Athabasca Falls on the Icefields Parkway, Canada

5 instaworthy stops along the Icefield Parkway

By christinbraatz Posted on July 21, 2019December 22, 2020 Category :

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The Icefield Parkway, Highway 93, between Lake Louise and Jasper is considered one of the most scenic drives in Canada. You will pass glaciers, turquoise lakes, braided rivers, pine forests and rocky peaks. Wondering where to stop on the icefields parkway? During my National Geographic Journey with G Adventures: Discover the Canadian Rockies we found these are worth pulling over and getting out of the car for:

Crowfoot Glacier

Named Crowfoot because with it’s three arms it looked like the foot of a crow. These days, 150 years later, one arm melted away completely. Another is beginning to melt.

Bow Lake

Jimmy Simpson came here and saw Bow Lake’s beauty. He decided to one day build a lodge to host guests he would share this beautiful place with. He came back 25 years later and did just that. The lodge was extended over the years. There is a path along the lake shore any photographer will appreciate #instaspot

Peyto Lake

5min drive away from Bow Lake on the Icefield Parkway, Peyto lake amazes visitors with its turquoise color. From the high viewpoint the view down onto the lake is picture perfect.

Athabasca Glacier

I’ve already detailed my experience walking on the Athabasca glacier in another post. Even if you don’t do the Icewalk, it’s worth a stop and the short hike on the foot of the glacier. The Icefield center on the other side of the street has a museum, restaurants and washrooms.

Athabasca Falls

To get up close to a waterfall stop at Athabasca Falls. The short trail crosses bridges from where you can take pictures like this one below.

For more ideas of things to do in the Canadian Rockies also check out these posts:

I discovered all of these while on a National Geographic Journey with G Adventures. For the full itinerary see their tour Discover the Canadian Rockies.