Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks-General Information

  Kootenay, Yoho, Banff and Jasper, sharing borders, form a contiguous park of mountains, valleys, glaciers, lakes and outstanding scenery. It’s such a unique place and in some ways very different from US parks so I decided more information would be helpful to other visitors.

  You must have a park pass if you’re stopping at any overlook, picnic ground or campground in the parks. You also need one to drive the Icefields Parkway and the Bow Valley Parkway, a scenic secondary road between Banff and Lake Louise. Fees are per person and per day so if you’re visiting for at least seven days or will be visiting other parks in Canada it’s economical to buy an annual Discovery Pass.

  The two west to east routes, Hwy 1 and Hwy 16, follow the train routes through the mountains and are two lane, high speed roads. Since these routes are also the best ways to get from the west coast to Alberta there’s a lot of truck traffic. The 55 mph speed limit makes it hard to sightsee. There are plenty of passing lanes and turnoffs on Hwy 1 but not as many on Hwy 16. The Icefield Parkway speed varies from 35 - 55 mph and since commercial trucks are prohibited it’s a much more relaxing drive. It’s about 180 miles from Banff to Jasper on the parkway with few places to get fuel so fill up before starting. The parkway has no cell service but phones are located along the road.

   We didn’t receive maps or pamphlets of the type passed out in US national parks. Poor signage adds to the problem so don’t fail to stop in at a visitor center to pick up some maps and brochures or download them from the national park website - Here. It’s hard to spot turnoffs and the kilometer markers on the maps are a real help. The visitor centers are small and don’t explain the parks well.

  We visited in the middle of June, just before school let out for the summer, and had no difficulty getting campsites without making reservations. Some of the campgrounds were not opened yet so check the schedules before setting out. The accessible campsites are not truly accessible, lacking pavement, extra width, high fire rings and good pathways to the restrooms.

   Very few of the trails are accessible. Some of this is due to the terrain but accessibility does not seem to be promoted in the parks. For instance the short, gravel trail at Howe Pass (76 km from Lake Louise) is very accessible and leads to an incredibly beautiful view but it’s not really marked as a great overlook and certainly not as an accessible one. We had it all to ourselves. Other people pulled into the lot to use the restrooms and left without even noticing the trail.

The weather was very nice during our visit with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Several days were cloudy with some rain but the rain did not last long and the weather could change by the hour.

  Although the parks are promoted as great for viewing wildlife we saw very little except for birds, ground squirrels and a couple of tagged elk grazing along the roadway.

  I highly recommend visiting these parks. They can be easily included as part of an Alaska trip and are well worth the extra effort.  Parks

          

         

Lake Annette Loop Trail

   The 1.5 mile trail is completely paved but one section is crumbling away. If you’re concerned about the condition of the trail go in a clockwise direction from the picnic ground parking lots. You’ll hit the bad section first and the rest of the trail is fine. There are a few slight hills.

  RVs will fit in the parking areas if parked parallel to the road. Trail
52.90464, -118.04598

Jasper Yellowhead Museum

  The town of Jasper was founded in 1913 to service the newly built Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Today it’s a jumping off point for the Icefields Parkway and a connection to the national parks but it’s much quieter and more laid back than Banff.

  The museum covers the history of area with artifacts from the First Nations people and early settlers.
           


  Everything is accessible.

  The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Museum
52.87938, -118.08646
  

The Icefields Parkway- Banff & Jasper NP

  The Icefields Parkway, which connects Lake Louise to Jasper, travels though 142 miles of beautiful scenery with many places to stop and admire the view or take a hike. The signage is not very good so pick up a map or download this one before you start the trip.

   Of course the rugged terrain limits wheelchair accessibility but we stopped at as many places as possible to check them out. Herbert Lake was our first stop where we found a steep path and no wheelchair access. Next was the Crowfoot Glacier viewpoint. A large parking lot with room for RVs provides a good view of the three toes of the glacier without even leaving your vehicle.
      
  Continue along the road to the accessible overlook of Bow Lake and Bow Glacier.
        
  Drive a bit more to the turnoff to Bow Summit and park in the accessible lot.  A very steep, paved path leads to a great overlook.

  Howe Pass has an accessible, flat, gravel path that makes a loop along a cliff with wonderful views of the valley below. The parking lot is large enough for RVs.


  The parking lot view of Bridal Veil Falls is blocked by a large berm of dirt.

  The main attraction of the Parkway is the Columbia Icefield which covers 125 square miles and is the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains.  We were expecting a nice national park visitor center with exhibits about the glaciers and were disappointed to find that the fancy Icefield Centre is owned by Brewster Tours and it’s sole purpose is to sell tickets for special buses that travel out on the glacier.  Park in the large accessible lot for great views of the glacier. Two smaller lots on the other side of the highway provide access to a short, non-accessible trail that leads to the foot of the glacier. The smaller lots fill so there may not always be room for RVs.

  Tangle Falls is right along the road. A small parking lot is located on the opposite side and is not large enough for long RVs.
                  
   A short, very steep trail leads to the viewpoint of Sunwapta Falls. The parking lot has room for RVs.
                
The Athabasca Falls trail has many steps and is not accessible. We walked/rolled along Hwy 93A and viewed the falls from the bridge. A small pull off  where RVs will fit is located at the south end of the bridge. The main parking lot has RV spaces.

  Our first night on the parkway we stayed at Wilcox Creek Campground near the icefields. Some of the sites have nice views of the mountains. Most of the sites are small and the bends in the roads are tight. Larger RVs should stay at the Icefield Centre RV camping area which is just a large asphalt lot where day visitor also park.
        
  The next night we stayed outside of Jasper at Wapiti Campground which has a lot of sites and room for any size RV. Most of the electric sites were filled so reservations might be necessary if you want electricity.  Parkway
52.22067, -117.22081
       
      

Banff NP Townsite

  Banff is a typical resort town with restaurants and shops lining the streets. About half of the businesses have accessible entrances. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition.

  RV parking is limited to a few spots but since the town is compact and level once you’re parked it’s easy to walk/roll everywhere. If all the parking in town is filled try the train station on Railway Ave. We parked at the west end of Wolf Street, near the Bow River Trail. The trail is paved and level with beautiful views of the river and mountains.  Trail
       
  While in town we visited the Luxton Museum, the Whyte Museum, and the Banff Park Museum.

  The Luxton Museum houses exhibits about the First Nations people who lived in the area and displays of very nicely crafted artifacts gathered by Norman Luxton, a prominent  local businessman. The museum is accessible but the short ramps between the rooms are a bit steep.  Museum
51.17226, -115.57353

    
     
  The Whyte Museum, founded by Catherine Whyte, has interesting local history and art galleries. The museum is accessible. A few paintings by the Whytes are located on the lower level. Wheelchair access to this level is by a small lift operated by museum personnel. Museum
51.17534, -115.57299

  The Banff Park Museum is housed in a beautiful natural wood building built in 1903. It was founded as a natural history museum and most of the mounted animals and birds were collected between 1890 and 1930. The first floor is accessible. The second floor is accessed by a long flight of stairs. Museum
51.17385, -115.57151
         
         
  We also visited a few spots near town – The Hoodoos, Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Vermillion Lakes, Fenland Trail, Bankhead, and Johnson Lake.

  The Hoodoos are spires of sedimentary rock that are left standing after other material had eroded.  A lookout point is accessed by a very steep, paved trail. It’s definitely worth the trip but wheelchair users will need to have help.  Trail

  Cave and Basin NHS is the site of Canada’s first national park, established in 1885 to protect the natural hot springs. The beautiful visitor center incorporates the original swimming pool building constructed in 1916. The site has displays about the natural and human history, a short walk through a cave to a hot pool, another pool outside, a huge movie screen, views of the mountains, and boardwalks.

  The museum is accessible. The top deck is accessed through the snack bar building but be careful because the iron gate on the deck will lock behind you and the only way out is a stairway. The boardwalks are not accessible. The upper one has steps. The lower one has a sloppy horse trail bisecting it.

   A long steep walkway leads from the RV parking lot to the visitor center. There are two accessible parking spaces near the visitor center but you must stop at the welcome center first to get permission to drive up the hill. The spaces are long enough for a small RV.  Cave and Basin
51.16979, -115.58848

   Vermillion Lakes can be easily viewed from the road. Lakes
         
  Fenlands trail is narrow, rough and muddy which makes it not accessible.  Trail

  Bankhead is the site of a mining town that supplied coal to the locomotives of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In the 1920s the town was disassembled and some of the buildings were moved to Banff. An overlook and trail provide interpretation for the site. The overlook is accessible. The trail has steps and is not accessible. Bankhead
       
  The trail around Johnson Lake is narrow and rocky with steep slopes and not accessible. A very steep paved path leads to a good view point with  picnic tables. Trail

  We camped at Tunnel Mountain Village 1 but I forgot to take a picture.  Campground
51.19651, -115.52278

Banff NP - Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

  Lake Louise, with it’s deep turquoise water surrounded by glacier clad peaks, is picture postcard perfect. It was misty during our visit but still gorgeous. From the RV parking lot a long, steep, paved path leads down to the lake. A very nice, almost level trail, which starts paved and then becomes hard packed dirt, goes halfway around the lake. There’s one small stream cut and one little hill. Both are easy to navigate with a little help. 

      

  Moraine Lake is just as scenic but the trail is not accessible due to steep, rocky terrain.  The viewpoint at the base of the lake is accessible. The parking lot has RV spaces.  Park