The Rocky Mountains of Alberta with Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and the Icefields Parkway are exceptional destinations for outdoor activities. The perfect stage for our Canadian Rockies adventure tours.
Some of the best-known mountain scenery on earth is concentrated in seven national and provincial parks in the Rocky Mountains of western Canada. They protect amazing landscapes, natural wonders and opportunities for unique activities.
In much of the world, mention of Western Canada evokes images of the Canadian Rockies with snow-capped peaks, magnificent mountain scenery, clear lakes, waterfalls and wildlife. Visitors can watch bears feeding in their natural habitat, be accosted by friendly mountain goats, soak in thermal hot springs, explore by raft or canoe and go horseback riding surrounded by nature.
In winter the powder snow of the Rockies offers endless opportunities for outdoor fun and activities. The interconnected Rocky Mountain national parks of Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay account for most of the preserve’s 22,990 square kilometers (8,876 square miles). Adjoining them are three British Columbia provincial parks — Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber.
ALBERTA extends for over 1200 km (750 mi) from north to south with Edmonton and Calgary the only major cities with populations of almost 1 million each. Total population of Alberta is only 4.7 million for an area of about 662,000 sqkm (25,000 sqmi), three times larger than England.
BANFF in Alberta became Canada’s first park preserve in 1885 and the birthplace of the national park system in Canada. It was created around the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, found by Canadian Pacific Railway workers building the transcontinental railway in the early 1880s. In the following half-century, the park was expanded to encompass a wealth of natural wonders: jagged peaks and conifer-clad slopes, silt-laden glacial streams and turquoise lakes and the vast Columbia Icefields. The charming towns of Banff and Lake Louise have all the comforts of the big city. Over 7,500 people call the park home, so you’re as likely to encounter the locals as you are the resident wildlife.
JASPER National Park is the stuff that postcards are made of. Picture yourself on vacation in a mountain getaway surrounded by towering peaks, untouched wilderness and turquoise lakes tucked into alpine valleys. The town of Jasper is an authentic mountain community where the locals welcome you as a long lost friend. Wildlife is abundant, even right in town. Where else will you find a herd of elk napping on someones front lawn?
Put yourself into the picture. Join one of our Canadian Rockies adventure tours, imagine yourself on a summit, looking down into the valley of the Bow River. Crawl out of your tent in Jasper one morning and see yourself surrounded by a herd of quietly grazing wapiti.