Glacier National Park and Canadian Rockies Road Trip
“I know that our bodies were made to thrive only in pure air, and the scenes in which pure air is found.”
Memories, trails and highlights of an 8-day road trip through Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies. Camping through some of the most stunning alpine landscapes in North America. Bathing in serene lakes, soaking in hot springs, and hikes filled with splendor.
Day 1 & 2 Glacier National Park: Stunning doesn’t begin to describe Glacier National Park. To start a 8-day road trip with Glacier as the first stop is hard to top. Glacier NP is filled with rocky mountains, glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the edge of the Canadian border. There are over 700 miles of hiking trails If you are on a tight timeline to explore Glacier, a few things you must do include:
Getting an early start and driving Going to the Sun Road
Highline Trail to Garden Wall Lookout, a 14-miler trail filled with wildflowers, views of jagged peaks, wildlife and breathtaking meadows that end with views over Grinnell Glacier
Grinnell Glacier Trail, named after George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist and explorer, who helped ensured the creation of Glacier National Park
Through Anchor & Pine, I was able to donate to the Glacier National Park Conservancy, the partner organization that helps maintain Glacier’s 700 miles of trail, as well as provides educational programs and funding for scientific research
Day 3 & 4 Banff National Park: Explored the majestic landscapes of Banff National Park. The Canadian Rockies were a real treat. The jagged peaks, calming lakes and glacial scenery were breathtaking. Banff was established as Canada’s first national park and one of the most visited in the Canadian park system. I cannot recommend enough to start the popular trails in Banff before 7:00am to beat the crowds, but most importantly to find a parking spot. Some highlights from Banff National Park:
Escape the crowd and get a good leg workout by scrambling and going up Cory Pass Trail
Lake Louise and Morraine Lake, quintessential must-visit lakes
Start at Morraine Lake and take the Eiffel Lake Trail which meanders through the Valley of Ten Peaks, which is home to the third highest park in the Canadian Rockies. Break taking 360 views the further you go
Day 4 & 5 Jasper National Park and Mt Robson Provincial Park: Driving through the Icefield Parkway in Jasper National Park, the Canadian Rockies largest national park just north of Banff. Icefield Parkway is a spectacular highway filled with mountains carved with glaciers; an unforgettable experience. Between the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier and now Icefield Parkway in Jasper, I was mind-blown that I got to experience two of the most jaw dropping and 360 picturesque drives in one trip. After exploring Banff, my mountain goat husband and I drove into Mt. Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia to hike the 24-miler Berg Lake trail. It was his idea to do a 24-miler, literally a marathon.
Jasper National Park’s Icefield Parkway, a 144-mile drive, filled with valleys, soaring rocky mountain peaks and ice fields winding along the Continental Divide
Next, my mountain goat husband wanted to day hike a 24-miler to Berg Lake Trail in Mt. Robson Provincial Park, around the highest peak in British Columbia. Many opt to do a multi-day hike through this area, however a permit can be hard to come by. Although my feet are barking after the 3,200 foot gain, Tim getting a dislocated finger, it was worth every bit of pain for the cascading views throughout.
Day 6 to 8, Jasper National Park, Yoho National Park and Banff National Park: Changed things up and explored a drier side of the Canadian Rockies in Miette, Jasper National Park. We hiked to Sulphur Skyline Trail and finally got to soak in a nice hot springs. We saw a few bears, which a couple were too close to our campsite! The beauty of Banff was still on our minds, so we detoured back into Banff National Park due to weather and got in a final hike, a gem of a trail, the Plain of 6 glaciers trail. After Banff, we soaked at another hot springs and made our way back to the states. Bitter sweet but off to plan the next adventure. Highlights of our last leg include:
Yoho National Park has a beautiful turquoise lake, Emerald Lake, the largest of Yoho’s 61 lakes and ponds
Soak your sore hiking legs in the Canadian Rockies hottest hot springs, Miette Hot Springs
Plain of Six Glaciers Trail a 9 mile hike parallels deep valley views of ice sheets and stunning mountain scenery. The trail starts at Lake Louise, the crowds start to thin the further you go on the trail. Near the end of the hike lie the quaint Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse that was been in operation since 1927 to greet hikers with sweet treats and hot drinks.
“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue ”