How to Plan the Best Trip to: Canadian Rockies
Banff and Jasper National Parks and the surrounding areas are magical and I cannot recommend it enough. However, a lot goes into planning for a trip to the Canadian Rockies due to unpredictable weather, wildlife, trail closures, and other unpredictables!
This post lays out some tips we’ve learned from our travels to the Canadian Rockies to help make your trip as magical as ours.
1) Plan Your Visit for Late May/Early June
At first, we were skeptical about visiting during “shoulder season” but after going, I would recommend this time period to everyone! Firstly, we were worried that the glacial lakes would be frozen over and secondly, that everything would be closed.
With that being said, we knew shoulder season meant fewer people and lower prices for hotels, which is always appealing because here at The Foam on Top we love to maximize the budget!
As it turns out, for our trip from May 21-May 31st, almost all the lakes were thawed and displaying their vibrant glacial blue color! The only lake we saw that still had a tiny bit of ice was Lake Agnes. Of course how quickly the lakes thaw depends on the year, but you can always check the webcams for the lakes to see their melt progress as your trip approaches.
At Lake Agnes there is a famous tea house that was not open yet. There are two tea houses near Lake Louise, one at Lake Agnes and one at the end of the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail. These are two of several attractions that are closed until early June.
We simply brought our own food and ended up having a great time at Lake Agnes, but the tea house is a good example of why you may want some of your trip to rollover into early June.
Although peak season is June and July, the area starts preparing for more visitors in late May. One example of this is downtown Banff turning certain streets into “pedestrian-only” around May 15th. This was a pleasant surprise because it made downtown Banff more enjoyable to stroll through and shop.
Unless you are seeking winter/ski vibes, late spring, and early summer are your best bets for stunning views, smaller crowds, and lower prices.
2) Be Prepared for the Fickle Mountain Weather – What To Pack
When it comes to hiking vacations and packing there’s a few questions I always ask:
- Do I need fancy clothes? – No
- Will it be cold? – Yes
- Do I need workout clothes? – Yes
Firstly, everyone enjoys dressing up and looking nice, but if you are like me and didn’t have room for hiking clothes and fancy clothes don’t fret. Even at some of the splurge restaurants I saw people wearing hiking clothes.
For a 10-day trip I brought one nice sweater and a pair of leggings and everything else was either hiking or workout attire. Many of the visitors and guests are wearing hiking clothes so you’ll fit in.
Secondly, because of the mountains and weather patterns Banff, Jasper, and the Icefields Parkway experience rapidly changing weather, including cold weather. It’s not uncommon for it to rain for 10 minutes, then be sunny causing you to constantly be readjusting your outfit throughout the day.
With this in mind, below is a list of ESSENTIAL items to have in these areas:
HAVE WITH YOU ON ALL HIKES:
- Baseball or sun hat
- Raincoat
- Winter coat (ideally compressible)
- Hiking Boots
- Pullover fleece
- Biker shorts
- Reusable water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Hiking Backpack
- Gloves
- Ski hat/beanie
- Sweatpants (ideally compressible)
- Bear Spray
HAVE WITH YOU ON THE TRIP:
- Pair of casual sandals/Birkenstocks
- Closed toed casual shoes/tennis shoes
- Leggings
- Face & body sunscreen
As for the workout clothes. Many of the hikes include a good bit of elevation gain, so you will get a workout. I felt most comfortable in clothes I could move in.
3) Know About Bear Spray
First off, the visitor center in downtown Banff is one of the best places to buy bear spray. If you are flying to the Canadian Rockies keep in mind that you have to buy the bear spray after you arrive. You can buy the bear spray at various outdoor stores, but from our experience the visitor center is the cheapest.
Some of you may be asking: is this necessary? It’s recommended by the park service, but also from our trip I can say that this area has no shortage of bears! On our 10-day trip we saw 10 bears, so for me the ~$37 USD investment in one canister of bear spray was worth it to feel more secure on our hikes.
Side note: If you enjoy “paying it forward” and do not have to utilize your bear spray while hiking, give your unused bear spray to fellow hikers arriving to the area instead of throwing it out. We were able to give ours to a couple that was arriving at the airport hotel as we were leaving and it definitely brightened their day.
4) Visit the Visitor Center – Even If You’ve Done Research
Initially, bear spray was the only reason we went to the visitor center, because we had researched the hikes and things we wanted to do on the trip. However, it turns out that the staff there had specialized information that enhanced our plans.
The best example of this was that the visitor center staff highlighted which stops he thought were worth it for the Icefields Parkway drive from Banff to Jasper National Park. This was helpful because there are many stops to choose from and we had spent a lot of our trip research time on hikes within the parks themselves.
5) Remember That There Are Multiple Places to Rent Bicycles
As always, we try to plan ahead, but nevertheless, some things end up being spontaneous. In our case this spontaneous day was our last-minute decision to rent bicycles and bike to Moraine Lake.
As you may know, Moraine Lake is no longer accessible by personal vehicle, so the options to visit this iconic lake are limited. You can still take the Canada Parks shuttle to Moraine Lake, but there is a golden timeframe where you can bike to Moraine Lake and the shuttle is not running, giving you the opportunity to have the lake mostly to yourself if you are willing to work for it!
For biking, you are able to rent mountain bikes or e-bikes. We went to Wilson’s in the town of Lake Louise and ended up being stuck with mountain bikes that were too small for us because we didn’t reserve ahead.
We found out later that we could have checked other outdoor rental stores in the area and perhaps gotten better bike accommodations, so keep that in mind if you are in our boat.
More on the biking if you are interested:
Let me start by saying that I definitely recommend biking to Moraine Lake because it was absolutely unforgettable. With that being said, it was not an easy ride and was mostly uphill on the way to the lake. Renting an e-bike is a good option to make this trip a little more enjoyable if you don’t want a challenging bike ride. There are also two paths to choose from if you decide to bike (*only if you choose the mountain bikes, e-bikes must go on the road*):
The Tram Path
- Fewer people, more gradual incline, starts off in the woods and on a crushed gravel trail, eventually on the road
The Road
- More people and more vehicles, steeper at first
We went up on the tram line and then went down via the road. I think this is the way to do it because although biking through the woods with bears nearby was a little scary, the road was incredibly steep and would have only been doable on the way up for very experienced bikers.
For more ideas of things to do and activities near Banff view my post on best things to do near Banff National Park.
6) If You Are Worried About Bears – Hike With A Group
We hiked with others on a trail that is known for many bear sightings. Not only did it calm my nerves because we were a larger group, but we even made friends doing so. Evidently, we didn’t end up seeing any bears on this hike, but it was fun and we finally got some group pictures!
7)You Don’t Have To Stay at The Famous Fairmont Hotels to Enjoy Them
These hotels are known to be gorgeous and luxurious and the Fairmont Hotels in the Canadian Rockies are no exception. We knew we wanted to at least see these hotels, but staying at them was not in the budget!
We went and visited three of the Fairmont Hotels to walk around and eat and found that we were not alone in doing so. The restaurants are normally a bit of a splurge, but it can be worth it for the nice views and atmosphere.
Our favorite Fairmont Hotels ordered from best to worst:
- Lake Louise Fairmont:
- Guide’s Pantry offered takeaway sweets and espresso which went well with an evening stroll around Lake Louise
- Alpine Social had a great chicken sandwich and quinoa and kale salad
- Jasper Fairmont
- The Great Hall is beautiful and has a more laid back vibe than some of the other Fairmont Hotels
- The Great Hall Restaurant/Emerald Lounge had good coffee and cappuccinos. We also liked the bruschetta dish and view off the back eating area
- Banff Fairmont
- Most of the areas had signs saying they were closed to everyone who was not a guest
- Did not see as many restaurants, but there was a takeaway food option near the lobby. However, we didn’t get anything from here.
8) The Icefields Parkway Is Different Each Way – Have a Game Plan
This drive is commonly referred to as one of the most beautiful drives in the world. I would say that it lives up to this expectation and truly does give different views in each direction. Connecting Banff & Jasper National Parks, many visitors take this 3-hour drive during their trip to the Canadian Rockies.
It’s a good idea to have a plan going in firstly because the stops are not very well marked so you either want to have a passenger follow along on a detailed map, or stop at each pull-off and read the trailhead sign.
Secondly, as I mentioned above there are many stops and most people do not have time for them all.
*Caffeine Side Note: If you are a coffee lover, there’s a Starbucks to rejuvenate you along the way and it’s the highest elevated Starbucks in Canada! To get there you’ll have to stop at the Columbia Icefield Centre.
There are a few other establishments on the way, but not much else, so load up on gas and snacks before embarking on the Icefields Parkway journey.
For more National Park travel ideas visit my National Parks page.
Fabulous photos and good info!
Awesome article! Amazing pictures and great info!