Glacier-Banff-Jasper Bike Tour
I just show up and you all have booked the accommodations, taken care of food and provided the bikes and the routes so all I need are clothes and a desire to ride the bike.
The guides are great. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Upbeat and full of encouragement. The lunches the guides prepare are very good. Lots of fresh stuff.
The commanding mountain vistas of Montana’s Glacier National Park and Canada’s Banff and Jasper National Parks are nothing short of miraculous. Smooth, surprisingly low-traffic roads soar through a panoply of turquoise lakes, massive glaciers, waterfalls, blazing wildflowers, and big-game wildlife. Ride through some of the most incredible scenery of your life on this 8-day tour of the northern Rockies, including biking glorious Going-to-the-Sun Road and Canada’s equally glorious Icefields Parkway.
This tour is operated under special use permit/s with the Glacier National Park, Waterton National Park, and Banff-Jasper National Park. Bicycle Adventures is an equal opportunity provider.
Itinerary
Day 01
Meet in Whitefish. Explore the west side of Glacier National Park.
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Grouse Mountain Lodge
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
36 miles (or more)
Elevation
+1,358 ft / -1,239 ft (or more)
Meet us in the charming resort town of Whitefish, Montana. Bicycle a lightly traveled scenic forest road into Glacier National Park, then pedal to Lake McDonald to check out the Visitor’s Center. Rest up for a big day tomorrow at Grouse Mountain Lodge.
Day 02
Ride Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass to St. Mary.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
St. Mary Village
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
40 miles
Elevation
+3,881 ft / -2,561 ft
Bicycle Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of America’s very best one-day rides. Ride past waterfalls, evergreen forests, extraordinary snow-capped mountain scenery and sweeping vistas of glacial valleys. Your 21-mile climb to Logan Pass (3,700′ of climbing to reach the 6,646′ summit) is rewarded with a 20-mile gentle downhill on the other side. Enjoy the mountain views from the foothills of the majestic Rockies.
Day 03
Ride from St. Mary into Canada’s Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Stay at the iconic Prince of Wales.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Prince of Wales
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
50 miles
Elevation
+3543 ft / -3873 ft
Bike across the border into Canada and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Bring your passport! Watch for elk, moose, and bighorn sheep as you cruise along the rolling prairie, overlooked by the craggy peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Stay tonight on the lake at the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel in charming Waterton, a historic burgh grandfathered into the park where you can have a beer with the deer out on the lawn.
Day 04
Ride part of the spectacular Bow Valley Parkway on your way to sparkling Lake Louise.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Lake Louise Inn
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
29 miles
Elevation
+1,487 ft / -1,055 ft
Transfer north to Banff (~4hrs) to ride beside the Bow River on the Bow Valley Parkway, gateway to the Icefields Parkway. Pedal through the virgin evergreen forest into Banff National Park and beside the sparkling river to Lake Louise. This remarkable area is “filled with glittering snowcapped peaks, valleys draped in evergreen forests, turquoise lakes, flowered alpine meadows, glaciers, hot springs, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife,” says National Geographic Traveler.
Day 05
Hike to the Plain of Six Glaciers for a birds-eye view of Lake Louise, or take an optional bike ride.
Meals
– Breakfast
Lodging
Lake Louise Inn
Ability Level
All Levels
Turquoise Lake Louise is a sight to behold, especially from on-high. Hike beside it up a well-maintained trail to a European style teahouse overlooking the Plain of Six Glaciers. Not up for a hike? Take a shorter walk, bicycle into adjoining Yoho National Park, get a massage…or just relax at the inn.
Day 06
Ride the stunning Icefields Parkway, from Lake Louise to Saskatchewan Crossing.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
The Crossing
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
53 miles
Elevation
+2,880 ft / -3,828 ft
Bicycle along the spectacular Icefields Parkway today. A gradual climb brings you to Bow Summit for lunch. Hike to Peyto Lake — another turquoise jewel — then descend between the peaks on a long, gradual downhill to the Saskatchewan River and our lodging for the night. Stop at Mistaya Canyon to watch the water from Peyto Lake rush through the narrow canyon on its way to the Saskatchewan River.
Day 07
Visit the Weeping Wall and Columbia Icefield as we continue along the Icefields Parkway from Saskatchewan Crossing to Sunwapta Falls.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Sunwapta Falls Resort
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
61 miles
Elevation
+3,441 ft / -3,603 ft
Continue riding the Icefields Parkway amid stunning mountain scenery. Visit the Weeping Wall — a 2,000-foot cliff streaked with multiple waterfalls — as you bicycle to the Columbia Icefield and into Jasper National Park. The Icefield, a relic from the Ice Age, spans 125 square miles with an estimated maximum depth of more than 1,000 feet. Get a close-up view of the famous Athabasca Glacier, a river of ice spilling from majestic peaks. After lunch, ride mostly downhill following the Sunwapta River.
Day 08
Shuttle back to beautiful Banff and cycle more of the Bow River Trail bike path on our way back to Calgary.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
36 miles
Elevation
+1,223 ft / -1,553 ft
This morning, marvel at what you’ve accomplished as we shuttle back (3hrs) over the roads you have covered in the last three days. Incredible! Visit the picturesque town of Banff and marvel at its stunning mountain backdrop as we cycle a series of bike paths down the valley toward our ultimate destination, Calgary. Alas, today may be your last chance to grab a “moose nugget” necklace…
*Bicycle Adventures operates under special use permits while on Federal Lands managed by the National Forest Service (USDA), National Parks and Bureau of Land Management. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
