Icefields Parkway & Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience

Banff National Park, Alberta

Banff and Jasper National Park are two of the worlds most beautiful towns and they are connected by what has often been described as the most scenic highway in the world. The Icefields Parkway is nothing like a highway. Particularly on a clear sunny day, the views of the surrounding Canadian Rockies are to die for. The drive takes about 3 and a half hours most of which is sweeping roads that take you from one stunning sight to another. About 40 minutes short of Jasper, you will come across one of the world’s natural phenomenons – The Columbia Icefield Glacier.

The Icefields Parkway is one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

It is a glacier that is as deep as the Eiffel Tower is high. It is slowly creeping down the mountain thanks to our old friend global warming but is still nothing short of spectacular. Again a lot depends on what kind of weather you get but if it is clear, it really is a wonderful experience. You can drive yourself to the base where you will then have to pay to get into specially made buses to take you onto the actual glacier. If you would prefer to go on an organised trip from Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper, Explore Rockies do set trips for $149 for an adult that covers transport and admission to the glacier.

Explore Rockies

Banff National Park is certainly a must-see on your next RV vacation. It’s got some of the best scenic drives you’ll find in the Rockies, as well as excellent places to set up and enjoy the amazing scenery, wildlife, rivers and activities. One great place to set up your RV for camping is Rampart Creek.

Banff offers great views for RV campers.

Rampart Creek Campground is one of the sites that allows RVs in Banff National Park. That being said, they can only accommodate small RVs. The campsites are all back-in and have lots of shade from the surrounding trees. There are no hookups, but they have well water (hand-pumped), pit toilets, fire rings, recycling bins and food storage containers.

The Rampart Creek Campground is located near the northern tip of Banff National Park. It is marked here with a red triangle with the number thirteen. Click on the map to enlarge. (Parks Canada)

About Rampart Creek Campground

Rampart Creek is a fairly basic Banff National Park campground, with 50 sites. It is located near the Columbia Icefields (28 km away) along the Icefields Highway. It is 147 km from the town of Banff and 88 km from the town of Lake Louise.

Reservations are not accepted for this campsite. Most sites in Banff National Park are first-come, first served. Check out time is at 11 a.m., and is the best time to arrive to secure your site. Check here for reservable campsites.

Some of the sites have the privilege to overlook the North Saskatchewan River and the valley. The site is open from June 25-September 6, 2010 (weather dependent).

The campground consists of 4 loops including a walk-in tent section with dry toilets, water stations, sheltered camp kitchens with wood burning cook stoves, garbage containers and recycling bins. Remember: this is bear country, so all food items must be stored properly. Read all advisories when you arrive, as they may have information about dangerous wildlife and/or inform you if you need to boil the water.

Campground Services

• Dry toilets
• Well water (hand pump)
• Kitchen shelters with wood cook stove
• Fire pits and firewood (available when you get the fire permit)
• Smoke-free loop
• Recycling bins
• Food storage
• Disabled access
• Fees
• $15.70 for the site and an additional $8.80 for use of the fire pit. Note: Parks Canada reserves the right to change the fees without notice.

Banff Activities

Visit the Columbia Icefields, go hiking and try ice climbing in nearby famous spots in the winter.

Rampart Creek Campground

• Icefields Highway
• Banff National Park
• Banff, AB T1L 1K2
• (403) 762-1550

For general information contact:

• Banff National Park
• Box 900
• Banff, AB
• Canada, T1L 1K2
• Phone: (403) 762-1550

To see all other national park campsites in Canada, visit Parks Canada.

Other RV sites in Banff National Park

Contact:(403) 762-1550

Tunnel Mountain Village II

• open year-round
• 188 sites
• 15 and 30-amp electric hookups at each site
• can accommodate vehicles up to 50 feet long
• flush toilets
• hot showers
• fire pits and picnic tables at each site
• kitchen shelters located on grounds
• pets allowed
• some sites available by reservation, others first-come, first served

Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court

• biggest campground in area with 320 sites
• only campground with full RV hookups
• (15 and 30-amp electrical hookups, water and sewer)
• can accommodate vehicles up to 50 feet long
• sites are pull-through (not just back-in)
• flush toilets
• hot showers
• pets allowed
• each site has a picnic table
• open early May – early October
• some sites available by reservation, others first-come, first-served

How to get from Banff to Jasper

Banff National Park

I am not sure if it has ever been done before but you could probably walk between Banff and Jasper as long as it was warm enough, you are one of the fittest people in the world and you have a lot of time to kill. However, for most normal people, you will want to know the best way to get between these two famous National Parks of Canada.

Sundog Tours have been bringing people between Banff and Jasper for years.

Cycling

Feasible – though only in summer. It is not an easy ride. It has a lot of slopes but the views and photo opportunities more than make up for it. It is a 3.5 hour drive so expect at least a 12 hour cycle. Stopovers recommended. Rent Bikes.

Driving

Obvious option. Beautiful drive. Perfect distance to enjoy yourself without getting bored and restless. There are 4 rental car options in Banff but Enterprise (Caribou Street) is comfortably the cheapest and most reliable.

Bus

Sundog Tours have been doing this trip for years. The buses are superbly comfortable and the windows are huge so you won’t miss any scenery. Price -$68 for adult and $40 for child.

Hitchhike

Illegal…but feasible! It is a quiet road and pretty much everyone driving past towards Jasper will be going at least to the Columbia Icefields (only 45 mins from Jasper) You didn’t hear it from me!

Banff to Jasper Accommodations – The Crossing Resort

Banff National Park, Alberta

Between Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper there are so many great hotels, motels and accommodations to choose from that you really need to put some research in. What suits your family best? Is it pet friendly? Where is your vacation going to based from? Which offer the best amenities? Well there aren’t many accommodations between Lake Louise and Jasper. The Crossing resort is located at the Saskatchewan River Crossing, in the heart of the Icefields Parkway and the Canadian Rockies. The motel was originally built by that man again George Brewster in 1948 and still holds some of that same raw charm that attracted people to places like Banff in the first place.

The Columbia Icefields is a great place to stop for a visit on a drive between Banff and Jasper.

Though it still has a rustic feel, the Crossing has been updated several times over the years and it now has 66 motel rooms along with a 250 seat dining room, 125 seat cafeteria, 70 seat pub and a 3000 square foot gift shop. So, essentially you can have the biggest family reunion ever and old Auntie and Uncle McGuire can have a seat. As it is located in the middle of one of the scenic highways in the world and between two of the biggest and most touristy towns in the Canadian Rockies, the motel can make a really good stopping off point so you can really take your time enjoying the drive.

Considering its unique location, the prices are extremely affordable, especially when it’s not busy season. If you ask for certain rooms, you will be rewarded with some gorgeous views. The mountain view rooms feature a prominent view of Mount Murchison and Mount Sarbach. Both mountains were named after the first Europeans to reach the respective summits. If you are not under much of a time restraint while in Banff and the Rockies, stop in at the Crossing Motel and really feel like you are far from the maddening crowd.

Telephone: (403) 761-7000

Fax: (403) 761 7006

Banff Accommodations

Airplane Tours in the Canadian Rockies – Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park, Alberta

There are a thousand ways of seeing the Canadian Rockies. Backpacking, hiking, organized trips and sightseeing adventures are all great options but surely the most unique way must be by air. Located in Hinton, just outside Jasper National Park, Air Jasper offers superb airplane tours over nature’s wonders such as the Columbia Icefields and Maligne Lake. Custom flights are also available if you are looking for something a bit different for a corporate trip or a wedding celebration.

The best sights of the Rockies such as Mt. Christie are best seen from the sky.

The Columbia Icefields is a remarkable natural phenomenon. During the warmer months of the year, you can get up close and personal and see the largest of the chain of icefields along the Great Divide separating BC from Alberta. It is also home to some of the most stunning peaks in Alberta such as North Twin, Mt. Kitchener, Snow Dome and the Athabasca Glacier. As impressive as these peaks are from the ground, it is something special from above. The real magnificence of the geography can really be appreciated.

Another great flight to make is the over Maligne Lake. Taking a boat tour on Maligne Lake is a great experience. It is the longest and deepest lake in the Rockies and is known around the world for its deep emerald colour and surrounding snow-capped mountains. From the air, it is simply stunning. You half expect to see the Lough Ness monster sunbathing on its shores. To find out more about these tours around Jasper and the Canadian Rockies and many more, give Marty at Air Jasper a call or email.

phone: (780) 865-3616

airjaspr@telusplanet.net

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.

Accommodations of Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Jasper is full of great accommodations and I have had the pleasure to stay in most of them at one time or another. However, there is always one hotel I find myself coming back to again and again and that is the Mount Robson Inn. There is something about this Jasper hotel that is as addictive as a Beyonce song – don’t judge me! From the minute you walk into reception where the ever-smiling Joyce checks you into your room to the dip into the outdoor hot tubs, my experiences in the Mount Robson are always top drawer.

The Columbia Icefields connect Banff to Jasper.

It is really hard to not be impressed by your first glance of Jasper. If you are coming from Banff, the Mount Robson Inn will be one of the first hotels on your left side. Surrounded by towering mountains on all sides – it almost calls you in. Although it may not seem overly impressive from the outside, the rooms are all immaculately clean, spacious and the kind of place you are more than happy to lay your head down and call home for a couple of nights. Whether you are there for the winter and the skiing or summer and sightseeing, it is well equipped with everything you might need. All of the rooms have their own coffee maker meaning that you can wake up at your own leisure and make yourself a wake-up cup of coffee while watching the news from the comfort of your own room.

Jasper National Park, in general is a great place to go on vacation. Though only 3 hours from Banff on one of the most beautiful drives in the world, it is quite a different kind of place. It is quieter and quainter. Marmot, the local ski hill is one of the best in Western Canada and the list of activities to do in both summer and winter is practically endless. If you are trying to make up your mind on which of the many accommodations to choose from, the Mount Robson is definitely a recommendation.

902 Connaught Dr, Jasper

Phone: (780) 852-3327

By Michele Kadison

As one of the most arresting sites in the Canadian Rockies, Alberta is the ideal vacation spot for enjoying the outdoors 365 days a year.  Two of the most sought after resort areas in the Canadian Rockies are in Banff National Park and the quieter Jasper National Park, which offer some of the best trails for skiing, hiking, and biking.

Sights such as Lake Louise are easily accessible in Alberta.

With its excellent ski resorts and brilliant ski conditions, Alberta is known as a major attraction for downhill and cross-country skiers as well as snowboarders from all over the globe.  With its bountiful lakes and forests, Alberta is also ideal for hikers, bikers, and campers who will enjoy some of the most majestic mountain vistas in the world.

Transportation to and from Alberta

With excellent highways that link Banff and Jasper to the rest of Canada as well as the United States, Alberta is easily accessible by car or bus.  The nearest airport to Banff is Calgary Airport, where one can catch a bus that goes directly to the town.  The nearest airport to Jasper is at Edmonton.  One can also take the transcontinental train (Via Rail Canada) leaving from Vancouver to Jasper.

Climate in Alberta

The Alberta Rockies have the great fortune of seeing sunshine almost all year long.  With its cold winter and temperate summer, Alberta is ideal for outdoor recreation.  And don’t be daunted by spring’s rainy season as it brings out the resplendent colors in the abundant meadows – a sight to behold!

Activities in Alberta

Alberta, British Columbia is full of things to do.  Visit the national parks for great skiing, hiking, biking, and camping.  Take a trip to Kananaskis County where you will be ensconced in a paradise of unspoiled wilderness.  Take Jasper tramway to gasp at the splendid views of the region, and don’t forget to go to the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper, which is considered one of the most breathtaking mountain rides in the world.  With world-class Lake Louise and Jasper hotels and rustic cabins, accommodations are available for every taste, as are the wonderful eateries and eclectic stores.

If you’re looking for dramatic, stunningly beautiful scenery, the Canadian Rockies are the place for you. Many who vacation in the mountains come simply for the sights, and it’s understandable. Of course, Banff National Park and its surroundings are huge, but there are many full- and half-day tours available to help you get to all of the highlights. Here are some of them:

- THE GLACIER TRAIL: A full-day tour (it takes approximately 9 hours) that takes you to some of the Rockies’ most celebrated locations: its wealth of glaciers. You start at Lake Louise (itself a destination to behold, and an easy place to spend your entire vacation!) before embarking on the famous and spectacular Icefields Parkway. Tour guides will regale you with tales of early pioneers of the Banff National Park area as you wander among the many glaciers to be found along the highway. The tour includes an alpine picnic lunch and then a trip to the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefields Centre. You even have the option of climbing aboard an Ice Explorer and venturing out onto the glacier!

- LAKE LOUISE AND MORAINE LAKE: Welcome to the “Jewel of the Canadian Rockies,” Lake Louise, and its sister, Moraine Lake. Lake Louise is one of the highlights of Jasper National Park,

Take a hike along the shores of Lake Louise, one of the Canadian Rockies' most popular and beautiful destinations, and vistas like this will await you. Trails abound in Banff National Park and its environs, and all of them will enchant you.

- DISCOVER BANFF AND ITS WILDLIFE: If you’ve come to the Canadian Rockies to see wildlife, this tour of Banff National Park is a must. The tour covers the history and development of Banff and takes you to some of the park’s most historic places. Guides will show you how the Bow Valley was shaped over 11,000 years of human development, and how three railroad workers found the Cave and Basin and changed all of that. And, of course, you’ll find out a lot about animals’ behaviors on the tour – where they live, what they eat, how they adapt as the seasons progress, and more – and we can almost guarantee you’ll see many of them. Other highlights on the tour include the majestic Bow Falls and Lake Minnewanka.

- FULL DAY EXPLORE LAKE LOUISE: Lake Louise is one of the crown jewels of the Canadian Rockies, perhaps the single most famous part of Jasper National Park, and a top draw for a vacation near Banff National Park. Of course you can take a full day to tour the place! You’ll get more than five hours to explore the place at your leisure. A tour guide will give you a history of Lake Louise and highlight landmarks on the drive out and on the return trip; what you do in between is up to you. If you feel like getting out on the water – and on those pristine waters, the temptation is hard to resist – then you can rent a canoe. If you feel like taking a stroll, the walk up to the Lake Agnes Tea House is particularly enchanting. Or, if you feel like having a nice, lazy day, there’s a lot of shoreline available for lounging. And the shopping arcade in Chateau Lake Louise is bound to have the perfect souvenir or memento.

Pitch a tent in Banff National Park to get up close and personal with nature.

Your Camping Options in Banff National Park

By Michele Kadison
Staff Writer
Rockies.com

BANFF, Alberta (Rockies.com) – Here at Rockies.com we have compiled a list of the best campgrounds that Banff National Park has to offer and some pointers on how to maximize your enjoyment at each one.

Tunnel Mountain Campground in Banff National Park

Tunnel Mountain Campground is 2.4 kilometers from Banff, Alberta. Situated close to Banff on the Canadian Rocky’s Tunnel Mountain, within walking distance (or trolley distance) of downtown Banff. Services, such as food, laundry and a waterslide are close by.

Services include:

321 full service sites are available in the Trailer Court, open from May – October.
188 power-only sites are available in Village II, open year-round.
618 non-serviced sites are available in Village I, open from May – October.
Interpretive programs are offered at the campground theatre throughout the summer
Banff Springs Golf course.

Tunnel Mountain Village II is open year round.

Two Jack Main Campground

Two Jack Main Campground in Alberta, the larger of the Two Jack campgrounds, is just 12 kilometers from Banff. Camp in the Canadian wilderness in a beautiful wooded area with 380 secluded campsites.

One is surrounded by Canadian Rocky Mountain wildlife at Two Jack Main campground. This campground is situated on the scenic Minnewanka Lake loop drive and you can explore the ruins of Bankhead. Sheep in the area may be on the roadways, so drive with care.

Services include:

Kitchen shelters
Flush toilets
There are no showers available.

The main campground is open from mid-May through mid-September.

Two Jack Lakeside Campground

The smaller and more intimate of the two “Two Jack” campgrounds, Two Jack Lakeside sits across the road from Two Jack Main. It is a smaller campground with 77 spaces where you can awake to the sound of water flowing and birds cooing.

Services include:

74 wooded secluded campsites
Kitchen shelters and dishwashing stations
Flush toilets
Heated showers

The Two Jack campgrounds are available on a first come, first serve basis, so arriving early is recommended. Check-out time is 11 a.m.

Johnston’s Canyon Campground

Strap on your hiking boots and set up camp in Banff National Park to take in some of the best scenery in the world.

This mid-sized campground is located 25 kilometers from Banff, if you are traveling west along the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A). Johnston’s Canyon Campground is open from early June through mid-September and offers 132 sites and heated showers. All sites are available on a first come, first serve basis.

This campground features a creek flowing nearby and the Canadian scenery is awe-inspiring. Take a walk up Johnston Canyon and view the two waterfalls. There is a lot of Canadian wildlife in the area, so bring your camera. Take the scenic route from Banff for wildlife sightings.

Protection Mountain Campground

Protection Mountain Campground is 48 kilometers from Banff and has 89 sites. This is a great area for Canadian Rocky Mountain hiking and viewing of Canadian wildlife.

Features and services include:

89 sites
Flush toilets
Piped cold water
Kitchen shelters
Fire rings and firewood
Recycling bins

Food storage

Protection Mountain Campground also features the Campground Host volunteer program. The campground operates from late June through early September, with sites available on a first come, first served basis.

Lake Louise Campgrounds

Banff National Park’s Lake Louise campgrounds lie in a wooded site along the Bow River, one kilometer from the village of Lake Louise and four kilometers from Lake Louise itself. Several hiking and biking trails are accessible from these campgrounds.

Because the Lake Louise campgrounds are located within Canadian protected wildlife habits, several initiatives are in place to protect both people and animals. To educate campers, Parks Canada presents interpretive programs at campground theatres throughout the summer.

Lake Louise Trailer Campground

The trailer campground is open year round and offers:

189 drive-thru sites in the summer, 30 in the winter
Power hook-ups
Flush toilets
Piped hot and cold water
Showers
Recycling bins
Sanitation station

Lake Louise Tent Campground

In the backcountry or at the campground, camping is a great way to experience the Canadian Rockies.

In early spring (April/May) and late fall (October/November), tents and soft-sided trailers are not permitted in the Lake Louise Campground to help protect both people and bears. During these shoulder seasons, tenting is available at Mosquito Creek, Tunnel Mountain Campground and Kicking Horse (closes October 6, 23 kilometers west on the Trans-Canada Highway).

From May – October, the Lake Louise Tent Campground offers:

210 unserviced sites
Flush toilets
Piped hot and cold water
Showers
Kitchen shelters
Fire rings and firewood
Recycling bins
Food storage

Mosquito Creek Campground

Mosquito Creek Campground, in Banff National Park, is 83 kilometers from Banff. This campground sits underneath the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountain cliffs of Mount Hector, 24 kilometers north of Lake Louise along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 north).

There are 32 non-serviced sites in this park, each offering breathtaking views of the sandstone cliffs of Bow Peak. The beautiful, rugged cliffs of Mount Hector dominate the southeast skyline. Flush toilets are available, but there are no showers. Open all year.

Basic amenities include:

Well water (hand pump)
Dry privies
Kitchen shelter with wood cook stove

Fire rings and firewood

Waterfowl Lake Campground

Waterfowl Lake Campground, in Banff National Park, is 73 kilometers from Banff. With 116 sites, Waterfowl Lake Campground is the perfect escape into the Canadian Rocky Mountain wilderness. Enjoy such staples as the bubbling Mistaya River entering Waterfowl Lake. For the more adventurous, a trail leads to Cirque and Chephren lakes for great hiking.

There are no showers here. Open from late June through early September.

Basic features include:

Flush toilets
Piped water
Kitchen shelters with wood cook stoves
Fire rings and firewood
Food storage
Recycling bins

Sanitation station

Rampart Creek

Located near the Columbia Icefield, Rampart Creek Campground, in Banff National Park, is 147 kilometers from Banff. This is a campground where you can enjoy some of the most divine views in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
A small campground with 50 non-serviced sites, Rampart Creek is a great area for viewing wildlife and experiencing vast and grand Canadian vistas.

Features include:

Flush toilets, but no showers

Well water (hand pump)
Dry privies
Kitchen shelters with wood cook stove
Fire rings and firewood
Smoke-free loop
Recycling bins
Food storage

For more information on Canadian Rockies accomodations: Click here!
For more information on Canadian Rockies activities: Click here!