The hook
The Canadian Rockies at their most sublime: sawtooth peaks reflected in lakes of an impossible glacial turquoise, threaded by one of the world's most spectacular drives, with grizzlies, elk, and glaciers along the way.
01Why it's worth it
The mountain parks of Banff and Jasper, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, protect some of the most jaw-dropping alpine scenery on Earth. Their signature is the lakes: fed by glacial meltwater carrying rock flour, they glow in unreal shades of turquoise and jade, most famously Lake Louise beneath its glacier and the exquisite Moraine Lake ringed by ten peaks, sights so vivid they hardly look real. Linking Banff and Jasper is the Icefields Parkway, regularly ranked among the world's greatest road trips, unrolling more than two hundred kilometres of glaciers (including the Columbia Icefield, which you can walk out onto), waterfalls, and peaks. The historic town of Banff, with its hot springs and gondola-topped viewpoints, makes an easy base, and the wildlife, grizzly and black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, and more, is abundant. Whether hiking the alpine trails and larch valleys in summer, skiing world-class powder in winter, or simply driving and gasping, the Canadian Rockies deliver mountain grandeur on a scale few places match, all easily accessible. It is one of the natural wonders of North America.
02How to experience it
Base in Banff or Lake Louise and see the turquoise lakes early (Moraine and Louise fill up and require shuttles in summer), then drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper, stopping at glaciers, waterfalls, and viewpoints. Hike the alpine trails in summer or ski in winter, soak in the hot springs, and watch for wildlife. Give it several days.
From the locals
Canadians lead with scale and cost, in that order: "Canada is BIG — however, most of our tourist and travel destinations span across the south of Canada, specifically Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. It's also pretty expensive to fly within the country." One adds a note on how little of it even locals see: "I know people who've been to more countries than provinces." Plan one region properly rather than crossing the country.