Highway 93 North stretches 232 kilometres between Banff and Jasper, crossing five distinct ecological zones and tracing the spine of the Continental Divide. Completed in 1940 as a Depression-era public works project, the route was designated a Canadian Heritage Highway in 2020, one of only three in the country.
The parkway climbs from 1,400 metres at Banff townsite to 2,023 metres at Sunwapta Pass, where meltwater divides between the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. Forty-seven named glaciers flank the highway, most visible from pullouts that carry interpretive panels documenting recession rates measured since the 1890s.
The Columbia Icefield covers 325 square kilometres and feeds eight major outlet glaciers, including Athabasca Glacier, which has retreated 1.5 kilometres in the past century. Visitors traveling from Banff reach the icefield discovery centre at kilometre 127, where ice-explorer vehicles transport guests onto the glacier surface. Peyto Lake, 40 kilometres north of the Trans-Canada junction, appears turquoise due to glacial flour suspended in runoff from Peyto Glacier. The lake's colour peaks in late July when melt rates reach their annual maximum. Bow Lake, 34 kilometres from the junction, sits at the base of Crowfoot Glacier, named for its three-lobed shape—though the lowest lobe collapsed in the 1940s.
Mistaya Canyon, carved by millennia of erosive flow through Precambrian limestone, lies at kilometre 71. The canyon's walls narrow to two metres in places, with potholes drilled by spinning stones trapped in eddies. Guided tours departing Banff typically allocate 10 to 12 hours for the round trip, with stops at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake overlook, the Columbia Icefield centre, and Athabasca Falls near Jasper townsite. The 12.25 CAD daily conservation fee grants access to all roadside pullouts and trail heads within Banff National Park boundaries. Early morning departures between 7:00 and 9:00 avoid midday traffic at Peyto Lake viewpoint, where parking capacity limits access during peak summer months.
11 hr
