Glacier Waterton Banff 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.
Well organized trip with exceptional guides in a beautiful part of western North American, the northern Rocky Mountains. Cycling is intermediate level, a few demanding road sections but overall not a strenuous tour, with moderate mileage and opportunities to add a more miles if you desire. Lunches are perfect for cycling, and accommodations and dinners/breakfasts are very good to excellent. The van is frequently available for food/water support or a lift if needed.
A great trip with challenging bicycling and stunning scenery with beautiful places to enjoy any downtime. BA guides are outstanding - they want to make sure each guest is enjoying their ride, feels taken care of and is well fed!
By tailoring the riding to be the "best of" parts of the area, I think one gets to see it all without being burdened with too many junk miles. Food was great. Van support positions were well thought out. Scenery is out of this world of course. Jenna and Paxton were close to all of the group members.
The commanding mountain vistas of Montana’s Glacier National Park, Canada’s Waterton National Park and Banff National Park are nothing short of miraculous on this tour of “bucket-list” rides. Smooth, surprisingly low-traffic roads soar through panoply of turquoise lakes, massive glaciers, waterfalls, blazing wildflowers, and big-game wildlife. Ride the crème de la crème on this 8-day tour of the U.S. and Canadian Rockies, including biking glorious Going-to-the-Sun Road and Canada’s celebrated Icefields Parkway.
This tour is operated under special use permit/s with the Glacier National Park, Waterton National Park, and Banff 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
Pine Lodge on Whitefish River
Distance
44 miles (or less)
Elevation
+1,966 ft / -2,360 ft (or less)
Meet us in the charming resort town of Whitefish, Montana. After we get set up on our bikes, we will test them out on a lightly traveled scenic forest road into Glacier National Park, then pedal to the shores of Lake McDonald to check out the Visitor’s Center. Rest up for a big day tomorrow at the Pine Lodge on Whitefish River near the heart of town.
Day 02
Ride Glacier National Park's famous Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass for a taste of subalpine sublime!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
St. Mary Village
Distance
40 miles (up to 50)
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
Cycle from St. Mary into Canada’s Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Rub elbows with mule deer in Waterton.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Prince of Wales Hotel or Kilmorey Lodge
Distance
50 miles
Elevation
+3543 ft / -3873 ft
Pedal across the border into Canada and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. 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 Prince of Wales Hotel or Kilmorey Lodge 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
Pedal a bike path and spectacular Bow Valley Parkway on your way to sparkling Lake Louise.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Lake Louise Inn
Distance
33 miles
Elevation
+2,165 ft / -1,677 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. Spend two nights at Lake Louise Inn.
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
Distance
Tea House hike (r/t) is 6.5 miles / 1100ft gain. Six Glaciers Viewpoint hike (r/t) is 8.5 miles / 1800ft gain.
Turquoise Lake Louise is a sight to behold, especially from on-high! Our recommendation is to take a hike (optional/on your own) beside it up a well-maintained trail to a European style teahouse overlooking the Plain of Six Glaciers (up to 8.5mi, 1800ft gain). Not up for a hike? Take a shorter walk, bicycle into adjoining Yoho National Park, get a massage…or just relax at the inn. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.
Day 06
Ride the stunning Icefields Parkway, from Lake Louise to Saskatchewan Crossing.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
The Crossing
Distance
53 miles
Elevation
+2,880 ft / -3,828 ft
Bicycle along the spectacular Icefields Parkway. A gradual climb brings you to Bow Summit for lunch. Hike to Peyto Lake (1.5mi r/t) – another turquoise jewel – then descend between the peaks on a long, gradual downhill to the Saskatchewan River and our lodging for the night at The Crossing. 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 as we continue along the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Best Western Plus Siding 29 Lodge
Distance
31 miles
Elevation
+2,872 ft / -1,159 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 up to the Columbia Icefield. The Icefield, a relic from the most recent Ice Age, spans 125 square miles with an estimated maximum depth of more than 1,000 feet. Get a close-up view of the river of ice spilling from the majestic Athabasca Glacier on a short hike before we load up and shuttle back to the Best Western Plus Siding 29 Lodge in Banff.
Day 08
Ride to Bow Falls and a viewpoint overlooking Banff before cycling the Banff Legacy Trail to Canmore.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Distance
26 miles
Elevation
+1,441 ft / -1,679 ft
Alas, today may be your last chance to grab a “moose nugget” necklace before you head home. Ride from the inn along the river to Bow Falls and up to a lovely viewpoint overlooking Banff and the surrounding mountains. Snap some photos before heading back down to the valley. From here we join the Banff Legacy bike path and cycle it to the small town of Canmore. After a celebratory lunch we shuttle (~1hr) to Calgary to say our ultimate goodbyes.
*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.
