Editor’s note: This Icefields Parkway Stops with Kids blog is part of a larger series about our Canadian rockies trip. To see other posts: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
If you are planning a trip to Banff, everyone is going to tell you that you must drive the Icefields Parkway. They will tell you it’s one of the most scenic drives in the world. What they usually forget to tell you is the absolute logistical gymnastics required to take three kids on a remote mountain highway.
The Ultimate Parkway PSA: Gas and Groceries
Before we get to the pretty pictures, let me save you a massive headache: there are virtually no services along the Icefields Parkway. No gas stations, no convenient drive-thrus, no place to buy a $14 overpriced sandwich when someone is suddenly “starving.”
If you are doing this drive, you absolutely have to fuel up with gas before you leave the Lake Louise area, and you need to pack a lunch. We loaded up a cooler before hitting the road, which was the smartest thing we did all day.
The $40 Lake Louise Mistake
Proof of Mom (the only one enjoying Lake Louise)
We officially kicked off the morning at Lake Louise, and it is time for a classic edition of The Rant. Yes, it is iconic. Yes, it is beautiful in the photos. But let me save you some money and a massive headache: if you are traveling with whiny kids who are officially sick of hiking, skip it.
We paid an absolute brutal $40 for parking, only to be met with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and total chaos. My grand, picturesque plan was to hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House. The kids’ grand plan was to stand near the water, loudly complain about their legs, and flat-out refuse to walk another step. We were there for maybe 15 minutes before I surrendered, cut our losses, and marched everyone back to the car. Save your $40.
Redemption and Lunch at Bow Lake
Bow Lake, which was still completely iced over in late May
After the Lake Louise debacle, we headed north onto the Parkway and redeem our efforts with some scene Icefields Parkway stops with kids. When it was time to eat that lunch we so brilliantly packed, we pulled over at Bow Lake.
If you are looking for a spot to eat a sandwich, you cannot beat this one. You get to sit there eating your turkey wraps while staring straight across the frozen water at the Crowfoot Glacier and the Bow Glacier. It is rugged, it is gorgeous, and best of all? Zero crowds and it cost us absolutely nothing.
Peyto Lake: The Toddler Strike and the Snow Hike
Next up on our Icefields Parkway stops with kids trip was Peyto Lake (the famous one that looks like a wolf’s head). The hike up to the Bow Summit viewpoint is relatively short, but let me drop a reality check for anyone traveling in the shoulder season: there is still snow in late May.
We hit a solid layer of snow and ice on the trail, which immediately triggered a full-blown toddler strike. We were this close to throwing in the towel and turning back to preserve whatever peace I had left. But we stubbornly pushed through. We didn’t have crampons—just our standard hiking boots and sheer willpower—and we made it work.
Was it a little sketchy? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. When you clear the trees and see that impossibly bright, turquoise water from the summit, you forget all about the whining that happened five minutes prior. The views are spectacular and totally unfiltered.
Proof of mom, in a full struggle with a toddler and his lovey in the snow
This was hands down the kids’ favorite hike of the trip. The snow really made a memory on these kids from the Southern US who rarely get to see it.
Mistaya Canyon & The Weeping Wall
After surviving the snowy descent, we continued north and stopped at Mistaya Canyon. It’s a short, slightly steep walk down to a footbridge where the river has carved these incredible, smooth curves right into the limestone gorge. The sheer power of the water rushing through there is mesmerizing (and deeply terrifying—hold on to your kids tightly here).
We wrapped up our Icefields Parkway stops with kids journey at the Weeping Wall. It is a massive cliff face where the water essentially cascades down in a series of weeping waterfalls. It was the perfect, dramatic turnaround point to call it a day and head back to civilization.
We were tired and decided not to trek to our original destination of the Athabasca Glacier. And with all of the amazing sites we DID get to see, we were just find with that.
If you decide to do the Icefields Parkway stops with kids, just remember: pack the snacks, wear the boots, and don’t let the snow (or the toddlers) deter you from getting to the viewpoints. 🏔️❄️