THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO VISITING THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
TRAVEL
We flew into the Calgary airport and rented a truck for our week long adventure exploring the Canadian Rockies. The rental car hub is onsite at the airport and does not require you to take a shuttle. We strongly encourage a rental car for this trip, as many of the places you’ll want to visit will require driving. Public transportation is not available throughout the entire area.
WHERE WE STAYED
We loved our stay at Airbnb location, The Annex @ Black Cedar. We chose to stay in the area of Golden, British Columbia. This location placed us perfectly central to each of the 6 National Parks that we intended on visiting.
This location is intended just for couples and was a stunning modern mountainside accommodation. The first thing we noticed was the gorgeous wrap around deck that offered breathtaking views of towering pines and a distant mountain range.
For the interior, the owners did an astonishing job featuring beautiful nordic decor. We were pleased to step into a bright fresh space and were immediately impressed with the tranquility. Our favorite feature was the large windows throughout that featured unaltered views of the outdoors.
We undoubtedly appreciated the local coffee that the owners had especially delivered to us. Plus, they were fantastic about responding to all of our questions.
SCORECARDPhotogenic: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10
Relaxation: 8/10
Views: 10/10
Guest Services: 10/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Our trip was more of an adventure. We had a jammed packed itinerary and had much that we wanted to see and do throughout all 6 National Parks. Here are a couple of recommendations if you’re looking forward to a more relaxing mountain getaway with less traveling:
BANFF | YOHO
DAY ONE
After a long morning of jet setting, we got situated in our Airbnb and decided that we wanted to explore our local town of Golden. Golden is a growing area that is noticeably changing to accommodate the growing tourism in the area. The downtown area features a riverwalk, covered bridge, mountain scenery, and a cute street full of boutique stores, ski shops and dining options.
The first night we arrived, the sky was glowing over the mountain peaks. We were excited to be outside and took a walk alongside the river. We ended the evening dining on the patio at the Rockwater Grill. The food and cocktails were delicious and we really enjoyed the atmosphere at this establishment.
The Golden Skybridge has also become a popular attraction, featuring Canada’s tallest suspension bridge. Unfortunately, we had to cross this off our itinerary due to rain and fog in the area.
DAY TWO
Yoho National Park was the first up on our list. We woke at 5:00 am, so that we could arrive at Emerald Lake before sunrise. The parking lot fills quickly at daylight and we wanted to assure we would have a place to park. We are so happy we did! As we approached the lake a sense of complete serenity overcame us. The sun was beaming off the side of the Presidential Mountains, the reflections on the lake were flawless and the gemstone colored water gave an ethereal feeling. This is a true bucket list destination.
Emerald Lake offers activities such as canoeing, hiking, dining & lodging. Check out important details at the link below:
Just down the road is an easy pull-off for the Natural Bridge. This was such an enjoyable and tranquil place in the early morning. The scenery from the viewing area is breathtaking in both directions. We were very fortunate to enjoy the views entirely by ourselves and were found mesmerized by the swirling waters.
From here we climbed in the truck and started to head up the mountain to Takkakaw Falls. There are plenty of road-side stops to indulge in along the way, just do not miss going to the falls. Takkakaw Falls are the second largest falls in all of Canada and it won’t take you long to notice how magnificent it is.
The falls are extremely accessible to almost anyone, with a paved path that lead right to the base of the falls. We recommend a rain jacket if you don’t want to get wet!
HIKE SCORECARD
Length: 1.4 km
Duration: 30 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
View: 10/10
After an incredible day of exploring, we decided to head back to the area of Golden. We made a point of supporting as many local businesses as possible during our stay. After some looking around, we chose Bear & Bone Burger Co. for dinner. They specialize in homemade, locally sourced hamburgers as well as other homestyle classics.
DAY THREE
On this day we drove the worlds most scenic drive, the Icefield’s Parkway. This two-lane highway is the connector between Banff and Jasper National Park. You’ll want to start your journey early as you are about to be surrounded by incredible wildlife, waterfalls, canyons, glaciers, turquoise lakes and miles of stunning alpine mountains. This is one of the most beautiful drives in the entire world and you won’t be able to resist the amazing stops along the way. This is a full day trip and we recommend you make it two days, if your time permits.
The Icefield’s Parkway is a 232 km highway that stretches along the Continental Divide. There is no cell phone service shortly after you get started and there is very limited places to stop for food, snacks and gas. Make sure to fill your gas tank and pack a small cooler before you get started. There are many beautiful picnic areas to pull over for a nice break. If you should still need to stop, The Saskatchewan River Crossing, is open during the summer season for your necessities.
Check out our exact stops and get other important information at the link below:
After such incredible adventures, we were ready to take a break. We found ourselves in downtown Jasper, which offered undeniable charm. The city was quaint, but lively and offered many choices for shopping and dining. We had the most friendly service, a hefty helping of tasty food and an ice-cold beer at, Jasper Brewing Company.
DAY FOUR
Our original itinerary included spending some time in Golden on this day. We were super excited for a planned adventure at the Golden Sky Bridge. At 130 meters high this is the tallest suspension bridge in all of Canada. The park includes activities such as a mountain coaster, zip lining, rope challenge courses, axe throwing and more.
Sadly we woke to a rainy day and thick fog coming off the mountains. After some time enjoying our Airbnb, we checked the weather in the surrounding National Parks and decided to venture to Kootenay.
To our surprise it was lightly sprinkling and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We discovered some extraordinary places with the bluest waters we had seen so far. The best part is that each hike was very minimal!
With a short stroll from the parking lot, Numa Falls was such a memorable place. The water was eye-catching and moved so beautifully through narrow rock formations. Even after spending days traveling through these types of landscapes, Numa Falls took our breath away and ended up being one of our favorite places.
After the falls, we drove a bit further down the road and found the Paint Pots trail. This was a bit of a messy hike since it had been raining. However, we are so happy we got to experience this trail wet. We think this just amplified the orange-yellow colors of this unique place and made balancing on the boards through the puddles even more fun.
Our last destination in Kooetenay National Park was Marble Canyon. Again, we were so pleased with the peaceful scenery here. The vibrant blue waters mixed with the moody mountain skies made such a pleasant view.
See more pictures and get hike details at the link below:
After our rain day fun we made our way back to Golden and chose to eat at a Mexican restaurant we had been eye-balling. Reposados Taco y Tequila oozed personality from the lively outdoor seating area, throughout the entire eatery. We strongly recommend the margaritas here. You cannot go wrong with the Spicy Coconut!
DAY FIVE
We had been seeing tons of little cafes and coffee shops in our town. Most days we were up and on the road too early to stop. So on this day we decided to make it a point to try the Bluebird Cafe. This was the perfect place to enjoy coffee, tea and fresh baked goods on our way to our next adventure. We adored this place and are so happy we had at least one morning to enjoy their tasty treats.
We got on the road and started to head west towards Glacier National Park and Mount Revelstoke National Park. We did not have much of an itinerary planned for these areas, and weren’t sure there would be much in comparison to other parks we had visited. Let me tell you, we were wrong! Both of these parks are worth visiting and have ample awe factor.
If you know us, you know we love to chase waterfalls. We were super excited when we crossed paths with Bear Creek Falls. The forest was so plush, the colors were vibrant and the hike had a mountain rain-forest feel to it. Make sure you pack your hiking boots for this one. There are some steep inclines and the rocks from the viewing area that tend to be slippery.
HIKE SCORECARD
Length: 1 mile
Duration: 30-40 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
View: 7/10
As we continued our venture, we knew we really wanted to check out the giant cedars boardwalk in Revelstoke. Unfortunately, the trail was closed due to a fallen tree and some boardwalk damage. We were happy to find a similar type of trail in Glacier National Park called the Hemlock Grove Boardwalk. This is a great place to stop and have a picnic or just take a break from traveling. The trail is just a small loop that gives you a wonderful experience of being under a canopy of giant hemlock trees. Since it’s on a boardwalk, this makes it easily accessible for just about anyone including pets.
During my research of planning this trip, I had read about the Meadows in the Sky Parkway in Mount Revelstoke National Park. This was a gorgeous sunny day and we were really enjoying our time twisting and turning though the mountain ranges. It was bright and the vistas were clear… perfect for a ride in the sky!
The Meadows in the Sky winds 26km uphill. This was such a fun drive as the parkway takes you through forests of cedar, hemlock, spruce and fir to the renowned subalpine wildflower meadows. We were here in early September and it was berry-season. Many of the trails on the way up were closed due to witnessed bear activity. There were still plenty of pullover points to stop and take in the amazing views.
When we reached the top of the mountain, there was an additional walking trail that led to the summit. This trail was all paved, but was all uphill which made it difficult for some individuals.
After enjoying our drive back down, we were starting to get hungry. We decided to check out the city of Revelstoke. This was literally the coolest little mountain-town and possessed such a cool vibe. We fell in love with the lively streets, distinctive shops, fun breweries and a multitude of places to eat. Of course, we decided to start with a beer at Rumpus Brewing Co. and immediately loved the service and the energetic decor. This would be a place we would frequent often, if we were locals.
We enjoyed our beer and headed on our way to explore the downtown area in search for a place to eat. Quickly we spotted a place that oozed charm and had a menu to our liking, Chubby Funsters. This eatery stood out with its fun name and eclectic decor. We chose to eat outside on the patio, which was equally as charming and we enjoyed an evening of dining with perfect fall weather. The food was delicious and we would definitely recommend eating here if you decide to visit the area.
DAY SIX
On day six we planned on seeing Lake Louise in Banff National Park. We woke very early and got on the road way before daylight. As we pulled into the area, we recognized that it was already extremely busy. People were parking at the bottom of the mountain and walking miles up-hill just to make their way to the world-renowned lake. As we approached the parking area, we were immediately directed to loop back out of area. We were diligent and tried our luck several times. Luck was not on our side.
We decided to go down the road and explore Johnston Canyon instead. This is another very popular destination located in Banff National Park. This hike takes you down and through the walls of the canyon showing off its icy blue waters, rock formations and multiple waterfalls. Johnston Canyon was absolutely beautiful, but we must warn you that it was very crowded.
Most people will only hike to the lower falls which is the main attraction, but we recommend going further as the crowds dilute and there is still plenty of breathtaking scenery.
HIKE SCORECARD | LOWER FALLS
Length: 1.4 miles
Duration: 1+ Hours
Difficulty: Moderate
View: 8/10
HIKE SCORECARD | UPPER FALLS
Length: 3.3 miles
Duration: 2+ Hours
Difficulty: Moderate | Challenging
View: 8/10
We knew that we had to come up with a new plan in regards to visiting Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. After all, those locations are what sparked our interest to the area and placed the Canadian Rockies at the top of our bucket-list. So we decided to head into the City of Banff to find Tanner a snack and discuss a new agenda.
As we stepped on the streets of Banff we instantly felt like we were swept away to entirely different country, maybe a fairytale of sorts. Each and every building displayed the most alluring mountain-town appeal you could ever dream of.
We’re sure you’ve noticed that we love to try new breweries. This must be the “mid-west” in us. So, after walking around we found ourselves at Three Bears Brewery. We were blown away with everything about this place from the most friendly server to the retractable roof on the second level. We lived for the hip vibes, wilderness decor and let’s not forget the snacks and beer too!
After a little internet research we found a tour the next day that bundled a trip to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. I could not recommend this enough! I’ll share more information and links on Day Seven or check out our Places page!
We did a little shopping and found another little brewery, Banff Ave Brewing Co.. We sat here and made friends with the locals. Everyone was extremely friendly and this establishment had a nice seating area to overlook the bustling street below.
As we walked the streets we scoped out so many wonderful looking places to eat dinner. Mexican food is one of our favorite cuisines and we ultimately decided that we wanted to eat at Añejo. The restaurant was ultra-stylish and had a menu that intrigued us. It ended up being one of the best meals we had ever had in our lives. Every bite & every sip was deliciously executed. Do not skip over this one!
The start to our day was a bit disappointing, but as the day unfolded we had the best time exploring Banff. It’s easy to see why Banff is the one of the most beloved cities in all of Canada.
DAY SEVEN
We flew 2200 miles to reach our bucket-list destination and today was the day we would get to see what we came here for. Our excitement level was through the roof and before we knew it we were back in the car headed to Banff National Park.
We opted for a morning tour to Moraine Lake that included a stop at Lake Louise. Our shuttle bus picked us up at the Lake Louise Ski Resort and Summer Gondola. Side Note: This lodge was extremely nice and we would have easily taken the gondola ride, if we had more time. It’s a wonderful place to safely site grizzly bears, black bears, moose and other wild life.
This entire day was one we will surely never forget. We spent our day strolling through plush alpine forests that were nestled by glacier lined peaks and heavenly waters. I don’t know if any other location on Earth could even compare to the beauty that surrounded us.
Each place was so special that it landed it’s own page on our Places page.
It seems as if our perfect day would have ended there, but our dream trip ended with another spectacular meal. There was one last restaurant that we really wanted to try in town, The Whitetooth Bistro. We opted to sit in the patio area that was adorned with the prettiest floral arrangements.
Our most cordial server, gave us some recommendations and we ended up experiencing another outstanding meal. Sadly, we were the only people dining when we first arrived. It was surprising to see neighboring restaurants that were jammed packed, when this place was so good. We were pleased to see the place fill up before we departed. We know good food and good service very well and this place deserves to be recognized for just that.
