A Photo Essay of the World Famous “Banff to Jasper” Drive
In the Canadian Rockies, the journey is a destination in its own right. The drive between Banff and Jasper is known to be one of the most scenic drives in the world. No wonder it’s absolutely stunning.
Contents
When we arrived in the Canadian Rockies, we landed in Calgary, picked a rental car and drove from Calgary to Banff, then Banff to Jasper, stopping a few times along the way. This is a photo journal of the world-famous Canadian Rockies road trip.
Check out our 7-day Canadian Rockies itinerary, 3-day Banff Itinerary in Winter and
Outlines of our itineraries in the Canadian Rockies.
Welcome to Canada
The following map shows major stops and towns – Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefields and finally Jasper. We stopped at some spots on the way up and others on the way back. The Trans Canada Highway connects the two incredible national parks as it passes through them.
In the Canadian Rockies, distances and map estimations are only accurate if you’re not making viewpoint stops. On the drive between Banff and Jasper, that would be extremely unusual, as there are many gorgeous stops for the views and wildlife sightings. The following table shows the approximate departure and arrival times for each section of the drive, including some vista points.
| Calgary to Jasper Drive | Start | Reach | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary to Banff drive | 1 pm | 2:30 pm | 1 hr 30 min |
| Banff to Bow Lake | 3:15 pm | 4:25 pm | 1 hr 10 min |
| Bow Lake to Sunwapta River viewpoint | 4:50 pm | 5:05 pm | 15 min |
| Sunwapta River viewpoint to Jasper | 5:15 pm | 7:15 pm | 2 hrs |
| Total Calgary to Jasper Drive | 1 pm | 7:15 pm | 6 hrs 30 min |
In comparison, we took almost 10 hours on our return drive from Jasper to Banff with more stops.
Check out our photo diary of Jasper to Banff drive
Calgary to Banff Drive
Total Duration: about 1 hour 30min
Calgary is now a sprawling city. From the Calgary airport, it took us about an hour before we reached the Rockies. But when we did reach, it was an explosion of visual treats.
The towering mountains stood all around us as we reached one of the most stunning drives on the planet. The mountains may look still but we know how active they are with the massive avalanches, waterfalls, thundering rivers and glaciers.
Calgary to Banff drive passes some huge mountains so up close that we couldn’t see the top and the source of the waterfalls above.
We stopped in the beautiful touristy town of Banff for a delicious lunch, before heading on to our Banff to Jasper drive.
Banff to Jasper Drive, an iconic Canadian Road Trip
Total Duration: 4 hours
The drive from Banff to Jasper took us about 4 hours with 3 stops along the way. We did not stop at Lake Louise or Columbia Icefields on the way to Jasper because we wanted to arrive at the hotel before it got too dark in Jasper.
Notice the unusual bridge on Trans Canada Highway below. There are no roads or highways on either side of the highway. There are no towns and villages being connected. However, there is ample wildlife on both sides that need to cross the highway.
Read all about the Wildlife Crossing of Banff and my findings.
The drive from Banff to Jasper is heavenly. I love the turquoise blue rivers flowing alongside the highway.
Castle Mountain is just like the name suggests, a mystical castle in the sky. But we didn’t learn its name until after we returned and took the tour to explore Banff later in our itinerary.
We passed 5 overpasses on our way from Banff to Jasper, still clueless on their purpose.
After about an hour and 10min of driving, we made two stops at Bow Lake vista points.
The color of the lake water depends on the particles suspended and the depth of the lake. Bow lake is quite shallow at this point but so much deeper towards the mountain.
Beautiful magenta flowers were in full bloom everywhere in the Canadian Rockies in August. As we learned later, these native plants are the first to arrive and bloom after an avalanche or forest fire. They kick start the regrowth of the forest and provide food for the wildlife. No wonder they are called fireweed.
We took the exit from the Trans Canada Highway heading towards Simpson’s Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. The lodge is obviously pretty and enhances the already magical views near Bow Lake. People say it’s amazing to visit and stay in the lodge. We didn’t have time to visit the lodge but we took a short walk on the trails nearby. However, the trails were filled with mosquitoes that day.
The Indian paintbrush flower reminded me of the orange wildflowers I saw a few months back in Colorado’s Paint Mines Interpretive Center.
As we approached Jasper, the forests start looking red. It was unusual to see what resembled fall colors in August in Canadian Rockies. Later we learned all about them.
Read about the Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation in Jasper National Park.
Related Articles
The Canadian Rockies
- 7 Day Itinerary of Canadian Rockies
- 3-Day Itinerary of Banff in Winter
- Itineraries of the Canadian Rockies
- Accommodations in Jasper and Banff
- Rafting in Jasper National Park
- Banff’s wildlife crossing
- Red forests in Jasper National Park
- Calgary to Banff to Jasper Drive
- Jasper to Banff Drive
- Things to do in Banff and Canmore
- Things to do in Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
- Things to do in Jasper
- Things to do on Icefields Parkway
- Things to do in Yoho National Park
The Rockies in the United States
- Colorado 6-Day Itinerary
- Rocky Mountain National Park with hikes, vista points, and itineraries.
- National Park travels during Covid Pandemic
- Pikes Peak Drive or Hike
- Outdoor rock climbing in Colorado Springs
- Glacier National Park Gallery
Canada
Yellowknife, Canada in Winter and Northern Lights – Picture gallery
