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The Icefields Parkway, weaving through Banff and Jasper national parks, is open year-round and travels 143 miles through high country parallel to the Continental Divide.
The parkway crosses two mountain passes and in winter crosses many avalanche zones.
The parkway travels through a region that is home to grizzly and black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose and elk.
The parkway crosses two Canadian heritage rivers, the Athabasca and the North Saskatchewan.
Highlights along the parkway include the Columbia Icefield Centre, Athabasca Glacier, Athabasca Falls, Sumwapta Falls, Peyto Lake and Weeping Wall.
A hike on the three-mile, round-trip Parker Ridge trail offers sweeping mountain vistas and a breathtaking view of the Saskatchewan Glacier.
Visitors should give themselves a full day to drive the parkway, and allow time for many picture stops and short hikes.
While the parkway is open during winter, there are no food, lodging or fuel services available during that time of year. No commercial tours are conducted during winter at the Icefield Centre.
Outdoor Activities |
Huge moraines left by the Athabasca Glacier show the path of glaciers.
The Athabasca Glacier flows from the Columbia Icefield.
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