The Icefields Parkway stop by stop: Lake Louise to Jasper
🏘️ Local guide📅 Updated October 15, 2026⏱ 4 min read
Cover: Bow Lake. Photo: Luka Peternel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) links Lake Louise with the Jasper townsite: 232 km of glaciers, turquoise lakes and waterfalls across two national parks. Parks Canada calls it one of the world's most spectacular drives, and the best way to experience it is to get out of the car.
This guide covers the stops from south to north, in the order you meet them coming from Lake Louise. Each one links to its page with the details, and at the end you'll find the trails along the road with today's official status.
Banff National Park section: Lake Louise to Sunwapta Pass
3 km from the Highway 1 junction, Herbert Lake is the first stop: on calm mornings it mirrors the Main Range peaks, Mount Temple among them.
At km 33, the Crowfoot Glacier viewpoint shows a glacier that a century ago had three 'toes' like a crow's foot; today one is gone.
Bow Lake. Photo: Luka Peternel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A few kilometres on is Bow Lake, one of the most iconic views on the whole road and the source of the Bow River. The Bow Glacier Falls trail starts from the main parking area.
At km 40 is Peyto Lake: a short trail leads to the lookout over the wolf-head-shaped turquoise lake. Bow Summit, right next to it, is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway (2070 m).
Further north, the Waterfowl Lakes viewpoint (km 57) looks over Lower Waterfowl Lake with Mount Chephren behind.
Mistaya Canyon. Photo: simpf, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At km 72, a 0.6 km walk down leads to the bridge over Mistaya Canyon, where the river has carved the limestone into zig-zags. Parks Canada asks visitors to stay off the rocks at the edge.
Saskatchewan River Crossing (km 77) is where the North Saskatchewan, Mistaya and Howse rivers meet, roughly halfway, with services in summer only.
Further on, the Weeping Wall (km 106) is a 300 m cliff streaming with snowmelt in spring, and the Big Bend (km 110) is the hairpin the road uses to climb toward Sunwapta Pass. Just before the park boundary is the Parker Ridge trail, with its view of the Saskatchewan Glacier.
Jasper National Park section: Columbia Icefield to Jasper
At Sunwapta Pass (2035 m) you cross into Jasper National Park and the continental divide. From here, distances are counted to the Jasper townsite.
Athabasca Glacier. Photo: Ethan Sahagun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
104 km from Jasper is the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier, across from the visitor centre. Walking on the glacier isn't safe: the Forefield Trail and the Toe of the Athabasca Glacier reach its edge on marked paths. The shuttle to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, a glass-floored lookout 280 m above the valley (May to October), leaves from here.
Heading toward Jasper, Tangle Creek Falls (km 96) cascades in tiers right by the road, and just beyond you can see the Stutfield Glacier (km 94) without leaving your car.
Sunwapta Falls (km 54) roars through a limestone gorge; the Lower Sunwapta Falls trail is the quiet alternative. At Goats and Glaciers (km 37), a 50 m path leads to a viewpoint where mountain goats are often seen.
Athabasca Falls. Photo: Thomas Fuhrmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The last big stop is Athabasca Falls (km 30), one of Jasper's most powerful waterfalls, 20 minutes from town.
Where to sleep along the way? See the public campgrounds in Banff and Jasper, with official seasons and fees.
Icefields Parkway trails (today's status)
Four hikes to stretch your legs, with Parks Canada's official status: Parker Ridge, Bow Glacier Falls, Wilcox Pass and the Athabasca Glacier Forefield Trail.
Official sources
- Parks Canada: Travelling the Icefields Parkway
- Parks Canada: Hiking in Banff National Park
- Parks Canada: Icefields Parkway trails, Jasper National Park
- 511 Alberta: Road conditions
- Pursuit: Columbia Icefield Skywalk
Community experiences
User experiences, not official information. Always check the official status before you go.
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