Biking, Hiking & Rafting in Banff & Jasper National Parks

If you and your family can’t decide between biking or hiking in the Rockies, now you don’t have to. We've taken our two favorite activities to one of our most popular destinations and created a terrific trip that's bound to delight the whole family.

Come bike and hike in Banff and Jasper with our Trip Leaders—certified Mountain Parks Heritage Interpreters who know these national parks intimately. Pedal past glaciers inching their way down the faces of mighty peaks, hike to lakes in crayon-box hues of deepest blue and vibrant green, take to the water on an easygoing raft trip, and explore miles and miles of Canada’s breathtaking Rockies.

Trip Overview:

• Natural and historic treasures discovered by land and water
• Spot signs of marmots, deer, beaver and coyote
• Don crampons and trek across Athabasca Glacier
• Family-friendly bike routes through an alpine landscape of unimaginable beauty
• Float down Class II rapids of the Athabasca River
• All Meals included except 1 dinner
• Priced from $3,198 per person

Location: Alberta, Canada

2012 Dates: June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, Aug 6, Aug 13, Aug 20, Aug 27

2011 Pricing    

$3,198 per person
Single Supplement : $600
All meals included except 1 dinner

Day 1: Scenic Icefield Parkway to Jasper National Park

Day 2: Rock Climbing and Shuttle to Maligne Lake

Day 3: Kerkeslin Biking Route

Day 4: Great Divide Biking Route

Day 5: Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike

Day 6: Johnston Canyon Biking Route

Routes for All Abilities

Every trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.  Your choices range from a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult.

Day 1

Scenic Icefield Parkway to Jasper National Park

Meet your trip leaders at 8:30 a.m. at Rundlestone Lodge in Banff. Please arrive in your hiking clothes and have a daypack containing your rain gear and other items you might need on today’s walk (e.g., sunglasses, camera, swimsuit, etc.). See “Arriving & Departing” for additional logistics information.

Welcome to the Canadian Rockies! After meeting in Banff, we shuttle up the scenic Icefield Parkway to Jasper National Park. Once there, stretch your legs in pristine mountain wilderness at the Valley of the Five Lakes. Hike along the shore of the valley’s jade-green namesakes, and through the habitats of mule deer, elk, beaver and coyote. In midsummer, you may be lucky enough to see mountain orchids in bloom. Feeling brave? A dip in chilly Lake Four is a great way to immerse yourself in your new mountain adventure.

Our home for the next two evenings is The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, ranked among the world’s best resorts by Condé Nast Traveler. After settling in, we gather for a wine and juice reception followed by a delicious dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Day 2

Rock Climbing and Shuttle to Maligne Lake

Today kids join your leader and an accredited local mountain guide for a fun-filled introduction to climbing (weather permitting). The opportunity to safely scale and rappel off of the region’s rocky terrain is an unforgettable experience. (Please note: the minimum age for climbing instruction is 6 years old).

Meanwhile adults shuttle to Maligne Lake, one of Jasper National Park’s best-known attractions and world renowned for its intense blue-green color. Here your leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk
on biking techniques and safety. Then you’re off on an exhilarating, predominantly downhill ride interspersed with a series of rolling hills. The route provides great opportunities for spotting bear, moose, deer and elk. Stop along the way for a short hike at Maligne Canyon—250 feet deep in places, yet sometimes scarcely more than 3 feet wide. It’s said to be the most inspiring and interesting canyon in the Rockies.

Families reunite at the hotel before heading out on the Athabasca River for a guided Class II float trip. (Note: minimum age for rafting is also 6.) Climb into sturdy rafts and follow a route used by early fur traders and explorers, riding the Athabasca’s mellow glacier-fed rapids. Later there’s time to take advantage of the hotel’s amenities: go for a late-afternoon swim in the indoor/outdoor pool or canoe on Lake Beauvert. This evening you and your family are on your own for dinner; sample the fare in downtown Jasper or choose from among our lodge’s several restaurants.

Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Day 3

Kerkeslin Biking Route

After breakfast the whole family pedals along a quiet winding road past trees and lakes to Athabasca Falls, one of the Rocky Mountains’ most powerful and breathtaking cascades. The force of the water has carved intricate features into the soft limestone, including potholes and a small canyon.

After a picnic lunch we head to the frigid terrain of the Columbia Icefields, the largest of the chain of ice fields along the Great Divide separating Alberta and British Columbia. The meltwater generated by this giant ice field eventually flows down to feed the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. In the company of certified mountain guides, we strap on crampons and set out on an interpretive walk on Athabasca Glacier, a massive river of ice riddled with deep-blue crevasses. (Note: the minimum age for the ice walk is 6.)
The slow-moving giant, which rolls along at a blistering 50 feet a year, is in places more than 900 feet deep—about the height of a 60-story building.

Today ends at the modest Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, situated on the shore of stunningly blue Bow Lake. Jimmy Simpson, a mountain guide associated with many legends and tall tales, founded this historic pioneer lodge.

Lodging: Num-Ti-Jah Lodge

Day 4

Great Divide Biking Route

This morning you can sleep in and enjoy the cozy lodge or head straight out the front door to the shore of Bow Lake for an optional hike. Walk along the beautiful waters before traversing the lake’s alluvial fan to the face of a thundering 328-foot waterfall, fed by the Wapta Icefield and Bow Glacier high above.

Today’s a family-friendly ride in the shadow of the Continental Divide traces the Icefields Parkway over rolling hills, with sweeping views of glaciers and forests. The route offers some of the most stunning scenery of the trip, not to mention a generous six-foot-wide shoulder that keeps vehicles at a comfortable distance. Beginning at a high pass at the edge of the treeless alpine tundra, it’s a mostly downhill ride (kids love this part!) to our picnic lunch. Then it’s time for a spin along a car-free route to the top of the Continental Divide—from here, a raindrop that falls on the western slope will roll on to the Pacific Ocean and one that falls to the east will end up feeding the Atlantic.

Pedal on to the Post Hotel & Spa, lauded on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and winner of a Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Award. This luxurious retreat is praised for its impeccable service, superlative cuisine and extensive wine cellar—with over 2,000 wines to choose from. This evening adults savor an epicurean meal in the renowned dining room, and kids are invited to their own pizza party at nearby Lake Louise Inn.

Lodging: Post Hotel & Spa

Day 5

Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike

A ten-minute shuttle brings us to lovely Lake Louise, a World Heritage site located at 5,680 feet and one of the most photographed areas in the Rockies. You’ll understand why when you see the reflection of Mount Victoria in its shimmering blue-green waters. Walk along the shoreline before ascending through the barren rocky landscape created by Victoria Glacier. Keep an eye out for mountain goats, pikas and hoary marmots that make their homes in the boulder fields, and be sure to take in the spectacular vista behind you.

After a 1,200-foot climb you arrive at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, nestled among pine trees with amazing views of Mount Victoria and six surrounding glaciers. The teahouse was built in the 1800s by the Canadian Pacific Railway with the help of Swiss guides.  It’s still a cozy spot for a lunch break—fancy some chocolate cake?

This afternoon the youngsters head back to the Post Hotel for some fun activities while adults forge ahead to Lake Agnes along the Highline Trail and past Mirror Lake, also known as “the Goat’s Looking Glass.” Tonight we reconvene for a celebratory farewell dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Post Hotel & Spa

Day 6

Johnston Canyon Biking Route

Head out this morning for the final ride of the week. From the hotel, bike past towering peaks, virgin forests and the teal water of the Bow River, so named because the early Cree Indians found wood for making hunting bows near its banks. In Johnston Canyon, a short scenic hike takes you to a series of stunning waterfalls. After a picnic lunch we shuttle back to Banff, where we say our goodbyes.