This route with all stops can be completed within a half day to a full day. If you spend longer at each spot the road trip will be a full day. Consider the time of year you are going as road conditions will vary throughout the year. During different seasons there is a possibility of highway closures (partial or full) and poor weather conditions. These conditions can affect your speed, so don’t rush and just enjoy the mountain views.

Date of Travel – January 14, 2022

Total Distance Travelled – 460km

Winter mountain driving tips

• Take a four-wheel (or all-wheel) drive vehicle over a two-wheel drive.
• Use winter tires or studded tires (All seasons are fine for a city like Calgary, but should not be used when driving in the mountains).
• Keep an emergency roadside kit in your vehicle including a shovel and emergency blanket.
• Bring extra shoes, socks and sweaters.
• Carry with hand and toe warmers in your car so you are prepared for any situation.
• Ensure you have enough water and food.

seasonal road closures

On the Bow Valley Parkway, east of Johnston Canyon, there is 17km closed each year. Between March 1st and June 25th, the portion of the road is closed to eliminate human activity. It’s an important seasonal closure crucial for wildlife to provide a space they can thrive in. You can find more information about this closure and others throughout the park by visiting the Parks Canada website.

road trip begins

My plan for the day was to drive through the Bow Valley Parkway at sunrise. I left downtown Calgary around 6:45 am after dropping my boyfriend off at work which was cutting it close. If you want to see the sunrise, look up what time the sun will rise the day you’re going. And plan accordingly, don’t cut it close as I did. I took the AB-1A exit off the Trans Canada Highway which leads to the start of Bow Valley Parkway. I thought if I drove the entire highway I may see some wildlife (I did not). But, it was lovely anyway and I stopped often for photo opportunities.

Castle Mountain

Castle Mountain may just be one of my favourite mountains within Banff National Park. When the sun casts on the peaks, it is breathtaking. There is a 7.2km lookout trail right off the Bow Valley Parkway. I’m not sure if it’s accessible in the wintertime, but in other seasons it’s easily accessed.

Morant’s Curve

UPDATE Dec 28, 2023: On Dec 26th I made my third attempt at catching the CP Train at Morant’s Curve and it was a success! Details below on the approximate timing the trains seem to come through.

After sitting for 20 minutes in the parking lot I thought I would be the only one at Morant’s Curve. As soon as one car arrived, 6 more came soon after. I waited 80 minutes before moving on from Morant’s Curve (mostly inside the warm car). I was hoping either the clouds would clear or at least the train would come through but to no avail. A traveller from Ontario said he’s tried catching the train 7 different times over the years. If you’re lucky you may catch the train quickly or could spend hours waiting. There are no schedules available for CP trains travelling through, only passenger trains.

On Dec 26th I finally caught the train passing through Morant’s Curve around 2:40 pm. I waited about 20 minutes and was hopeful after reading online that the trains typically come every 2 hours on weekdays. Earlier that day it was around 10:30 am when I was driving on the Trans Canada Highway just past Banff so the approx. every 2 hours seemed to be true.

Hector Lake Viewpoint

There is something special about the mountain ranges in Jasper National Park. The mountains seem more intricate, larger, and absolutely breathtaking! It was a perfect day with the clouds clearing and blue skies throughout the Icefields Parkway.

Given this was a road trip with many stops ahead, I did not make any attempt to get down to the lake. From the parking area, the snow was piled over 5 feet high, so to see the lake I had to climb up to the top of the snow mounds.

Winter Driving Note: I was driving the Icefields Parkway in my little Mazda 3 Sport two-wheel drive which was no easy feat – hence why I recommend driving a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle in these conditions. With so much snow still on the roads, I did slip quite a bit while driving. I was lucky as there weren’t many other drivers, especially from the opposite way. After Hector Lake and Bow Lake, I had to maneuver my way onto the road again. The trick was putting my car into manual mode and then making small movements forward, then reversing, and repeating until my tires got traction.

Bow Lake Viewpoint

Bow Lake is another beautiful lake in the Rockies and a great spot to stop along the way to Peyto Lake. There are two spots you can stop at to take in the views of Bow Lake.

First, there is the roadside turnoff parking you can easily reach and stop at. This first stop will let you see the lake from a higher vantage point and get a great view of the mountainscape that’s behind it.

The second spot is driving past the first roadside parking until you reach the entrance to the lodge that’s at Bow Lake. This spot may be a bit trickier to reach if there is significant fresh snowfall but on a clear day is a beautiful spot to walk around and stretch your legs. If you are familiar with the popular wooden bridge photos you see online, then this is the spot you will want to stop at!

Peyto Lake

Finally, the last stop Peyto Lake and the short hike to the upper viewpoint. The upper parking was closed, mostly because the snow piled near the top of the signs. If you do hike in winter, prepare for a slightly longer hike. There was SO MUCH snow and while for the most part I didn’t sink, there were some spots my leg fell through. If I were to rewind, I would take snowshoes for the hike. I got a bit lost with snow completely covering the trail, but follow your phone directions if possible. Past hikers made many paths that broke off at points and were hard to follow.

While you won’t get to enjoy the blue turquoise waters in the wintertime, the view was still breathtaking while the snow added a challenge to the hike which I liked. Please be careful in the snow as there are many areas in the Rocky Mountains with potential avalanches – that being said, I do not recommend going all the way to the rocks where you may see many photos taken in the warmer months. The rocks were peaking out of the snow, however, it’s not worth the risk with the amount of snow and potential ice within so steer clear of the edge.