Icefields Parkway

I got the chance to cycle the Icefields Parkway today and it was one of the most beautiful rides I’ve ever done!

My parents are currently visiting me in Canada and they are travelling by RV so I was able to bike up to Jasper while they were driving up.

I was staying in Banff last night so I ended up getting the 6am bus from Banff to Lake Louise as the Bow Valley Parkway doesn’t open until 8am at this time of year and I wanted to get an early start. Plus I don’t think I would have managed the extra 60km between Banff and Lake Louise!

The route was 230km total with just over 2,000m elevation. I took the 93A at the end, which was lovely and quiet.

Pro tips – the onigiri from the vending machines in Canmore / Banff are awesome savoury snacks to mix up all the normal sweet stuff. There are also at least 3 places you can stop to get water and snacks along the way, which was more than I was expecting.

Probably would have been easier if I did it on an actual road bike but I only have my gravel bikepacking bike!