Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Star Route
BOW VALLEY PARKWAY
For an alternative route to Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway, turn onto the Bow
Valley Parkway, which runs parallel to Trans-Canada 1. Forests of spruce swallow the
35-mile drive, and signage reminds drivers to use caution as wildlife frequently can
be seen along—and crossing—the roadside, amply stocked with scenic turnouts along
the Bow River. Stretch your legs at Johnston Canyon; the 1.7-mile paved trail to the
area's two waterfalls begins at the resort. Iron catwalks cling to the canyon rock as
viewpoint after viewpoint unfolds.
At Castle Mountain Chalets, less than 4 miles from the canyon, drivers can refuel
at a gas station and general store before stopping at the Castle Mountain Viewpoint to
take in the full grandeur of this 7,463-foot peak looming above the tree line. Rejoin
Trans-Canada 1 via the Banff Windermere Parkway, or continue for remarkable views
at Storm Mountain lookout, Protection Mountain Campground, and the Baker Creek
Chalets resort.
4.
Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive
Beginning at the intersection of Banff Avenue and Trans-Canada 1, this 10-mile loop
threads through forests of aspen before kissing the western shore of Lake Minnewanka,
the largest man-made lake in the Canadian Rockies. The original lake, called Lake of the
Water Spirits by the Stoney First Nations people, became a 18-mile-long reservoir in 1941
whenanewdamwasbuiltontheGhostRiver,submergingtheresorttownofMinnewanka
Landing, now a popular hangout for underwater divers who explore the watery townsite.
The “ghost town” of Bankhead, accessible from the parking area, allows a landlubber to
poke around mining structures long abandoned by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
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