Most Beautiful Drives Near Calgary
Taking a relaxing drive is always a great way to spend a quiet day. I love loading up lots of snacks and listening to music and podcasts for hours on end while I watch some of the most beautiful mountains in the world roll by and stopping wherever I want. These are my favourite scenic drives around Calgary that you can do in a day or less.
Kananaskis
Located just West outside of Calgary, from highway 1 take the exit onto highway 40 and this will lead you into Kananaskis Country. Kananaskis is filled with endless views of beautiful mountain vistas, lakes, valleys, as well as a good chance of seeing wildlife. You also have the opportunity to stop at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa for a relaxing dip or just to grab a coffee for your drive. If you continue heading south along highway 40 you will come to a junction that gives you the option to turn into the Kananaskis Lakes area or (depending on seasonal road closures) you can continue heading south towards Highwood Pass. Around the Kananaskis Lakes there is a huge number of rest stops, hiking, and backcountry camping trails that you can explore. Continuing your drive you can head back the same way you came from highway 40 or (depending on seasonal road closures) you can take the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail, which will take you down a gravel road that connects into Canmore.
Two Jack Lake & Lake Minnewanka
Located just outside the town of Banff, this is a super simple drive that is great for a sunset or sunrise adventure. This is a well maintained road that takes you along a loop that takes you past both Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka. Two Jack Lake is a particularly popular spot for sunrise and is a great spot for canoeing and kayaking during the summer. Lake Minnewanka features both a small cafe and boat tours where they can explain the full history of how the lake was formed, as well as the town now sits at the bottom of the lake. A wide variety of wildlife frequently travel through this area of the valley so this is a great spot to try and see different wildlife. Due to the high activity of wildlife in this area this road plays a critical role in the travel and migration patterns of many different animals and a section of the loop is closed seasonally to protect these animals. Both lakes are still accessible year round and you still have a great chance of seeing some wildlife, but this seasonal closure does limit access to some hiking trails and points of interest such as the abandoned Bankhead townsite.
Bow Valley Parkway
Filled will lush forests, spectacular mountain scenes, endless hiking options, and great opportunities for wildlife spotting this road is definitely one of the most beautiful drives in Banff. Located just 5 minutes West outside of Banff, highway 1A or the Bow Valley Parkway is a secondary highway that connects Banff to Lake Louise and this drive only takes about 1 hour. Since it is located within the wildlife fences and has a speed limit of just 60km this road is a fantastic choice for a leisure drive in the mountains. There are almost endless activities and spots you can check out on this road including biking, hiking, viewpoints, and picnic areas, some of the best stops are Johnston Canyon trail, Castle Junction, and Morant’s Curve.
Icefields Parkway
This road is often referred to as one of the most spectacular drives in the world, and it has certainly earned that name. This drive stretches over 200km to link Lake Louise to the town of Jasper and takes you past sweeping mountain ranges, glaciers, flowing rivers, and turquoise lakes. The drive take roughly 3 hours to get from Lake Louise to Jasper, but with how much is packed along this road you will want to plan for a lot more time to stop and explore some of the different spots along this road. Some of the most well known and scenic stops along this drive that you might want to make extra time for include Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and the Athabasca Glacier.
Emerald Lake & Takakkaw Falls
Located about 20 minutes West of Lake Louise, Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake are two breathtaking locations that you will want to make the trip for. The first stop is subject to seasonal road closure and is only accessible with small vehicles from June to October. To reach Takakkaw Falls, exit off highway 1 onto the Yoho Valley Road and follow this road for just over 13km to the falls. From the parking lot it is an easy 5 minute walk to the falls and you can walk all the way to the base of the falls or branch off onto one of the many hiking trails in the area.
The next spot Emerald Lake can be visited year round and has an entirely different variety of things to do than at Takakkaw Falls. To access the lake turn off highway 1 onto Emerald Lake Road. Following this road you will first come to the Natural Bridge which is a great stop on it’s own, this is a natural rock formation made from centuries of flowing water carving out the rock. After the Natural Bridge it is just an easy 10 minute drive further up the road to Emerald Lake. The lake has lots to do including canoe rentals in the summer, cross country skiing tracks in the winter and a beautiful cafe next to the lake that is open to the public, as well as a series of small cabins that you can rent for a romantic weekend getaway.