resources
Rocky Mountain Itinerary Map — our custom itinerary map
Banff NP Visitor Guide (Parks Canada)
Banff NP Day Hikes Guide & Map (Parks Canada)
Visiting Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (Parks Canada website)
Icefields Parkway Map (Parks Canada)
Summer on the Icefields Parkway (Parks Canada)
Jasper NP Visitor Guide (Parks Canada)
Jasper NP Points of Interest (Parks Canada)
Jasper NP Day Hiking Guide (Parks Canada)
These two books should be available in any bookstore in Alberta and are on Amazon.
- Parkways of the Canadian Rockies (Brian Patton 2008, CAD 24.47) is like bringing a naturalist along to interpret what you should be seeing.
- Canadian Rockies Trail Guide (Brian Patton & Bart Robinson 2022, CAD 29.95) is the best hiking book we have seen or used in all our travels around the world.
Google Maps Ratings
Google Maps provides a rating from 0 to 5 for all sights, hotels and restaurants (but not cities). All of our recommendations are appended with the rating (prefixed with a G) from Google Maps. As it is based on feedback from tourists and locals, it is much more reliable than travel booking websites. We consider a score of 4 to 4.39 to be Very Good; 4.4 to 5 to be Excellent.
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