The Alberta Canadian Rockies

Jasper is the place for Canadian Rockies vacations.

By Michele Kadison

The Alberta Canadian Rockies are on the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies where the landscape is more dramatic, drier, with more distinct peaks that give way to the great Canadian prairies of Alberta. The region contains the Central Front Ranges and the Continental Ranges of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and includes the Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, as well as the higher part of the Kananaskis park system and the Willmore Wilderness.

Athabasca River and Mount Christie at sunrise, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Some of the best ski resorts of the Rockies are located in this region, which are important tourist destinations. They include Fortress Mountain, Lake Louise, Marmot Basin, Mount Norquay, Nakiska and Sunshine Village.

Other tourist attractions include the glaciers of the Columbia, Wapta and Waputik Icefields such as the Athabasca, Bow, Crowfoot, Hector, Peyto, Saskatchewan and Vulture Glaciers.

Glacial lakes line the Icefield Parkway and dot the surrounding valleys. Some of the more spectacular are Bow, Hector, Louise, Maligne, Moraine, Peyto, Pyramid and Vermilion lakes.

One of the most beautiful spots in the Canadian Rockies is by far the Alberta Rockies. With a selection of world-class ski resorts and hotels, it is no wonder that visitors from all over the globe come to experience the perfect conditions in the Alberta Rockies. The easiest access to the Canadian Rockies Alberta side is the city of Calgary which is the biggest city in the Canadian Rockies has a great international airport and is only about an hour and a half from the front range of the Canadian Rockies.

A year-round magnet for vacation travel, the sun is almost always shining in the clear blue sky.