Park Circle

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National Geographic Driving Guide: Canada

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Starting on the fringe of the Great Plains and climbing through the incomparable mountain scenery of Banff and Jasper National Parks, this magnificent drive combines exhilarating vistas of forest, crag, and glacier with some of the finest museums and historic sites in western Canada. Rodeo, art, the fur trade, Ukrainian heritage, death-feigning beetles, and two subspecies of bison—all this and more help maintain a keen interest in one’s surroundings long after the peaks slip from view. The route begins near Calgary, making a broad loop that stretches north through the mountains before turning east to Edmonton. CONTINUED

- Cochrane
- Banff
- Jasper
- Edmonton
- Markerville

(Continued From Top)

Cochrane
From Calgary, follow Hwy. 1A northwest to Cochrane, an old ranching town at the foot of the Rockies and now a Calgary bedroom community. Little of the cowboy era remains at Cochrane Ranche Provincial Historic Site (Jct. of Hwys. 22 and 1A. +1 403 932 2902. June-Aug.), headquarters for Alberta’s first large-scale ranch—a 189,000-acre [76,485.6-hectare] flop, founded in 1881. Other ranches thrived, of course, and the Western Heritage Center (+1 403 932 3514. Adm. fee), just north, celebrates both failures and triumphs with imaginative interactive displays, an art gallery, and an excellent Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Grizzly bear, Banff National Park

Photograph © Michael Lewis

To the west, Hwy. 1A weaves through prairie foothills and climbs along the Bow River to Trans-Canada 1 and on into the forest and grand interior mountain valleys of Canada’s first national park, Banff National Park (Visitor Center +1 403 762 1550. Adm. fee), established in 1885. Stretching roughly 250 miles [402.3 kilometers] along the jagged crest of the Canadian Rockies, Banff and the adjoining Jasper National Park take in a vast tangle of great strapping peaks, mauled by glaciers and capped by the largest ice fields south of Alaska. Meltwaters thunder from the heights, pool in gemlike alpine lakes, and rush down the forested walls of broad U-shaped valleys into powerful rivers. It’s a staggering, heart-swelling landscape, rich in wildlife, laced with hiking trails, and traversed by the most spectacular system of roads in the Rockies.

Banff
An 1880s railroad town and tourist destination from the start, Banff (Visitor Center +1 403 762 8421) lies along the Bow River in a broad valley ringed with forested peaks that dwarf a crush of hotels, restaurants, and shops. The dense evergreen trees, swift blue waters of the Bow, and an abundance of bike trails, picnic spots, and footpaths mitigate the traffic and help Banff avoid the carnival air that can mar national park gateways.
For a quick summary of Banff’s human history, visit the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (111 Bear St. +1 403 762 2291. Closed Mon. mid-Oct.—late May; Adm. fee), which bridges the 10,000-year gap between those who hunted huge Pleistocene mountain sheep with chert spearpoints and the Victorian gents who tackled the same peaks in waistcoats and ties. Nearby, western Canada’s oldest natural history museum, the rustic 1903 Banff Park Museum (91 Banff Ave. +1 403 762 1558. Adm. fee) remains true to its era with stuffed specimens of moose, bears, bison, foxes, and dozens of birds displayed in elegant glass-fronted cabinets.
Across the river stands the park’s Administration Building, a noble stone facade reminiscent of an English country house and surrounded by expansive lawns, rock grottoes, and terraced gardens. While you’re in the area, stop at the Luxton Museum (1 Birch Ave.+1 403 762 2388. Nov.-March; Adm. fee) to admire the handiwork of various native peoples. Next, follow Cave Avenue west through the forest to the birthplace of Canada’s national park system, Cave and Basin National Historic Site (+1 403 762 1557. Adm. fee), where two hot springs bubble to the surface—one inside a cave, the other nestled against the hillside—both within a restored 1914 native stone bathing complex. Duck through a low tunnel into the cave, with its wide pool of clear sulfurous water. Outdoors, admi re the view from the reflecting pond, and peer into the colorful waters of the basin. Exhibits explain how this compelling spot led to the establishment of Banff.
Since swimming is no longer allowed at Cave and Basin, follow Mountain Avenue to Upper Hot Springs (+1 403 762 1515. Adm. fee), where a historic stone bathhouse and outdoor pool face the tilted gray slabs of Mount Rundle. Nearby, the Sulphur Mountain Gondola (+1 403 762 5438. Call for schedule; Fare) climbs 2,292 vertical feet [698.6 meters] to a summit restaurant, trails, and knockout alpine vistas.
Back in Banff, follow Birch Avenue east to Bow Falls, then drive up to the 1928 Banff Springs Hotel (405 Spray Ave.+1 403 762 2211. Fee for tours, offered daily in summer). Pick up a map in the lobby and wander through this colossal stone palace—rustic, elegant, and a bit medieval. In 1941 a week of room, board, and golf, plus a round-trip first-class train ticket from San Francisco, cost $145.75.

Along the Bow Valley Parkway

Photograph © Michael Lewis

Northeast of Banff, follow the 9-mile [14.5-kilometer] loop road past Lake Minnewanka, an immense, fjord-like lake cradled between massive peaks, and explore the remains of Bankhead, an old coal-mining town. Then head north on the Bow Valley Parkway. A slower, quieter route than Trans-Canada 1, it still delivers you to Lake Louise in about an hour, offering better views of the mountains and a far better chance of seeing elk, deer, coyotes, and bears.
Along the way, hike up Johnston Canyon (11 miles [17.7 kilometers] NW of Banff), a narrow limestone chasm with two thundering waterfalls. Crowded but worth it, the spectacular 1.6-mile [2.6-kilometer] trail veers out over the rushing water on catwalks bolted to the cliffs. It also offers the rare opportunity of standing beside the very base of an immensely powerful falls, amid the blast and spray and percussive, gut-thumping crash of exploding whitewater.

Chateau Lake Louise

Photograph © Michael Lewis

To reach Lake Louise, follow Hwy. 1A past the Lake Louise townsite, cross the river, and climb through steep subalpine forests to the jammed parking areas below Chateau Lake Louise (+1 403 522 3511), a massive, cream-colored edifice walling off the eastern lakeshore. Rubberneck the lobby, then amble out to the mobbed shoreline. The lake itself stretches off between high, knobby peaks to the abrupt wall of glacier-clad Mount Victoria, which soars 11,365 feet [3,465.1 meters]. Take the shoreline path to the end of the lake and back (2.5 miles; 4 kilometers), or hike up to the teahouse at Plain of Six Glaciers (7 miles; 11.3 kilometers).

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park

Photograph © Michael Lewis

Follow the cutoff to Moraine Lake, a luminescent turquoise gem nestled beneath a long row of crumbling summits that form the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
Back in town, stop by the Lake Louise Visitor Centre (+1 403 522 3833) for a geology summary of the Canadian Rockies. Out back, you’ll find the start of the Bow River Trail, a 4.4-mile [7.2-kilometer] interpretive loop. For a grandstand vista of the glacier-capped peaks, glide up the flanks of Mount Whitehorn on the Lake Louise Sightseeing Lift & Gondola (+1 403 522 3555. June-late Sept.; Fare).
Most people find it hard to tear away from Lake Louise, but a great swath of sensational country awaits north along the Icefields Parkway (Hwy. 93), Canada’s highest road. Named for the hundred-plus glaciers visible along the route, the parkway bowls along for 143 miles [230.1 kilometers], passing through long, forested river valleys cradled by nearly continuous walls of dazzling peaks. Drivers frequently spot elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and black bears. A lucky few see a grizzly, wolf, or caribou. After about 20 miles [32.2 kilometers] of forest and crag, pull over beside Bow Lake for a good look at Crowfoot Glacier clinging to the scabrous cliffs of Crowfoot Mountain. From the lake’s north end, you can make out Bow Glacier Falls, a ferocious cascade plummeting nearly 500 feet [152.4 meters]. A 3-mile [4.8-kilometer] trail leads to its base.
At Bow Summit, follow the spur road west and stroll to where Peyto Lake Viewpoint overlooks a creamy blue lake, its glacial source, and the broad, forested valley of the Mistaya River. Continue past Upper and Lower Waterfowl Lakes, and walk down to Mistaya Canyon, a sinuous fissure so narrow and deep you may have trouble seeing the water that crashes through it.
At Saskatchewan River Crossing, pick up the gravelly bed of the North Saskatchewan River and begin a climb toward the treeless alpine zone. Not far beyond the Weeping Wall (the damp brow of curving limestone to your right), the road makes a sharp curve and begins a steep ascent. As you round its northern flank, consider hiking to the crest of Parker Ridge, a fairly strenuous climb to a panoramic vista of the Saskatchewan Glacier, curving down from the edge of the vast Columbia Icefield.
Soon you cross Sunwapta Pass into Jasper National Park (Visitor Center +1 780 852 6176. Adm. fee), descending to the toe of Athabasca Glacier, a broad ramp of ice and snow slanting down between Mount Athabasca (left) and Snow Dome. Signs along the spur road record the pace of its retreat during the past hundred years. Hike to the edge of the glacier, but don’t venture onto the ice without a qualified guide—the crevasses are deep, and people have died in them recently.
Across the highway, learn about glacial mechanics at the Icefield Centre, a thronged activity complex where you can grab a bite, book a Snocoach tour of the glacier, or visit the best natural history museum in either park. A large three-dimensional projection of the Columbia Icefield clearly shows its extent (125 square miles [323.8 square kilometers]) and its three meltwater drainages (Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific). Other displays examine wildlife of the alpine zone and explain how glaciers form, grow, and retreat.
Follow the Sunwapta River northwest as it rushes down into the forest and gathers strength from countless creeks and waterfalls spilling from the Winston Churchill Range to the west. Peer over the cliffs at Sunwapta Falls, a great ripping blast of foam, then coast along the Athabasca River to the Mounts Fryatt, Brussels, and Christie Viewpoint. Perched on a natural mineral lick, this is one of the park’s most dependable sites for spotting mountain goats. Next, turn onto Hwy. 93A and take in Athabasca Falls, always crowded, and for good reason. Here, the river’s milky blue waters funnel into a chasm and break into a creamy plume of whitewater with Mount Kerkeslin as a backdrop. Several miles farther north, take the slow, 9-mile [14.5-kilometer]) side trip to the base of Mount Edith Cavell, a vast wall of dark gray rock and snow that sweeps upward nearly a vertical mile from the parking area. Angel Glacier spills from the cliffs like an immense petrified waterfall, and two short loop trails beckon.

Jasper
Then it’s on to Banff’s northern counterpart, Jasper (Visitor Center +1 780 852 3858), a turn-of-the-century railroad town and resort area that lies along the Athabasca River within sight of four mountain ranges. Small lakes—some warm enough for a dip—dot the valley floor, and trails for walking and biking loop throughout.
For an aerial view, board the Jasper Tramway (640 Connaught Dr. +1 780 852 3093. April-Oct.; Fare), soar over the steep northern face of The Whistlers, and walk a short distance to the summit through wildflowers. Jasper lies 4,300 feet [1,310.6 meters] below, the Columbia Icefield shines to the south, and you might catch a glimpse of Mount Robson to the west. The view can leave you stammering.

Maligne Canyon

Photograph © Michael Lewis

Northeast of town, Maligne Canyon (Follow signs off Trans-Canada 16) cuts across the forest floor as a deep, serpentine crack where the Maligne (muh-LAYN) River slips, pools, swerves, and drops among potholes, hollows, and smooth overhanging walls of limestone. Loiter or hike along the brink, then continue beside the river past Medicine Lake to Maligne Lake, the region’s longest (13.8 miles [22.2 kilometers]) and deepest (318 feet [96.9 meters]). Book a 90-minute cruise (Maligne Tours +1 780 852 3370. May-Sept.; reservations advised; Fare) and glide down this narrow lake toward the bulky, glaciated peaks that crowd its southern shore.
If there’s time, consider a half-day side trip into Mount Robson Provincial Park (55 miles [88.5 kilometers] W on Trans-Canada 16. +1 604 566 4325) to see 12,972-foot [3,953.9-meter] Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and a stunner even after you’ve grown blasé about mountains.
Near the park border, as you head east to leave Jasper behind, take the turnoff for Miette Hot Springs (+1 780 866 3939. May-Oct.; Adm. fee), a steaming outdoor pool in the mountains. Along the way, peer into Punchbowl Falls, a thin veil of white water slipping into a chasm Henry Moore might have designed. Return to Trans-Canada 16 and descend eastward out onto the prairies. Near Edmonton, take Hwy. 2 north to St. Albert (Visitor Center +1 403 459 1724), established as a Catholic mission and farm town in the 1860s. At Father Lacombe Chapel Provincial Historic Site (St. Vital Ave. W of St. Albert Trail. +1 780 459 7663. Mid-May—Labor Day; Adm. fee), step into Alberta’s oldest standing building—a square-hewn log chapel, built in 1861 and restored. Next door, track missionary history at the 1887 Bishop Grandin Residence.

Edmonton
Alberta’s capital city, Edmonton (Visitor Center +1 780 496 8400 or 800 463 4667), is a large, sprawling urban center divided by a sinuous oasis of shady parks stretching along the North Saskatchewan River. Established in 1795 as a fur-trading post, it became a permanent settlement during the 1870s and thrived as the farm, ranch, and petroleum industries boomed around it.

Deep Sea Adventure, West Edmonton Mall

Photograph © Michael Lewis

If for nothing more than anthropological curiosity, have a look at the West Edmonton Mall (170th St. and 87th Ave., S of Trans-Canada 16. +1 780 444 5200 or 800 661 8890). This vast and jostling complex of 800 department stores, restaurants, and specialty shops shares the same roof with a 25-ride amusement park, a full-size hockey rink, a beach with three-story water slides and surf, as well as a separate blue-water lake with a full-scale reconstruction of the Santa Maria and a flotilla of yellow submarines creeping across the bottom. And that’s just for starters. There are alligators, penguins, fountains, bands, a miniature golf course, dolphins, and an adjoining 354-room fantasy-suite hotel. When you’ve had enough, run for one of 59 exits and try to find your car in one of the 20,000 spaces.
Next, head south to Fort Edmonton Park (Off the Whitemud Freeway. +1 780 496 8775. Mid-May—Labor Day, call for off-season hours; Adm. fee), a first-rate living history park depicting four periods from Edmonton’s past. Ride a steam train down to the river, and walk through the vertical log walls of Fort Edmonton as it existed in 1846. A marvel of authentic reconstruction (pegged-log walls, deer-hide windowpanes, wrought-iron latches), this Hudson’s Bay Company trading post and its costumed interpreters could easily consume an entire afternoon. Elsewhere, the park lays out the city’s history along three streets of buildings, each representing a different phase in Edmonton’s transition from farm town to city.
Downtown, tour the Alberta Legislature Building (10820th St. and 98th Ave. +1 780 427 7362. Closed Sat. Nov.-Feb.), or trace the course of Canadian art at the Edmonton Art Gallery (102nd Ave. at 99th St. +1 780 422 6223. Adm. fee). To the west, the Provincial Museum of Alberta (12845 102nd Ave. +1 780 453 9100. Adm. fee) folds a billion years of natural and human history into four galleries covering geology, wildlife, native peoples, and pioneers. But you’ll find the most engaging exhibits in the Live Insect Gallery, giant cockroaches, scorpions and tarantulas, glistening centipedes, and white-eyed assassin bugs—most of them alive, even the death-feigning beetles.
For a taste of how Edmonton’s grandees lived at the turn of the century, cross the river to the university campus and tour Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site (11153 Saskatchewan Dr. +1 780 427 3995. Adm. fee), the restored Edwardian mansion of Alberta’s first prime minister. Next, head back through town and smell the flowers at the Muttart Conservatory (9626 96A St. +1 780 496 8755. Adm. fee), a cluster of glass pyramids reproducing tropical, arid, and temperate climates.

Flying tern, Elk Island National Park

Photograph © Michael Lewis

For a break from the city, cruise through Elk Island National Park (E of Edmonton on Trans-Canada 16. +1 780 992 2950. Adm. fee), a haven where two subspecies of bison roam. Compare the woolly forequarters and massive heads of the plains bison with their clean-cut relatives, the wood bison, then look for some of the park’s harder-to-find wildlife: moose, elk, deer, and trumpeter swans.

Grain elevator, Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

Photograph © Michael Lewis

East of the park, watch as settlers feed farm animals at the outstanding Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (Off Trans-Canada 16. +1 780 662 3640. Mid-May—Oct.; Adm. fee). Learn how these hardworking, adaptable people broke free from hopeless peasants’ lives in Eastern Europe and see how they lived once they got here—in grim sod-roofed huts and thatched houses, later in frame farmhouses or in town. Chat with the blacksmiths about the war in Europe (this is 1917, after all), or talk crops with the fellows at the general store. All the guides are exceptionally well versed.
Drive on to the Basilian Fathers Museum (5420 Sawchuk St., Mundare. +1 780 764 3887. Closed Sat.-Sun. Oct.-April; Donation) for a glimpse of Ukrainian spiritual life. Here you’ll find books and manuscripts dating from the Middle Ages, a monastery, and a beautiful modern church.
Then, via Hwy. 2A, press on to Wetaskiwin, home of the Reynolds-Alberta Museum (Hwy. 13. +1 780 361 1351 or 800 661 4726. Closed Mon. Sept.-May; Adm. fee), an astounding collection of vintage autos, trucks, motorcycles, farm machinery, and aircraft, most restored to showroom condition. A gearhead’s delight, the museum explores their development with videos, demonstrations, and other clever sideshows. In summer, putter around in vintage cars, or sputter overhead in an open-cockpit biplane (weekends).
On the western outskirts of Red Deer (Visitor Center+1 403 346 0180), learn about the 1885 Northwest Rebellion of Métis and native peoples at Fort Normandeau Historic Site (32nd St. exit W off Hwy. 2. +1 403 346 2010. Mid-May—Labor Day; Donation), which includes a living history reconstruction of the fort, an interpretive center, and enticing picnic grounds on the Red Deer River. A pleasant riverside park system extends from the highway through town, ta king in the Kerry Wood Nature Centre and Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary (6300 45th Ave.+1 403 346 2010. Donation), which examines the natural history of the Red Deer River Valley and the bird-busy pocket of woodlands, prairie meadows, swamps, and marshes.

Markerville
For an ice-cream cone or a plate of pickled herring, take Rte. 592 west to Markerville and tour the Historic Markerville Creamery (+1 403 728 3006. Mid-May—Labor Day; Adm. fee). Once the heart of an Icelandic farm community, the creamery was the sole source of cash for turn-of-the-century farmers. One who pocketed cream checks here was Stephan G. Stephansson, considered one of the greatest poets writing in Icelandic since the Middle Ages. At Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site (4 miles [6.4 kilometers] N of Markerville. +1 780 427 2022. Mid-May—Labor Day; Adm. fee), you can visit his simple home and tarry in his study, still furnished with his desk, daybed, and volumes of Icelandic literature.