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.
Crowfoot Glacier is east of the continental divide, and runoff from the glacier supplies water to the Bow River. The glacier has retreated since the end of the Little Ice Age and now has lost one entire lobe; it therefore no longer resembles the glacier which early explorers named.
The glacier was measured to be 1.5 km (0.93 mi). The Crowfoot glacier was once connected to the Wapta Icefield, and in the 1980s and was considered to be part of a smaller icefield of 5 km2 (1.9 mi2).
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. 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. 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 is the seventh tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and the tallest within the boundaries of Banff National Park. It is located in southwestern Alberta, 18 km (11 mi) southwest of the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff. 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-19th 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 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. It is about 325 square kilometres (125 sq mi) in area, 100 to 365 metres in depth and receives up to 7 metres (280 in) of snowfall per year.
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 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 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.
The Peyto Glacier is situated in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately 90 km (56 mi) northwest of the town of Banff, and can be accessed from the Icefields Parkway.
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. 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.
Vulture Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, northwest of Lake Louise, and can be viewed from the Icefields Parkway. Vulture Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental Divide. The glacier had an area of 4.9 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) in the 1980s, however, all of the glaciers in the Canadian Rockies have been retreating steadily since the middle of the 19th century.
The Waputik Icefield is located on the Continental divide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. It is developed on the heights of the Waputik Range in the Central Main Ranges.
The Wapta Icefield is a series of glaciers located on the Continental Divide in the Waputik Mountains of the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, in Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies. 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.
The Saskatchewan Glacier is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately 120 km (75 mi) northwest of the town of Banff, and can be accessed from the Icefields Parkway. Saskatchewan Glacier is the largest outflow glacier from the Columbia Icefield, which rests along the Continental Divide. The glacier is a primary water source for the North Saskatchewan River. The glacier is approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) long and covers an area of 30 km2 (11.5 mi2) and was measured in 1960 to be over 400 metres (1,310 ft) thick at a distance of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the terminal snout. Between the years 1893 and 1953, Saskatchewan Glacier had receded a distance of 1,364 metres (4,475 ft), with the rate of retreat between the years 1948 and 1953 averaging 55 metres (180 ft) per year. The glacier, which flows northeast, exhibits a prominent medial morraine.
Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.
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 comprise 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 kilometres 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.
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.
Hilda Peak is a 3,058-metre (10,033-foot) mountain summit located at the northern extreme of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) to the southwest. Hilda Peak is situated south of Sunwapta Pass and can be prominently seen from the Icefields Parkway. The Hilda Glacier lies to the south side of the peak, and the Boundary Glacier lies to the west.
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.