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Advice re Banff and Canadian Rockies National Parks

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drfood

drfood

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We are planning on leaving on the Saturday before Labor Day for our annual vacation on the bikes. This one is going to be a bit different in that we are going to be hot-footing it to the 4 Canadian Rocky Mountain Nations Parks...Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay. Houston to Canada in 4 days. Yes, big miles and long days. I have to be in Las Vegas by a certain date for a convention hence the timing.

We plan to also visit Calgary for a day and Edmonton for a day.

The reason for this post. Is it close enough to make day trips to the parks from either Calgary or Edmonton? We're not going to try camping due to temperatures. So we're going to stay in hotels/motels. Jasper and Banff prices are ridiculous for even the hostels.

Would appreciate any advice from anyone who has been in the area
 
I was up in those areas ....but....we're talkin 1993 so I dont think any info would be relevant. +.....I was driving a Toyota pickup in late May. Rocky Mtn NP was still closed...as was most of Glacier NP.
Beautiful area though. Drove the Icefields Pkway ....Lake Louise....glaciers....
I stayed in Banff at a motel. A moose was munchin on someones lawn when I went down the street for breakfast.
At Jasper..I stayed in a duplex cabin outside of town. There was a restaurant there....verrrry English...crumpets...tea... curry. I was wearing some shorts n sandals....everyone else was in suits n ties. But they didnt run me out.

Ive always thought about goin back up there. Washington state in 2007 was the closest I got.
 
Here's a link to my blog 2019 Trip to Alaska . It has the day-to-day events while traveling through much of western Canada, in JULY. It is in reverse chronological order, and the part you would probably find most applicable is around July 18th through the 22nd.

Enjoy your trip. If you have not ridden western Canada, it is a memorable event. Ride safe and provide a complete report when you return.

Later, Bud...
 
Isn't labor day in late September? That's (quite possibly) too late for riding at the speed you will need to get up there, perhaps even to get there predictably/safely with fall weather in the rockies. Seems like too many miles per day unless you are in an airplane. Might just be less than a stellar trip that time of year from my experience from having gone there 25-30 times, and lived in the Northern rockies in CO and MT for many years. Yes, I would have done it at one point in my life for sure. Surely I've been in Jasper in early Sept before, but timing is everything. I used to go up in May before the lakes are unfrozen and yes my wife rode her bikes there with me. She's tough. Global warming is your friend in Sept. as well. What could go wrong anyway? I've had it change from a nice day ride to adventure from **** in 2 hours up there. Make sure you hit the Kananaskis highway on your way to Banff. Serious animal life if they've not headed for shelter yet. If you want I can get you a better prediction from my LD riding partner who lives in Vancouver, BC. PM me with the tentative plan and I'll get you an accurate response from a reliable source in CAN. Just one last thought: I'd carry a tent and sleeping bag just in case you can't make it to the hotel.
 

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I only went to edmonton once from the mid park road. It can be done but it seems a stretch if I recall to enjoy the parks and get back. Best to spend one night in Jasper and them backtrack through Banff. You will want to stop a bunch in the park and take pics, and stare as though you are the last person to ever see the few remaining glaciers. Make sure you stop at Athabasca falls.
 
Labor Day is Monday, September 5, 2022. The plan right now is to leave September 3, 2022 and be in Canada by September 7 or 8.

Yes. There will be lots of photos. Last trip to Canada (Waterton) the total trip we had 5600 raw images to sort through.

The fun part of the trip is going to be deadheading it from Canada to Las Vegas in 2.5 days. :rider:
 
TEHO, drfood. On the surface it sounds like you have a serious case of "get-there-itis", defined as the determination of a pilot to reach a destination even when conditions for flying are very dangerous. Motorcycling can be somewhat like flying vis a vis exposure to the elements, getting caught unprepared, stretching the days, riding when fatigued, sudden weather changes, etc.

No doubt you've thought about common sense guidelines like leave earlier...allow plenty of time...lop off a few "must-sees"...plan for the worst...etc.

Ride safe,
Mike
 
Calgary to Banff easy in a day. Edmonton and Jasper is a little harder.
 
Boulder Ed said:
Isn't labor day in late September? That's (quite possibly) too late for riding at the speed you will need to get up there, perhaps even to get there predictably/safely with fall weather in the rockies. Seems like too many miles per day unless you are in an airplane. Might just be less than a stellar trip that time of year from my experience from having gone there 25-30 times, and lived in the Northern rockies in CO and MT for many years. Yes, I would have done it at one point in my life for sure. Surely I've been in Jasper in early Sept before, but timing is everything. I used to go up in May before the lakes are unfrozen and yes my wife rode her bikes there with me. She's tough. Global warming is your friend in Sept. as well. What could go wrong anyway? I've had it change from a nice day ride to adventure from **** in 2 hours up there. Make sure you hit the Kananaskis highway on your way to Banff. Serious animal life if they've not headed for shelter yet. If you want I can get you a better prediction from my LD riding partner who lives in Vancouver, BC. PM me with the tentative plan and I'll get you an accurate response from a reliable source in CAN. Just one last thought: I'd carry a tent and sleeping bag just in case you can't make it to the hotel.
Click to expand...

Ed, is the picture on the left at Bow Lake?
 
I need to make a run up there too. And unfortunately it will be a fast run up due to my wife being here with my son as her help. She's a slave driver, with a massive honeydo list for me and I'm not sure he'd cut it :-) Of course I'd be 2600 miles away when that was discovered :-)
 
michaellmcc said:
TEHO, drfood. On the surface it sounds like you have a serious case of "get-there-itis", defined as the determination of a pilot to reach a destination even when conditions for flying are very dangerous. Motorcycling can be somewhat like flying vis a vis exposure to the elements, getting caught unprepared, stretching the days, riding when fatigued, sudden weather changes, etc.

No doubt you've thought about common sense guidelines like leave earlier...allow plenty of time...lop off a few "must-sees"...plan for the worst...etc.

Ride safe,
Mike
Click to expand...
I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions and advice.
  • Can't leave earlier.
  • Already lopped off Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier for the trip pre-Las Vegas.
  • Route and timing is flexible. We have had to reroute on several trips based on weather, illness, etc. So the route is not set in stone. It is a goal that we hope to accomplish while I'm still young enough to ride those long distances.
  • Planning for the worst is my middle name. If you asked my better half and some on this forum. I am notorious for over planning and planning for potentially strange things.

Again, thanks for the reality check. It made me look at the spreadsheet again.
 
My take.....
Do the trip without the "have to be in ___"
It'll be much better.
I stopped at Rocky Mtn on my way up.
It was still closed jus before Memorial Day. I also stopped at Glacier & got to drive up Going to Sun part way at the east gate. I drove up the west side a bit when coming back from Canada.
I do regret not going to Waterton park in CA....but it may have also been closed.

Yellowstone & the Tetons were a different trip
 
Hi. I am fortunate to travel to that part of the world three times per year. Beautiful part of the world to ride. Calgary is a nice city (downtown), but Edmonton....why go there? From Calgary you can do a day ride to Banff National Park even going up as far as Lake Louise, I do prefer Lake Moraine(take a left on the road to Lake Louise). As someone mentioned, the Kananaskis Trail before reaching Canmore is very nice, continue until you find road 742 (Smith Dorrien Trail), follow that trail, it is unpaved but easy ride, and you will come out in Canmore. Canmore is at the entrance of Banff National Park, perhaps you can find something more affordable there than in Banff, but that part of the world is expensive at that time of the year.
I am not worried with the weather at that time of the year. Kootenay and Jasper are too far from Calgary for day trips, unless your plan is to slab it all the way non-stop. Keep in mind the speed limit in the parks is 90km/h and the police are there (can tell you from experience). From Banff to Lake Louise take Canadian Route 1A instead of the transcanada highway. It runs parallel and it is very scenic (slower too). The Icefields Parkway, between Lake Louise and Jasper is incredible. Account for multiple stops for pics and if you count on doing the Glacier tour then even more time needed.
Finally lookup hotels in Golden BC, they are most likely cheaper than the ones in the parks. Golden will give you close access to the Parks.
 
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Here's a couple of suggestions for lodging. On our last trip to Banff NP, we stayed at the Johnston Canyon cabins in the park. It is very reasonable compared to prices in Banff and there is a nice restaurant at the Lodge. If you stay there, hike up the canyon and see the falls.

Johnston Canyon Cabins & Bungalow | Banff Alberta

Heritage cabin and bungalow rentals located at the trailhead of the historic Johnston Canyon, between Banff and Lake Louise. Book this unique experience now.
www.johnstoncanyon.com www.johnstoncanyon.com

When we left, circled back to the West, through Revelstoke Shelter Bay, and Kelso to Balfour where we took the ferry across the lake to Kootenay Bay.
A nice reasonable spot in Ainsworth is the Ainsworth Motel.

 
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