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Canadian Rockies road trip REPORT!

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skyno

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
Hey could use some suggestions for a big van road trip to Alberta Rockies zone eventually near Lake Louise / Banff area. It's not a MTB specific trip - primary goal is commune w/ nature and see cool **** and whatnot, and will have climbing gear, but will have bikes and will likely kick out a few mostly scenic rides- probably won't get too rowdy on this trip. I've been to Western BC, but never been to Alberta. I could specifically use some input on the following:

1. I will stop in Portland on the way up to see family - any thoughts on if the mores scenic / interesting route is through Bellingham via I-5 or cut over East through Spokane via 97? I suppose I can do one of them North and one of them South so maybe it doesn't really matter, but any suggestions on route considerations especially in regards to border crossings, etc. would be appreciated, plus I always tend to want to do the more scenic and interesting one on the way rather than way back.

2. Are Calgary and the actual resort town of Banff worth a visit? I'm usually not all that interested in visiting cities or overpriced tourist traps unless they are particularly noteworthy (i.e. I would probably never intentionally go back to Aspen or Vail, but would definitely go back to other cool stuff in the vicinity)

3. Any easy (green or bike path) great scenic bike rides in that area come to mind?

3. Any standout not to be missed spots in that area that come to mind?

Thanks for any input!
 
#2 ·
First off, what time of year are you going? That can make a difference on whether places like Banff are worth visiting. Mid summer, it is pure tourist hell. After kids back to school not so bad, especially mid week. Same with a lot of other parks. On the other hand, Banff has some absolutely gorgeous spots like Moraine Lake that are worth seeing regardless. Lots of hikes, and bikes are allowed on some trails in the park. There are seasonal closures and seasonal requirements for minimum group sizes due to wildlife (grizz).

Lots of options on how to get to Banff area from Portland. One option is head across through the Cascades and then hit Glacier NP before crossing the border into Canada via Waterton NP. Then head up Hwys 22 and 40 through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and Kananaskis Country to Canmore. The other cool way to go would be to cross into BC at Sumas and take Hwy 3 across. This is a much slower way to go but you would pass Manning Park (awesome in fall with larch trees turning) as well as cool towns not far off route like Nelson. Then continue past Fernie or turn north up any of the valleys in the Kootenays past Kaslo or Slocan, or north through the Okanagan past Kelowna and Vernon. If you're into wine tasting Kelowna is the place, it's a hotter/drier area. If you like less travelled areas the Kootenays are deep valleys with big lakes, and big mountains above. You'll finding riding and hiking along any of these routes.

Not sure whether Calgary is worth a visit. It's an hour east of Banff. The zoo is really cool, almost rivals San Diego. There is great fishing in the Bow River. Beyond that, depends what you're interested in. If you want nature, I'd stick further west.

Lots of scenic rides around Banff/LL/Canmore area. Lake Minnewanka has a trail along its shore. But go early and on a weekday unless you want to deal with clueless hoardes of tourists. Closed to bikes July 10-Sept 15. Lots of bike paths, like Canmore to Banff or in Kananaskis Country. For standout spots, do some hikes. Or rent a kayak/canoe and get out on one of the lakes.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Awesome tips thank you! Sorry I forgot to say I was leaving for Portland right away, so will be up there in a few days so I realize it is right in the middle of peak tourist time. I have set my expectations accordingly, but I have tried to convince myself (lie to myself?) that it couldn't be as bad as, say, Yosemite?
 
#4 ·
Canmore local here. You're coming at literally the busiest time to be in Banff, unfortunately. That said, there's still lots of chill riding to be had and you can avoid the crowds if you know where to look!

Scenic/chill (maybe not rated fully green but nothing harder than a mild blue):

  • Take a cab up or ride up from Canmore and ride Goat Creek down to Banff, then back along either Rundle Riverside (easy, but rough) or the Legacy Trail (paved, no cars).
  • Up to Hwy 742 and ride part of the High Rockies trail, the full thing is long but there are lots of nice shorter sections to do as an out and back.
  • Mount Shark to Watridge Lake is a nice walk/very short ride (8k round trip) but nice scenery nonetheless.

If you want to get some more real singletrack in, Canmore Nordic Centre is great and has lots of nice mostly XC-ish trails. I like FYI up to Odyssey then down to Long Road to Ruin.

If you're going through Fernie, Lazy Lizard is worth a ride. It's a long green trail with a spot to stop for lunch at the top and then a very long but gentle descent.
 
#5 ·
There's nothing especially interesting about Calgary but there are some nice hotels and restaurants there so it's not a bad place to spend a night or two. IMO no reason to spend more time than that there.

I did a Canadian Rockies Tour in July 2019 and the major parks like Banff and Lake Louise were very crowded. I assume they have only become more so. They are spectacular places, tho.

Avoid the Columbia Icefield Tour. It was absolutely thronged with tourists and was a nightmare. You're at a visitor center that has a restaurant and then you take a bus from there up a dirt road where you then board these giant all wheel drive vehicles to get to a cordoned off area of the icefield. Glaciers are shrinking and disappearing due to climate change. In addition to the huge crowds that I find particularly annoying, it is strange to go experience nature with hordes of people and to witness such a massive carbon footprint that contributes to the disappearance of the thing you are visiting.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Excellent advice exactly what I was looking for thanks to all! This is not my usual MO to just wing it on a road trip last second during peak season, but unfortunately a planned Eastern Europe trip had to be cancelled, and then was going to re-route to Dolomites, but it is non-stop rain there right now, so pivoted to Canada road trip! I'm determined to make full use of this open window.
 
#7 ·
Worth noting that the Rockies has had an extremely wet spring and a lot of high alpine stuff is still snowbound.

Lots of hikes are open anyway and there’s places to go, but if you have a specific trail in mind it’s worth checking with visitor centres or looking for trail reports online.

You didn’t mention accommodation, are you planning to camp? Hotels? Are you in a vehicle that can do gravel? In BC in particular there are lots of spectacular logging roads and it’s possible to string routes together from town to town almost without touching pavement if you’re so inclined.
 
#8 ·
angerbot said:
Worth noting that the Rockies has had an extremely wet spring and a lot of high alpine stuff is still snowbound.

Lots of hikes are open anyway and there’s places to go, but if you have a specific trail in mind it’s worth checking with visitor centres or looking for trail reports online.

You didn’t mention accommodation, are you planning to camp? Hotels? Are you in a vehicle that can do gravel? In BC in particular there are lots of spectacular logging roads and it’s possible to string routes together from town to town almost without touching pavement if you’re so inclined.
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Yes, all this is pretty important to know.

The extra snowpack is no joke right now. I was slogging through up to 3 feet of snow last weekend on a not overly high trail that would be clear and dry by now most years.

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If you're looking to avoid the giant tourist crowds, definitely stay away from Banff. I'd recommend spending some time in Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park instead. They are connected to Banff National Park but don't see the same kind of crowds. I'd also suggest checking out the Columbia Valley, as we have a lot less people, including tourists here. There is some pretty cool biking and a lot of awesome scenery. Let me know if you're camping or staying in hotels and I can give you some more specific suggestions.
 

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#10 ·
skyno said:
Thanks again for the helpful info. I will primarily be camping in my Van.
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Well then you'll probably not want to spend all your time in the National Parks. There is a ton of Crown (public) land around here to explore. You can camp up any old Forest Service road, if you so choose. There's just really three rules: First come, first served; contain your fires; and pack out your garbage.

I'd suggest a trip through my backyard, the Columbia Valley. Check out Whiteswan Provincial Park, ride the Spirit Trail at Columbia Lake Provincial Park, do some exploring around Invermere, take in a hike (or a bike) in Kootenay National Park, all on your way to the Banff area. If you get tired of the crowds there, head to Golden for a laid-back mountain town with cool people and great trails.

Stanley Glacier hike, Cross River Canyon falls and Toby Creek view from the Johnson trials pics to whet your appetite. Feel free to message me for specifics.

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The sky's the limit up here.
 
#14 ·
angerbot said:
I’m in Canmore, have spent a ton of time in Invermere and down towards Kimberley/Cranbrook/Fernie.
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Nice. I'm in Windermere and previously spent 5 years in Fernie. This stretch of mountains up to you is all but unbeatable for beauty and variety.
 
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#16 ·
Waterton is a pretty beautiful place and we enjoyed exploring around Jasper, too. All of our exploring was on foot.

If you were planning on doing some vias ferrata in the Dolomites, you might have a look at the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata outside of Banff. We found it pretty comparable to some of the vias we did in the Dolomites. Unfortunately, it is guided and there is an entry fee, unlike the Dolomite vias. Also, we did it in August several years ago, so it may still be snowed in this time of year.
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Discussion starter · #17 ·
Well got back from our Canada road trip and it was incredible! - exactly what I had in mind. I want to thank everyone for the helpful tips and guidance because it was essential and we used a ton of the beta. We went through Colombia Valley (Whiteswan, Fairmont Hot Springs, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs) and loved it, all the National Parks except Jasper (Banff, Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier), and spent some time in Golden. We really like Golden - went to Kicking Horse and did the via ferrata, which was kinda lame if you are a climber but got to see a Grizzly that lives there so that was cool. The Kicking Horse bike park was not great either, but the CBT trails are world class, and the Mount 7 / Moonraker zone was also great.

We hit Revelstoke & Kamloops and it started to get unbearably hot, so we headed to the coast (Whistler / Squamish) where it was slightly cooler. I skipped the Whistler bike park this time, which was super crowded, and instead rode a bunch of amazing Valley trails that I hadn't ridden before and basically had them all to myself. The park is fun, but I think the Valley trails are better, plus they are mostly pretty much under trees and next to large rivers so feels much cooler. I had ridden some valley stuff like Blackcomb and Into the Mystic / Lord of the Squirrels, but this was my first time on the Whistler South trails, and they are excellent, and particularly good if riding solo. We then down through Oregon on the way home to hit a couple of my favorite spots near Oakridge.

As advertised, Banff (park and town) was an absolute tourism ****-show, but I can see why as it is absolutely stunning. That was the only area we had a hard time finding camping and everywhere else was pretty easy to find amazing spots down gravel roads as suggested. You definitely have to be a bit creative in the National Parks since they really seem to strongly discourage people from camping anywhere that isn't a crowded designated campground - but with some creativity was able to navigate it. I have to say that even with a ton of people in places like Banff, there was still no traffic and it didn't didn't feel as congested as a place like Yosemite. Having said that, I would strongly encourage planning your visit there later in the season if possible! I also loved how safe and clean everything felt coming from SF! I know I'm leaving out some details but here's some pics to tell the story.


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skyno
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