Last week I wrote a post about five things to do in Banff National Park, in Alberta. This is a continuation of that list, because the reality is that there is way more to do in the area than one blog post allows me to cover off. If you’re hungry for more amazing sights to see in the area, read on!

Drive the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper.

The Icefields Parkway has been rated by many sources, including Condé Nast Traveler, as one of the most beautiful drives in the world, and with good reason. Winding its way through the Canadian Rockies, this mountainside parkway is full of twists and turns, with each one seeming to bring with it more beauty.

You can complete the entire drive from Banff to Jasper in around three hours, but trust me when I say that you don’t want to do that. You’ll want to allot at least a full day to experiencing everything the parkway has to offer, because there are more scenic rest stops than you’ll know what to do with. If you need proof, the next three items on this list are all found on the Icefields Parkway. And these are just the start.

Soak in the views at Peyto Lake.

Peyto Lake is located about a 30-minute hike from a roadside parking lot off the Icefields parkway, and is clearly marked from both directions on the road itself. As of September 2019, the parking lot for this attraction was a bit of an adventure in and of itself, with potholes big enough to swallow a small car in some places. You’ll want to drive very, very carefully in the lot, because you can do some real damage to your car there.

The parking situation is well worth it once you arrive at the viewing platform though; the lake will completely, shamelessly take your breath away as you soak in the teal waters resting at the foot of the mountains spanning as far as the eye can see. This was one of my personal favourite stops.

Admire the raw power of Athabasca Falls.

Athabasca Falls is a spectacular sight to behold. The colour of the river that feeds the falls changes according to the season and depending on the different kinds of rock flour and sediment in the water, which each reflect different wavelengths of light. Depending on when in the year you visit, the water might be anything from a deep blue to a light, milky turquoise. The falls are located a fair distance from Banff, but they’re an absolute must-see if you’re planning to drive the entire parkway.

Walk on the Columbia Ice Field.

The largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, the Columbia Icefield is draped over the continental divide and receives over seven metres of snowfall every year. Visitors have the opportunity to ride in a six-wheel-drive ice bus up to the glacier itself, which makes you feel like you’ve left Earth and arrived on a far-away planet.

The newly-built Glacier Skywalk offers sweeping views of the surrounding valley and mountain range, but be warned: the glass floor isn’t for the faint of heart! Make sure you bring your camera with you, because nobody is going to believe the views when you describe them to people later.

Get an aerial view of Canmore from Ha Ling Peak.

Ha Ling Peak is rated as one of the more challenging climbs in the area, but the majority of that rating is earned by the final ascent to the summit, which I admittedly didn’t have the fortitude to undertake. My group got as far as the saddle, which still allows you to look down over both sides of the mountain, and honestly I’ve never been more scared in my life.

At the same time, that’s exactly what made the climb so worthwhile. It was at once terrifying and beautiful, and the fact that you can see exactly where you poked your head over the mountain’s cliff edge from ground level in Canmore is a strange but exhilarating feeling. If you’re in decent shape and looking for a more challenging climb (that’s also unwaveringly beautiful), you could do far worse than Ha Ling Peak.

Wrapping it Up

This post concludes my list of things to do in Banff, but that’s only because I haven’t experiences all of the other things there are to do yet. I’ll be visiting this one-of-a-kind place again in the not-so-distant future, and you can bet I’ll have a whole new list of things to do after the second trip!