Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Icefields Parkway

Icefields Parkway

As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route(s) to match your interests and schedule. You can drive the Icefields Parkway in either direction. Or you can use our trip planners for our suggestions on half, full or multi day itineraries. Some of the many highlights are listed below;

Duration: 12 hours

Crowfoot Glacier

Located alongside Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier is a fine example of a hanging glacier and looks like it is stuck onto the face of the mountain. The name comes from how the glacier was shaped like the foot of a crow. The Crowfoot originally had 3 toes, but as the glacier has shrunk, it now has just 2 toes.

Duration: 20 minutes

Bow Lake

Bow Lake is fed by the Bow Glacier which sits above it. And all of that water running out of the lake becomes the Bow River which runs through Banff National Park and into Calgary and beyond. A historic lodge sits beside the lake, Num Ti Jah, which was built by Jimmy Simpson, one of Banff's legendary early guides. Because only relatively small trees were available, the hand-built log building was constructed in an unusual hexagonal shape to begin with. In its time it was the largest log building in the world. Bow Lake is an excellent photo stop.

Duration: 30 minutes

Weeping Wall

An impressive cliff that we drive under as valley narrows, the Weeping Wall oozes snow melt from above and trickles though the rock. This process continues through the winter too, making for excellent frozen falls for ice climbers to scale.

Peyto Lake

Located at Bow Summit is the simply amazing Peyto Lake. Despite being a full hour drive away from the Columbia Icefield, Bow Summit is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway. The elevated viewing location, the surrounding mountains, and being glacier fed, makes Peyto Lake perhaps the most superbly coloured, mountain lakes you will ever see. Fingers crossed for a sunny day, as the more sunshine, the brighter the colour.

Duration: 30 minutes

Parker Ridge Trail

Located close to the Icefield Centre, Parker Ridge is a popular short but steep hike. The reward for walking to the edge of the ridge is the superb views of the Saskatchewan Glacier which fills the valley behind. Because of the elevation of 6,000 feet, the hike may be more tiring than you would expect. Just take your time, and take frequent rests if feeling short of breath. The view is worth it and most people will spend about 1 1/2 - 2 hours enjoying the experience. It is common to find snow on the trail year-round.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Athabasca Glacier

Located around halfway between Jasper and Banff on the Icefields Parkway, the Athabasca Glacier is one of the route highlights and one of the most accessible glaciers in the world. Located around halfway between Jasper and Banff on the Icefields Parkway, the Athabasca Glacier is one of the route highlights and one of the most accessible glaciers in the world. You can take in the views from the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre or book a Columbia Icefield Adventure Tour which will take you up onto the glacier on an Ice Explorer, a giant all-terrain vehicle.

Duration: 30 minutes

Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the outflows from the larger Columbia Icefield, and it's one of the most accessible glaciers in the world. You can drive right to the toe of the glacier, watching the markers that show how far it has retreated over more than a century. The Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre is where you can book the Columbia Icefield Adventure Tour which will take you up onto the glacier on an Ice Explorer, a giant all-terrain vehicle. This ticket also includes a separate bus taking you to a glass bottomed SkyWalk out over a canyon, and you'll need to allow at least 3 hours for the combined experience. If you're short on time, you can book the SkyWalk by itself.

Duration: 3 hours

Sunwapta Falls and Canyon

Sunwapta has one of the prettiest settings of the many impressive waterfalls of the Canadian Rockies. Outstanding viewpoints are accessed within just a minute of the car park. Those with a little more energy will enjoy exploring the 3km loop trail that explores to peaceful pools lower into the canyon and can be completed easily in an hour.

Duration: 30 minutes

Athabasca Falls

Located at the Jasper end of the Icefields Parkway, the Athabasca Falls cut through very hard quartz-rich rock, cascading their way through a narrow canyon. A spectacle at any time, during the spring thaw, snow melt delivers an incredible amount of water over the falls for an impressive show.

Duration: 30 minutes