Jasper National Park is a national park in Alberta, Canada. It is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains spanning 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi). Its location is north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885. Located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary, Banff encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with many glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.
Mount Forbes, the seventh tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and the tallest within the confines of Banff National Park, is located 18 km (11 mi) southwest of the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff Nat'l Park. The mountain was named by James Hector in 1859 after Edward Forbes, Hector's natural history professor at the University of Edinburgh during the mid-nineteenth century.
The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in North America's Rocky Mountains. Located within the Canadian Rocky Mountains astride the Continental Divide of the Americas along the border of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, the ice field lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff National Park and partly in the southern end of Jasper National Park.
Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is near the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area.
Mount Hector is a 3,394-metre (11,135-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The mountain was named in 1884 by George M. Dawson after James Hector, a geologist on the Palliser expedition. The mountain is located beside the Icefields Parkway, 17 km (11 mi) north of Lake Louise.
Highway 93 is a north-south highway in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as the Banff-Windermere Parkway south of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) and the Icefields Parkway north of the Trans-Canada Highway. It travels through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park and is maintained by Parks Canada for its entire length. It runs from the British Columbia border at Vermilion Pass in the south, where it becomes British Columbia Highway 93, to its terminus at the junction with the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) at Jasper. The route takes its number from U.S. Route 93, which runs uninterrupted south to central Arizona, and was initially designated as '93' in 1959.
Bow Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Lake Louise. It can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. Bow Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental Divide, and runoff from the glacier supplies water to Bow Lake and the Bow River. The glacier is credited for creating the Bow Valley before retreating at the end of the last glacial maximum.
Crowfoot Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Lake Louise, and can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. The glacier is situated on the northeastern flank of Crowfoot Mountain.
The Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Waputik Mountains of the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers. Runoff from the icefields and outlet glaciers supply water to both the Kicking Horse and Bow Rivers, as well as numerous streams and lakes.
Hector Lake is a small glacial lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Waputik Range of the Canadian Rockies.
Alberta's Rockies comprises the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. On the southwestern part of the province along the British Columbia border, the region covers all but the south of Census Division 15.
Sunwapta Pass is a mountain pass in the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta. Sunwapta Pass is the low point of the saddle created between Mount Athabasca and Nigel Peak. The pass marks the boundary between Banff and Jasper National Parks. The Icefields Parkway travels through Sunwapta Pass 108 km (67 mi) southeast of the town of Jasper and 122 km (76 mi) northwest of the Parkway's junction with the Trans-Canada Highway near Lake Louise. The pass is the second highest point on the Icefields Parkway. Bow Summit in Banff National Park is the highest point on the parkway.
Mount Thompson is a 3,089-metre (10,135-foot) mountain summit located four kilometers west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Baker, 5.0 km (3.1 mi) to the west. Mount Thompson is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Mount Thompson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.
Mount Jimmy Simpson is a 2,966-metre (9,731-foot) summit located 3 kilometres northwest of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 3.0 km (1.9 mi) to the southwest. Mount Jimmy Simpson is a member of the Waputik Mountains, and is situated east of the Wapta Icefield and west of the Bow River valley. Mount Jimmy Simpson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake. Jimmy Simpson Junior is a 2,721 meter sub-summit east of the mountain.
Dolomite Peak is a 2,998-metre (9,836-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Cirque Peak, 3.98 km (2.47 mi) to the northwest. Dolomite Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway with its distinctive crags and colorful towers that are a mixture of dolomite and limestone. Dolomite is rare in the Rockies and is stronger than limestone.
Bow Peak is a 2,840-metre (9,320-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Crowfoot Mountain, 2.11 km (1.31 mi) to the east. Bow Peak is situated north of Hector Lake, southeast of Bow Lake, and can be seen from the Icefields Parkway. Although not of remarkable elevation, the mountain is a conspicuous landmark and visible from as far away as the Lake Louise area. Its position in the Waputik Mountains provides magnificent views from the summit.
Mount Andromache is a 3,033-metre (9,951-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Hector, 4.00 km (2.49 mi) to the south. Mount Andromache can be seen from the Icefields Parkway as the road traverses the western base of the peak. The Molar Glacier is situated on the northeast aspect of the mountain.
Portal Peak is a 2,926-metre (9,600-foot) mountain summit located four kilometers west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the northwest. Portal Peak is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Portal Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.
Parker Ridge is a 2,255-metre (7,398-foot) mountain ridge located in the upper North Saskatchewan River valley in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 7.7 km (4.8 mi) to the west. Parker Ridge is situated along the west side of the Icefields Parkway and southeast of Sunwapta Pass. Parker Ridge is a ski-touring destination in the winter and popular hiking destination in the summer because it is situated beside the Icefields Parkway allowing easy access, and is nearly entirely above treeline allowing good views of the surrounding mountain landscape. A 2.2 km (1.4 mi) trail gains 275 metres (900 ft) of elevation from the highway to the top of the ridge. Wandering east or west along the ridge provides views of Cirrus Mountain, the north face of Mount Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Glacier, Mount Athabasca, Hilda Peak, and Nigel Peak among others.
Bow Lake panorama in winter
A view of Bow Lake and Crowfoot Mountain
Bow Lake at a roadside turnout on Alberta Highway 93
Bow Lake in late May
