Radventures presents: The Icefields Parkway Explorer.
As Banff’s no.1 small-group active adventure provider, we know you want to explore all the famous, must-see spots as well as the secret spots that only us as locals know about. There is so much to see that cramming it all into one day is tough, but we’ve got it down to a fine art and we guarantee you’ll see the best that the Icefields Parkway has to offer.
On this active, small group guided tour, your expert local guide will be on hand to provide you with all the amazing local insights you can imagine, and you’ll be able to hit the trails for some short, mellow hikes to explore the best viewpoints and scenic vistas at your own pace without the constraints of a big bus tour schedule.
Escape the big bus crowds and increase your chances of wildlife sightings as we explore the Icefields Parkway’s best locations, plus some secret ones!
Hit the trails to explore Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Columbia Icefields & more!
Banff Train Station, 327 Railway Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1A1, Canada
Park in the free parking lot. Please meet our guide at the front of the Banff Train Station building and allow an extra 5 minutes for parking and walking to the meet point. For select hotel pick-ups in Banff & Lake Louise please contact Radventures before booking.
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
Widely regarded as the most scenic driving road in the entire world, the Icefields Parkway is punctuated by more than 100 ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, dramatic rock spires, and emerald lakes set in sweeping valleys of thick pine and larch forests. The abundance of wildlife in Jasper National Park and Banff National Park will have you peering around every turn. So as we take our time to explore, stop for a short hike or two to a breath-taking view point, capture that stunning photo to share with friends and enjoy a roadside picnic amidst the splendour of the Canadian Rockies pristine wilderness, you can be rest assured that you're clocking the Icefields Parkway the right way! We'll explore all the locations below, plus a handful of other locals secret spots that are well and truly worthy of your Instagram story! Along the way at around 12:30, we'll stop at our favourite picnic spot with incredible sweeping mountain & valley views for lunch!
The neon blue Bow Lake is the headwaters of the Bow River, that big beauty of a river that you'll see running through Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary and across the country until it hits Hudson Bay all the way out in the east of Canada! The lake lines the Icefields Parkway and makes a perfect place to go for a walk down to the lake shore to see Crowfoot Glacier, Wapta Icefield, Bow Glacier, Crowfoot Mountain and Mount Thompson.
Duration: 30 minutes
The incredibly shaped glacier-fed Peyto Lake is one of the most visited and photographed lakes in the Canadian Rockies for good reason. During the summer, glacial rock flour flows into the lake and these suspended rock particles give the lake its bright, turquoise colour. We'll take an easy walk to view the lake from Bow Summit, 2,088 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level. Bow Summit is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway and is the highest elevation crossed by a public road in Canada.
Duration: 30 minutes
Mistaya Canyon is a real hidden & scenic gem on the Icefields Parkway. Sculpted by the rushing water of the Mistaya River, which originates from Peyto Lake to the southeast, this deep slot canyon features curvy limestone walls and eroded pothole depressions. It's just a short walk to experience this beauty of a place.
Duration: 40 minutes
Just as the name implies these glaciers or “fields of ice” straddle Banff National Park and Jasper National Park and are the largest south of the Arctic Circle! They are 325km2 in area and 100 to 365 metres (328 to 1,197 ft) in depth and receives up to seven metres (275 in) of snowfall per year. Here we can walk right up to the foot of the retreating glacier and explore the area, following the path of the glaciers through the years. Please note, this tour does not include the Skywalk or Icefields bus trip. Instead, we show our guests local secrets and viewpoints of the glaciers via the easygoing trail system, escaping the crowds and giving you a more authentic experience.
Duration: 1 hour
A mountain that cries?! Located at Cirrus Mountain, the Weeping Wall resembles a mountain with a river of tears. More than 100 metres high (330 feet) water cascades in a series of jaw dropping waterfalls.
Duration: 15 minutes
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