During our Summer 2019 RV Road Trip, our drive from Banff National Park to Jasper National Park led us on one of the most gorgeous drives of the world (according to many sources, not just my opinion), the Icefield Parkway. The scenery along this route was BREATHTAKING, and we all rotated through the passenger front seat to give everyone a chance to see the goodness firsthand in the best seat possible.
As we drove along the Icefield Parkway, we stopped many times. There were several viewpoints along the way that were especially thrilling – waterfalls, glacial views, and the most dramatic views of the Canadian Rockies. We also saw several bears along the way, and our excitement for spotting wildlife never wanes.
One of our favorite stops along the Icefield Parkway was Peyto Lake, where our family did a short hike up to a fantastic overlook of the lake. This lake was gorgeous, and the most amazing teal blue color. The spectacular color of these glacial lakes really is other-worldly.
Our most lengthy stop along the Icefield Parkway was at the Columbia Icefield, the location of 6 glaciers, the most stunning of which is the Athabasca Glacier. Our family first made a visit to the Visitor Center, where we viewed an artsy movie about the Glacier and its formation. From there, we purchased tickets for the Skywalk, which some friends of ours had recommended we experience. Suspended in the air in a horseshoe-shaped walkway with glass floors, we had the most amazing views of the valley and glaciers. Justin, Quinn, and Brady opted to do the walk on the quick side, as the heights were getting to them a bit. Hayden and I spent some extended time on the walk, and we all really enjoyed the audio tour. Quinn was so enthralled that he listened to the information on each stop twice.
After spending some time at the Skywalk, we decided to take the short hike to see the Athabasca Glacier up close. We were not able to touch the ice, as the trail didn’t lead all the way to the edge of the glacier itself, but we were able to get some great up-close views of an actual Glacier, which the boys thought was pretty cool.
That evening, we drove the rest of the way to Jasper National Park, stopping at Athabasca Falls on our way. On this drive, we saw many mountain goats along the side of the road, and even saw a bear, running at full speed across the highway, a sight none of us will ever forget! The canyon at Athabasca Falls was spectacular, carved by the river itself, and we saw several rainbows in the mist created by the powerfall falls.
That evening, we arrived at the Wabasso Campground, our home during our time in Jasper, located right inside the park. Our family loved this campground, and the boys really enjoyed finding “treasures” and exploring the landscape right in the heart of such a beautiful park.
On our second day in Jasper, our family headed into the town of Jasper first thing, and visited the visitor center located there for some recommendations. Jasper is a quaint town, and has many shops and restaurants for those who enjoy mixing up their time in the area a bit. The kids were able to obtain their Junior Ranger pins during our time in town, and then we headed out to Maligne Canyon, where we planned to spend a big chunk of the day. Our hike in Maligne Canyon led us through the most amazing canyon, carved in the most beautiful layers, and over five different bridges along the way. There was an incredible amount of moss and lush vegetation from the spray of the river and waterfalls along the trail.
The hike back from the trail’s end was INTENSE (we later found out it was in the BLACK category, the hardest level of hike, even though it had been recommended by a ranger that morning), but the boys stuck it out. I was SO PROUD of the hikers they became that summer, and their strength was evident in our hike that day.
That evening, we explored town a bit more, and enjoyed some outdoor time at the campground before calling it a night. Justin’s “Jiffy Pop” that night turned out to be “the coolest thing he’s ever done.”
Clearly, NOTHING can top the epic-ness of Jasper!
