Mountain Magic: Exploring the Destinations of the Canadian Rockies

Discover Banff’s Beauty

A ski and winter sports haven during the cold months, and a destination for exploration, hiking, relaxing and adventuring once the snow has melted, Banff is a buzzing hub at the center of any Rockies outdoor experience. The boutiques, restaurants and bars that line Banff Avenue are a bonus, but it’s the scenery that steals the show.

Cascade Mountain towers over one end of Banff Avenue, the town’s main street, while the characteristic slope of Mount Rundle dominates the horizon across the road. Lined with flower-filled baskets in the summer, Banff’s downtown area features a host of shopping and dining opportunities. And there many options to fill the days: picturesque paths along the Bow River take you to charming Bow Falls, you can relax in the soothing waters of the Banff Upper Hot Springs, or grab a coffee at Wild Flour Bakery. Be warned: it’s impossible to resist the smell of  the fresh-baked bread and pastries at this artisan bakery and café.

No trip to Banff is complete without seeing the peaks from on high with a visit to the top of Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola. A four-person, glass-enclosed gondola lifts visitors to an impressive 7,486 feet (2,281 meters) above sea level, where panoramic views of six stunning mountain ranges give you the feeling that you’re standing among giants. From up top, you can also spot what looks like a stone castle nestled near the town’s center in the Bow River Valley —that’s the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The current building was built in 1928, after fire destroyed the original 1887 hotel, and it now offers the ultimate in luxury accommodations, dining, and weekend brunches.

In the evening, the relaxed, pub-style atmosphere of the Banff Avenue Brewing Company offers a menu brimming with locally brewed beers in a setting that provides the perfect viewpoint to watch the last of the sun’s rays set over the main street and the mountains. For dinner and fancy cocktails, Block Kitchen + Bar is a tiny restaurant with an inventive menu featuring tapas, sandwiches and flatbreads – a delectable way to cap a busy day, before you head out to Lake Louise in the morning.

Leaving town, the Bow Valley Parkway, between Banff and Lake Louise, is a lovely alternative to the highway. It parallels the main road but provides access to road-side pullouts that are perfect for picnics and offer access to the Johnston Canyon waterfalls. The walk to the Lower Falls is about half a mile through the forest, mostly on boardwalk, where you can feel the soft mist from the falls on your face.

Take in the Turquoise of Lake Louise

The Bow Valley Parkway leads you all the way to the tiny hamlet of Lake Louise, one of the most photographed places in the Rockies - and for good reason. There’s so much to see and do here, so plan your day while you sit down for tea in the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which has evolved tremendously from the simple log cabin built on the site in 1890. Today, the castle-like chateau is one of the highlights of the Rockies, offering grand accommodations and fancy dining – and is the perfect base to explore the breathtaking surrounding scenery. The Chateau sits at one end of the lake opposite the Victoria Glacier, while the magnificent peaks of Mount Temple and Fairview tower above. The only thing could tempt your camera away from the snowy peaks is the stunning, otherworldly color of the water before you. And we have glaciers to thank for its brilliant hue.

Glaciers grind down the mountains’ underlying rock, and in the spring, the meltwater carries the silt - or rock flour - into the lake, turning it a brilliant turquoise. If you want to see it up close, rent a canoe and go for a relaxing paddle on the glassy water - or at least capture a photo from the shore of the bright red boats skimming through the technicolor green waters.

There’s also a flat, easy-access path that traces the lakeshore for two and a half miles, offering an even better look at the glaciers cascading into the valley. In the colder months during winter and spring, when the lake freezes over, you can walk right across the lake itself for a surreal frozen landscape experience. But no matter what you do outside, the Chateau will beckon you in for a glass of wine or dinner at one of its restaurants that overlook the lake.

Before leaving Lake Louise, stop in the shopping square near the highway and pick up a coffee and some baked treats at Laggan’s Mountain Bakery & Delicatessen to enjoy as you embark on one of the most remarkable drives in the world along the Icefields Parkway. Rent a car or take a motorcoach to travel this stunning highway that connects Lake Louise and Jasper.

Travel One of the World’s Most Beautiful Highways

Almost immediately after turning north up the Icefields Parkway, the terrain gets more wild, as the jagged saw-teeth of the mountaintops rise up on either side of the highway. Whether you drive from Lake Louise to Jasper or in the opposite direction, it doesn’t matter – these 143 miles of the Parkway offer some of the most breathtaking views in North America. Soaring peaks, glaciers, waterfalls, and emerald lakes are everywhere. Sightings of black bears, grizzly bears, moose, and Bighorn sheep are harder to come by, but they thrive in this wilderness, so keep an eye out.

As you continue along the highway, you will come to a hairpin turn known as the Big Bend and the starting point for the climb up The Big Hill. Here, the road clings to the mountainside as it ascends and offers glorious views of the valley below. Not far down the road is one of the region’s most unique sights: the Columbia Icefield, the largest accumulation of ice in the Canadian Rockies.

Take a guided tour of one of the Icefield’s largest glacier, the Athabasca Glacier, for the rare opportunity to set foot on and actually touch the glacier. For thousands of years, glaciers have carved out this surreal, moon-like landscape of perpetual winter. Admire it now as it’s receding, leaving its marks from year to year.

From there, the road continues north. It passes the Glacier Skywalk, where you can walk out on a glass-floored observation platform to look straight down at the Sunwapta Valley floor more than 900 feet below. Beyond, don’t miss Sunwapta Falls and the stunning Athabasca Falls, less than 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) from the town of Jasper.

Explore Jasper’s Authentic Charms

An authentic, laid-back town in the heart of Jasper National Park, Jasper is where wildlife and wilderness come to you. It boasts a truly unique mountain culture that locals celebrate with year-round arts and music festivals.

A trip up the Jasper SkyTram might be the best way to introduce yourself to the area. The SkyTram takes you 3297 feet (1005 meters) above the town for a 360-degree view of the Rockies and Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Boardwalks at the top make exploring easy, and the Summit Restaurant provides the nourishment you need. There are lots of lower-altitude eating options, too; Fiddle River Restaurant offers a selection of Canadian wines and local game and fish in a cozy atmosphere.

Jasper is the perfect launching point for day trips to explore the region. Mount Edith Cavell, Pyramid Mountain, and Maligne Canyon are local favorites that are located about an hour’s drive from town. Head to Maligne Lake on an early summer morning to catch the dawn mist swirling around Spirit Island for an iconic image of the Rockies that will stay with you forever.

Nearly one-and-a-half miles south of Jasper is a short hike up to Old Fort Point. A flight of stone stairs leads to a hillside where bighorn sheep often graze. The potential for wildlife viewing abounds throughout the Rockies, and in Jasper, you don’t need to leave town for it - elk routinely wander near main streets, occasionally causing a uniquely Canadian traffic jam.

Opportunities for daytime activities are seeminly endless, but when night falls, Jasper has a special nocturnal draw – it’s the world’s second-largest dark-sky preserve. With so little light pollution, it’s not uncommon on a clear night to see the Milky Way cascade across the sky, disappearing behind mountain peaks, or to run into astronomy enthusiasts who are happy to let you look through their telescopes to see Saturn or a galaxy or two, especially during the fall’s Dark Sky Festival.

Journey to the Rockies by Rail

With such a variety of experiences at your fingertips, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper truly encapsulate the magic of the Canadian Rockies. But how you get there can be even more magical. Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian luxury rail company that offers dozens of packages, across four unique routes into each of these iconic Rockies towns. Traveling by train lets you keep your eyes on the scenery as you ride the historic railroads through the captivating landscapes of British Columbia and Western Alberta, rather than worrying about navigating unfamiliar mountain roads. Enjoy the train’s relaxed pace, while you sit back in luxurious coaches, eat delectable meals, sip local wine, and enjoy as the train’s onboard Hosts delight with tales about the wildlife, historic spots, and the ever-changing regions you pass through. Add a car rental or coach tour to the trip and explore all the gems of the Rockies – making your journey through Western Canada just as awe-inspiring as the destinations themselves.