ROAD TRIPPING THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY WITH DOGS

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Alberta’s Icefields Parkway is considered to be one of the world’s most scenic drives, so it was a no-brainer to include it as part of our road trip across Western Canada. Having the dogs along meant we had to adjust our plans ever so slightly to accommodate them, but we still had an excellent time taking in the Icefields Parkway.

Read on to learn more about what we did, where we stopped, and what it was like road tripping the Icefields Parkway with dogs. 

A Little About the Icefields Parkway

The Icefields Parkway (or Highway 93N) stretches 233 kilometres from Lake Louise in the south to the town of Jasper at the northern end. It’s a paved, well-maintained road that takes travellers through some of the most spectacular scenery the Canadian Rockies have to offer. The highway passes through both Banff and Jasper National Parks.

The drive itself can be completed in about three hours, but it is highly recommended to allow a full day to make the one-way trip. This will allow for ample roadside stops, short hikes, and all the rubbernecking you can handle. While the drive is lovely in either direction, rumour has it that the Jasper-Lake Louise route has the best views, so, if you’re able, try going in this direction. Better yet, make it a round trip and see it from both sides.

There are several roadside stops and attractions available for those driving the Icefields Parkway. Whether you’re looking to gawk from a pullout, get your muscles moving with a hike, or dip a paddle in one of the pristine lakes, there is something for everyone. The Parks Canada website has a good overview of things to do and options for stops. 

A few things to note about the Icefields Parkway:

Our One-Day Icefields Parkway Itinerary

As it fit well into our larger Western Canada Road trip, we decided to drive the Icefields Parkway from north to south, or the Jasper-Lake Louise route. Since we were nearing the end of our 2-week road trip and a little anxious to put on the miles, we somewhat rushed through and limited our stops on the Icefields Parkway. We were also unfortunate enough to start the day with low clouds and rain, which hampered our views at the beginning. Thankfully, things cleared up partway through, and we ended up taking in some breathtaking mountain scenery. 

Here’s a step-by-step account of our day on the Icefields Parkway:

Camping at Mount Robson Provincial Park

We started our day off at the Robson Meadows Campground in Mount Robson Provincial Park. The park sits just across the Alberta-British Columbia provincial border and is about a one-hour drive from the town of Jasper. 

We chose to overnight at Mount Robson for a couple of reasons, but mostly to avoid having to find accommodation in Jasper National Park. Jasper NP gets incredibly busy in the summer months and, on top of that, they had closed down one of their largest campgrounds for maintenance in 2019. Because of this, campsites in Jasper were hard to come by. In fact, everything was already reserved when I started booking our campsites months before our trip. I also find provincial parks a little more chill than national parks, so I was happy to find an option close enough to work with our plans.

Robson Meadows is a beautiful campground with large, private campsites set among the towering trees. It lies not far from the Fraser River, and we spent our evening there walking the riverside trail with the dogs. 

In the morning, we packed up and headed out on our Icefields Parkway adventure.

Town of Jasper 

Our first stop came before we even technically hit the Icefields Parkway. We stopped in Jasper to grab breakfast and let the dogs run at the dog park there. 

**pro tip for road tripping with dogs – let them burn off some steam before long days of driving, if possible. It makes for a more enjoyable trip for everybody**

Once Gus was done stealing balls from the other dogs and tormenting the shy Border Collie who wasn’t interested in playing, we headed out on the open road. 

Rain clouds obscured the initial views, which was too bad (but also gives us a reason to go back and see it again). 

Athabasca Falls

Our first true Icefields Parkway stop was at Athabasca Falls. This is the point where the Athabasca River tumbles 23 meters, carving intricate rock formations on its way down. 

Despite the gloomy weather and it still being fairly early in the morning, there were still tour-bus loads of people in the parking lot. We almost decided to skip it, but I’m glad we went ahead and saw the falls. 

The paved pathways lead around, along, and across the river, allowing an up-close and personal experience with the raging waters. The crowds of people made it a bit tricky with the dogs in some spots, but for the most part, it was easy to keep them a respectable distance from others. I don’t think, however, that I’d want to do this short hike with them in the middle of a fair-weather, peak-season day when the tourist hordes are in full swing.

We happened upon a smaller, unpaved path running along the river’s edge that no one else seemed eager to explore. So, we were able to find a little solitude, even at this popular spot. 

Izzie was happy to take in the scenery, while Gus, not surprisingly, was more interested in getting all the human pets and attention he could muster. 

Location of Athabasca Falls:
From Jasper – 32 km; 30 mins
From Lake Louise – 202 km; 2 hr, 40 mins

Columbia Icefields 

Our next few stops were all about the Columbia Icefields. About 8000 years ago, ice filled the region’s valleys to the brim, with only the peaks of the tallest mountains poking through. The remnants of that ice age now make up the Columbia Icefields – the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. That ice spills out between the mountain peaks via multiple glaciers, which then feed rivers, which then flow to the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. Being present for that is all very conducive to making one feel small and unimportant, yet part of something transcendent and significant, but I digress from my introspective ramblings…

The Columbia Icefields is one of the big draws of the Icefields Parkway (hence, the name). Many of the activities and attractions of the Parkway center on the icefields. Tourists can test their nerves on the Columbia Icefields Skywalk, step on to the Athabasca Glacier on a Columbia Icefields Adventure tour, or learn about the history of the region at the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre. Since none of these attractions are pet-friendly, we skipped them and took in the scenery in a more casual way. We chose instead to see the views from roadside pullouts and to use our own two feet to get up close and personal with the Athabasca Glacier.

Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint

Stutfield Glacier marks the northern end of the Columbia Icefields and can be seen from a viewpoint immediately off the highway. Luckily, this was about the point when the clouds began to break, so we were able to catch a glimpse of the flowing ice and towering mountains. There are no trails from the parking lot here, so we just took a few minutes to snap some pictures and take it all in. 

Location of Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint:
From Athabasca Falls – 63 km; 45 mins
From Jasper – 95 km; 1 hr, 15 mins
From Lake Louise – 139 km; 1 hr, 53 mins

Random Roadside Pullout

Our next stop was at a random, unnamed, not-on-google-maps roadside pullout that happened to have great views of the icefields. The Athabasca Glacier hung barely-visible to the left while Dome Glacier made a front-and-center appearance. This, again, was a quick-stop photo op purely for appreciating the views.

Location of Dome Glacier Lookout:
Exact location unknown, somewhere between the Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint and the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre. 

Athabasca Glacier

Because of its accessibility, the Athabasca Glacier is perhaps one of the best known of the Icefields’ six major glaciers. Tourists can set foot directly on the glacier as part of a snow coach tour or can hike up to the base of it. We chose the latter dog-friendly option. 

The Toe of the Athabasca Glacier Trail lies not far off the highway, just across from the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre. It’s a short (1.8 km return) trail that loops up and past the base of the glacier. After crossing a bridge over a meltwater stream, the rock and gravel trail makes its way up a steep section before looping around and back. Due to the lack of tree cover and cold winds coming off the glacier, it’s recommended to bring a jacket, gloves, and toque for this hike, even in the summer months. 

We found this hike to be a definite highlight of our day. The dogs seemed to enjoy being able to get out of the van and stretch their legs, and Mark and I were blown away by the glacier itself. The informative signage along the trail added interesting tidbits and provided a scale for how much the glacier has retreated over time. 

Location of the Athabasca Glacier:
From Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint – 8.5 km; 8 mins
From Jasper 103 km; 1 hr, 20 min 
From Lake Louise 130 km; 1 hr, 45 min

Didn’t-Happen Lake Stop

We had good intentions of hitting one of the spectacular alpine lakes that dot the Icefields Parkway, but, unfortunately, the packed-to-the-point-of-overflowing parking lots at Peyto and Bow lakes resulted in us just driving right by. I’d love to return someday (with a paddle and something that floats!) and make up for this missed opportunity. For this trip, we had to settle for appreciating the views from the road.

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That’s it for our short day on the Icefields Parkway. Have you ever been? What’s your favourite stop?

Check out my tips and tricks for Road Tripping With A Dog

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