CALGARY to JASPER Road Trip (MAP): My Best Solo Drive

Planning a Calgary to Jasper road trip? Here are 15 FANTASTIC things to do on your drive! Including a map to help you plan that trip.

When I left Calgary to meet up with my long-time besties near Jasper (Miette Hot Springs, to be precise), I packed my favorite music and snacks and that was about it. No research on stops to make. Just some good ol’ spontaneity. And while it was awesome and I stopped a lot, there are a few stops I would’ve added that I just didn’t know about. 

Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) from Lake Louise to Jasper is an absolutely GORGEOUS drive. Around literally every corner is a new breathtaking scene. So, give yourself plenty of time to stop to your heart’s content. As well as on your return Jasper to Calgary drive.

Here are the stops I made, plus a few more to consider for your Calgary to Jasper road trip.

CONTENTS:

• DISTANCE From Calgary to Jasper
• 7 TIPS for Your Calgary to Jasper Road Trip
• Calgary to Jasper Road Trip MAP
• 15 BEST Things To DO on Your Calgary to Jasper Drive
• Where To STAY in Jasper

DISTANCE From Calgary to Jasper

The distance from Calgary to Jasper is 413 kilometers (257 miles). Without any stops, the Calgary to Jasper drive takes about 5 hours.

You’ll reach Jasper National Park in a shorter time, though. Calgary to Jasper National Park is about 300 kilometers (190 miles), which will take 3.5 hours.

7 TIPS for Your Calgary to Jasper Road Trip

1. Winter tires are required for winter driving. Between November 1 and March 31, winter tires are legally required on Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). And you’ll want them. In poor or wintery conditions, this road can be treacherous. So, if you’re planning your drive during this time, check road conditions at 511 Alberta.
2. You’ll need a pass to stop. The only way you don’t need a pass to drive through a national park is if you literally don’t make even one stop along the way. For one to a zillion stops, you’ll need a pass of some sort. Find the one that makes sense for you at the Parks Canada website.
3. Fuel up before you go. It’s more expensive along the way and there are long stretches between services. If you’re concerned your car won’t make the full 415 kilometers (258 miles), Canmore is a solid option before prices jump up (although it’s usually quite busy).
4. Pack snacks and picnics. As with fuel, there are long stretches without places to eat or grab a snack. It’s a great idea to pack some snacks and a picnic, because then you can also enjoy them in one of the beautiful spots you stop at on your Calgary to Jasper road trip.
5. If you want to do some solo hiking, be sure you plan for this. Tell someone which hikes you’re doing and approximately when, and have a check-in/check-out plan in place. There are plenty of places to get lost or to find yourself on the wrong side of the trail from a mama bear. Make sure you have backup.
6. Take a deep breath and expect a sloooow drive. This beautiful Calgary to Jasper drive is very popular, especially in summer. Your speed limit is 90km/hr (55mph) with a number of slower areas. And with many steep inclines/declines through the mountains, it’s very likely you’ll find yourself behind a slow-moving vehicle. A few times.
7. Mark GPS coordinates for the trip back. Guaranteed, you’ll pass by waterfalls, creeks and pull-outs you’ll want to explore more on your return Jasper to Calgary drive. Pin these on your map and ideally take a picture or make a note of why you want to stop there. This will help you decide between all of them!

Also check out How To Plan a Road Trip You’ll LOVE and FUN Things To Bring Camping.

Alright, let’s get on the road. Here are my favorite things to do on your Calgary to Jasper road trip.

Calgary to Jasper Road Trip MAP

Here is your Calgary to Jasper road trip map, to quickly see where to stop on the drive.

15 BEST Things To DO on Your Calgary to Jasper Road Trip

1. Take Bow Valley Parkway out of Calgary

Take the road less traveled … it’s the best one! 

Although the Trans-Canada (Highway 1) is zippy, the drive is MUCH more pleasant along Bow Valley Trail (Highway 1A). Take Crowchild Trail west out of Calgary and follow it all the way until it merges with the Trans-Canada Highway by Canmore. It’s a quieter two-laned highway that runs parallel to the Trans-Canada. You’ll be treated with some pretty views of the Bow River and Ghost Lake, and it takes you right through Cochrane (the next stop). 

If the 80km/hr (50mph) speed limit will drive you crazy, you can turn off at Morley Road to get onto the Trans-Canada. After Morley Road, Bow Valley Parkway gets prettier but slower.

2. Stop in Cochrane for ice cream

Cochrane is famous for its epic ice cream spot: MacKay’s Ice Cream (220 1 St W, Cochrane). It’s right on main street, which is also great for walking and browsing. The only place to sit is outside on the benches, so walking and browsing is actually a great idea.

MacKay’s Ice Cream is locally made and has been perfecting its deliciousness since 1948. Choose from more than 40 flavors, plus sorbet. My favorite is still White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, but I’d also confidently recommend Rocky Mountain Coffee and Coconut Delight. YUM. The perfect Calgary to Jasper road trip treat!

3. Stretch your legs at the Banff Springs Hotel

It’ll take you just over an hour to reach Banff from Cochrane. My favorite place to wander in Banff is the luxurious Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. 

Banff Springs Hotel was built in 1888 and is styled after a Scottish Baronial castle. Surrounded by thick woods and greeted by friendly doorsmen, you’ll be whisked away into a whole other world of elegance and romance. (Yes, I think it’s perfectly okay to romance yourself a little!) Stroll around the beautiful hotel and gardens, check out its 14 shops and enjoy lunch or a treat at one of its 11 restaurants before heading back out on your Calgary to Jasper drive.

4. Get back onto Bow Valley Parkway

About five minutes out of Banff you can escape the main highway by getting back onto Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A). It’ll add about 20 minutes to the drive if you take it all the way to Lake Louise. But, you have the option of getting back onto the Trans-Canada Highway at Castle Junction, which is about half way.

If you want to do some hikes in this area, Highway 1A takes you right past a lot of highly-rated trailheads.

5. Hike the lovely shaded Johnston Canyon

If you haven’t been to Johnston Canyon, you really should stop here. It does get very busy, but rightly so. Johnston Canyon is a short, easy and beautiful hike, and it’s mostly accessible. It’s about half an hour from Banff along Highway 1A, just before you get to Castle Junction.

The wooded trail through the canyon puts you right alongside the pretty creek. At the end of the canyon, you’re rewarded with a refreshing waterfall. You’re likely to spot a few squirrels and chipmunks along the way, too.

If you want to go farther, hikers say it’s worth it to hike up to the upper falls and all the way to the ink pots. Round trip, you should give yourself about 3 hours. I’ve only been to the lower falls, which you can easily enjoy in a short 1 hour stop on your Calgary to Jasper road trip.

6. Pause at Castle Camp Memorial 

This is a short but sobering stop. Castle Mountain Internship Camp memorial is 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) west of Castle Junction, and 500 meters (.3 miles) before you reach the turnoff to Castle Mountain Lookout Trailhead. I’m ashamed that I didn’t know about this place before I stumbled on it during my drive from Calgary to Jasper. 

Leading up to the First World War, Canadians were becoming afraid that immigrants from countries like Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria couldn’t be trusted. So, the Canadian government introduced the War Measures Act. This Act required “enemy aliens” (immigrants from countries mentioned above) to check in monthly at registration centers across Canada. If they failed to check in or were considered a security risk, they were imprisoned. In total, 8579 men were imprisoned.

These prisoners were transported to internment camps, like the one by Castle Mountain. They were then forced to build roads and bridges in the national park, including some of the road past the memorial. 

A quote from the Calgary Daily Herald, 1915, entitled “Intern them all”: “There is only one safe way to handle this question, and that is, as the Herald pointed out the other day, to intern all German and Austria alien enemies, without regard for their present harmlessness.” Wow. Not the Canada I’ve been so proud to call my home.

A tribute worth stopping to see for yourself on your drive from Calgary to Jasper.

7. Take the shuttle to Lake Louise

Lake Louise has SO much to do and it’s also incredibly beautiful. I highly recommend stopping here. 

That said, parking in Lake Louise and at the lake itself is very limited, with parking lots filling up by sunrise in the summer. So book your spot on the shuttle at pc.gc.ca (walk-up seat sales are no longer offered) and park at the Park and Ride just south of town.

Here are three amazingly cool things to do in Lake Louise, even by yourself:

• Glamorous tea and a stroll. Have tea at the gorgeous Chateau Lake Louise overlooking the perfectly turquoise glacier-fed Lake Louise. Then take a leisurely stroll around the lake. This fully accessible walk is 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) one-way, takes about 1 hour, and takes you past its milky feeder creek.
• Hike to tea houses. Another interesting hike that starts at Chateau Lake Louise takes you past two super-cute tea houses with amazing views. The first section is a moderate 3.4 kilometers  (2.1 miles) to the Lake Agnes Tea House; the second section is another more strenuous 4 kilometers  (2.5 miles) to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. Cash only and about 4-5 hours round trip, plus tea.
• Gondola ride. Ride the Lake Louise Gondola up for breathtaking elevated mountain views, wildlife sightings and delicious food options. 

8. Hike past Bow Lake to Bow Glacier Falls

Half an hour north of Lake Louise is the pretty Bow Lake. Here you’ll find the headwaters of the majestic Bow River that flows on towards Calgary. And tucked in behind Bow Lake are waterfalls that tumble from the Wapta Icefield above. 

Start the Bow Glacier Falls Trail at the Num Ti Jah Lodge at the north tip of Bow Lake. The first part is right along Bow Lake, and is easy and suitable for all ages. But to get to the base of the waterfall you’ll need to climb a fairly steep section. Altogether, the walk is 6.5 kilometers  (4 miles) return and 60-meter (200-foot) elevation. It’ll take you about 2.5 hours plus time at the waterfall.

If you’re interested in spending the night here on your Calgary to Jasper road trip, many who hike the Bow Glacier Falls Trail recommend staying right at the Num Ti Jah Lodge. 

9. View Peyto and Bow Lakes from Bow Summit Lookout

Only five minutes up the road from Bow Lake is Peyto Lake. Peyto Lake is possibly the most popular and most photographed glacier-fed lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Its bright turquoise color comes from glacial rock flour that flows into the lake during the summer.

At the south end of Peyto Lake is where you’ll turn off to start the hike to Bow Summit Lookout. Bow Summit Lookout is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway drive. From the lookout you can see both Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. It’s an easy and popular hike, and will only take you about half an hour round trip. Possibly the perfect hike on your Calgary to Jasper road trip.

If you continue on to the alpine meadows, expect to spend another 2 hours. It’s 6 kilometers (3.5 miles) and 245-meter (805-foot) elevation.

10. Get your “WOW” moment at Big Hill and Big Bend

About an hour north of Peyto Lake is an awesome section of Icefields Parkway that’ll inspire that jaw-drop: Big Hill and Big Bend. At the bottom of the valley is a hairpin turn, and then you head vertical.

The only pull outs are heading northbound, so make sure to stop on your Calgary to Jasper drive to get those epic photos.

On your return Jasper to Calgary drive, you’ll get the awesome view coming down the mountain. This is also a great time to stop at the bottom of the valley (at the hairpin turn) to explore the surrounding area. Just make sure you pull right off the road, as there aren’t any pull outs here.

11. Breathe in crisp cool air at Columbia Icefield

About an hour north of Peyto Lake is the famous Athabasca Glacier, which is part of the Columbia Icefield. These “fields of ice” are the largest south of the Arctic Circle. So even if you just stop and gaze at them from the parking lot, it’s worth a pause on your drive from Calgary to Jasper.

The only way for a closeup experience is to pay for a guided tour. You’ll take a bus from the visitor center, and then a special bus suited for the glacier. Expect temperatures to drop significantly the moment you’re on the glacier.

12. Test your guts at Glacier Skywalk

Only five minutes north of Columbia Icefield is the epic Glacier Skywalk. This glass-floored observation deck puts you 280 metres (918 feet) over the Sunwapta Valley. Expect to pay about $30 through banffjaspercollection.com.

If you’d rather not pay for this experience, you can still take in a sweeping view of Sunwapta Valley at the pull-out just past the Sky Walk. 

13. Screech to a halt at Tangle Creek Falls

This is a warning! Although you’ll find breathtaking views around every corner on the Icefields Parkway, THIS is my FAVORITE one.

Just before you get to the Sunwapta Valley pull-out, you’ll pass by the STUNNING Tangle Creek Falls. It’s literally right on the side of the road (east/right-hand side) and the only car park is on the opposite side. So watch for stopped vehicles and take care as you stop yourself. (On your return Jasper to Calgary drive, watch out for people running across the road!)

14. Feel the force of Sunwapta Falls 

Just half an hour north of Tangle Creek Falls and only one minute off Icefields Parkway is another impressive stop: Sunwapta Falls. It’s classified as a Class 6 waterfall based on its high volume of water, fed by the Athabasca Glacier.

Sunwapta Falls is a narrow 9 meters (30 feet) wide and falls 18 meters (60 feet) over two drops First, about 8 meters through a crack in the rockbed, and then it constricts further and is shot out another 10 meters to the canyon below. It’s most impressive in late spring when you get a lot of snowpack runoff. That’s when I happened to be driving from Calgary to Jasper, and it was incredible.

Even videos don’t capture how stunning it is, as you stand on the wooden bridge with the falls plummeting right beneath your feet.

Continue a short 1.3 kilometers (.8 miles) through a pretty woodsy trail to the lower falls, which is a set of three smaller waterfalls.

15. Marvel at the elegance of Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls is a must-see on any Calgary to Jasper road trip. Although Athabasca Falls is only 23 meters (75 feet) high and not nearly as tall as many impressive waterfalls in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the size of the Athabasca River makes it one of the most powerful. Take in the potholes, short canyon and other carvings it’s created in the limestone beneath the falls.

Athabasca Falls is 20 minutes north of Sunwapta Falls and 30 minutes south of Jasper.

Where To STAY in Jasper

If you’re traveling solo in Jasper, consider friendly hostels or a bed and breakfast. 

Here are my two favorite hostels in/near Jasper:

• HI Athabasca Falls (just south of Athabasca Falls): A rustic hostel option without showers and flushing toilets, but it has electricity and is rated very high. Its common area and firepit are very cozy for meeting other travelers.
• HI Jasper: A modern, comfortable hostel perfect for a solo traveler who still wants electricity, hot water, regular toilets and showers! Fantastic reviews and right in Jasper.

If you’d rather have your own room, here are three very different options:

• Maligne Lodge: Decent value for solo travelers. It includes an indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna, wifi and on-site restaurant.
• Pyramid Lake Resort: The more affordable resort option near Jasper, with tons of resort activities like bikes, kayaks and hiking right from the resort. Private beach, gym and restaurant.
• Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge: The most luxurious hotel resort in Jasper with onsite spa, outdoor pool, 8 restaurants and golf course. Other activities include cross-country skiing and skating in winter, or horseback riding in summer.

Summary and Resources

If you’re looking for a great solo road trip from Calgary, I highly recommend heading up to Jasper. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, but there’s also a ton to do, too. Whether you love donning those hiking boots, something more upscale, or simply finding the perfect spot to read a book, you can find your nook and cranny on this drive.

Here are helpful resource when planning your Calgary to Jasper road trip:

• How To Plan a Road Trip You’ll LOVE in 7 Steps
• IcefieldsParkway.com is a great resource for planning your perfect stops.
• Parks Canada website: 
  • National Parks overview on how to get your visitor pass and various safety and need-to-know tourist information.
  • Banff National Parks section has a ton of helpful information on activities, points of interest and trail conditions in the Banff area and up along Icefields Parkway.
  • Jasper National Parks section gives you helpful information on activities, points of interest and trail conditions on the north section of Icefields Parkway and into Jasper.
• Intrepid Travel is a fantastic small group tour company, with awesome trips through the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
• TripAdvisor.com is my go-to for checking traveler reviews of activities and accommodations.
• Booking.com is usually what I use to book my accommodations (after comparing prices on Google).

You may also like:

• ROMANTIC Getaways in Southern Alberta
• EDMONTON to VANCOUVER Road Trip: 3 Best Routes
• Romantic Ways to Make a Long Drive FUN

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Featured photo credit: Icefields Parkway by Ryan Stone from Unsplash.