The Icefields Parkway is the spectacular mountain road linking Lake Louise in the south to Jasper in the north, running straight through the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s one of those drives where the scenery keeps changing, with big peaks on every horizon, fast-flowing glacial rivers, bright turquoise lakes and vast sheets of ice clinging to the mountainsides. If you’re continuing on towards Banff afterwards, the Bow Valley Parkway is a lovely addition, running parallel to Highway 1 and giving you a more scenic, slower-paced route through the valley. Taken together, these roads make up one of Canada’s most memorable drives, and it’s well worth allowing extra time for stops along the way.

Not far south of Jasper, Athabasca Falls is an easy and very rewarding stop. The water thunders through a narrow gorge, and there are several viewing points and short walking trails, so you can get a few different angles without a long detour.

A little further on, Sunwapta Falls is another classic Rocky Mountain waterfall stop. The main drop is around 18 metres, and it’s often at its most powerful in spring and early summer when snowmelt is feeding the river.

Keep an eye out too for Big Bend and Big Hill, a dramatic curve in the road where you can pull in for a wide-open view down the Athabasca River valley. It’s a brilliant perspective point, with the river threading through the landscape and mountains rising up on both sides.

Further south again, Peyto Lake is one of the standout viewpoints on the route. You’ll park near Bow Summit and walk up a short, steady uphill trail to the main viewing area, where you get that famous bright, glacier-fed colour and a huge sweep of peaks behind it.

Nearby, Bow Lake is another gorgeous stop and a good place to stretch your legs. The views back towards the glaciers and the surrounding mountains are superb, and it’s a lovely spot for photos when the light is right.

For a closer look at the ice itself, the Athabasca Glacier is the main access point. You can walk up to the toe of the glacier for a good sense of scale, and it’s one of the best places on the parkway to appreciate just how immense the icefields are.

If you fancy something a bit more adrenaline-tinged, the Glacier Skywalk is a glass-floored viewing platform extending out over the Sunwapta Valley. It’s a bold experience if you’re not keen on heights, but the views across the valley and back towards the glaciers and mountains are outstanding.