Canada’s Rocky Mountains include some of the most famous National Parks in the world. There’s Banff National Park which encompasses Lake Louise, and Jasper National Park a few hours north accessed by most by driving up the beautiful Icefields Parkway.
There’s also the Kananaskis County recreation area, the town of Canmore and, across the border in BC, there’s the beautiful Yoho National Park, Kootenay National Park and Mt Robson Provincial Park.
If you’re looking at planning a Rocky Mountain road trip, or a visit to Banff and Jasper, you’ll hopefully find my travel guides from the Rocky Mountains useful.
Having visited this beautiful area multiple times, I’ve picked out my top places to stay, things to see and, of course, my favourite hikes in the Rockies. Dig in, to these Rocky Mountain travel guides for Canada.
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is one of the most popular places to visit and stay in the Canadian Rockies.
I recommend spending 4 days in Banff which is plenty of time to explore the town, the things to do in Banff, and some easy hikes in Banff & Lake Louise.
From going up the Banff gondola to Sulphur Mountain to enjoying a soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs or going skiing at Lake Louise or Mt Norquay in the winter, there are plenty of things to do in Banff year-round.
There are also many beautiful lakes near Banff to explore and some of Alberta’s best waterfalls can be found near Banff!
Lake Louise
Home to some of the most beautiful lakes in the area (if not the world), Lake Louise is a small town with plenty of things to do nearby.
There is, of course, Lake Louise itself (pictured above in winter). While most people visit Lake Louise in summer, visiting Lake Louise in winter is also fun and provides a whole new experience.
There’s also Moraine Lake and awesome hikes including the Agnes Teahouse, Devil’s Thumb and many more.
If you want to canoe on Lake Louise, I’ve got a guide for everything you need to know including prices and wait times.
Yoho National Park
Often overlooked by visitors who are travelling to Banff and Jasper, Yoho National Park just across the border in British Columbia is one of BC’s best national parks.
Yoho National Park is home to Emerald Lake, Takkakaw Falls (one of the highest waterfalls in Canada), and Lake O’Hara.
Lake O’Hara is notoriously difficult to get a reservation for camping or for the bus, but fit and experienced hikers who can manage a day of hiking more than 25 km can hike Lake O’Hara without reservations.
Jasper National Park
At the far end of the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise is Jasper National Park.
Jasper National Park feels wilder and more remote than Banff National Park. This is in part due to its more remote location and distance from any city (even Edmonton).
There are many cool things to do in Jasper National Park including the hot springs, visiting Maligne Lake, hiking the Whistler’s Summit Trail or one of the other hikes in Jasper, and kayaking or boating out to Spirit Island.
Check out my guide on the best places to stay in Jasper for your trip.
Canmore and Kananaskis County
When it comes to travelling to the Canadian Rockies, a big question these days is whether to stay in Canmore vs Banff. Personally, I think Canmore is the better option.
Canmore is a great day trip from Calgary and is the gateway to the Kananaskis county recreation area. There are plenty of great hikes near Canmore and there are plenty of things to do in Canmore in winter and summer.
One of the best hikes near Canmore is Mt Assiniboine. While the mountain is actually in BC, the hike starts from Alberta and offers some of the best views in Canada. You do need camping reservations though.
Kootenay National Park
Another lesser-known national park in the Canadian Rockies is Kootenay National Park.
Kootenay National Park is on the border of BC and Alberta. The Kootenay Rockies region encompasses four mountain ranges—the Rockies, Purcells, Selkirks, and Monashees.
In Kootenay National Park you can go white water rafting, stand on the continental divide trail and hike out to Floe Lake, Marble Canyon or the Paint Pots on the Rockwall Trail.
This region is home to some of the best BC mountain towns including Golden, Revelstoke, Radium Hot Springs and the smaller areas of Fairmont Hot Springs, Kimberley, Invermere, Creston, Fernie and Nelson.
The best way to experience this region is by taking a Kootenay road trip through the area. Along the way, there are multiple, incredible BC hot springs (both natural and manmade), cute towns and plenty of hiking and other outdoor adventures.