A Week in the Canadian Rockies

I’ve spent a lot of time in the mountains, from the Andes to the Alps, but few (if any) top the Canadian Rocky Mountains! After a weekend in Seattle, I did a Backroads trip to the Canadian Rockies a couple of summers ago, and the vastness of the area’s beauty is unparalleled. Here are some of the highlights:

Biking Through Banff Springs Golf Course & Lake Minnewanka

At 20 miles, this was a perfect first bike ride. There were minimal hills, but great views.

Biking Around Vermilion Lakes

This bike ride around Vermilion Lakes and to Johnston Canyon, though challenging, had some amazing views. Biking through these endless forests was so peaceful and one of my trip highlights.

Hiking to Johnston Canyon

This short 1.4 mile hike took us to see some amazing hidden waterfalls.

Hiking to Moraine Lake

This was definitely my favorite spot we visited. I would highly recommend visiting, and pair it with a hike out to Consolation Lakes (below) for another special view (3.6 mi) …

Hiking to the Consolation Lakes

Rock Climbing at Lake Louise

Excuse the poor photos, but Lake Louise is one of the Canadian Rockies’s most iconic lakes, and with reason. Here, we hiked to the other side of the lake to go rock climbing, and we even took a dip in the ice-cold water afterwards.

Biking Across the Great Divide

This nearly-all downhill bike ride across the Great Divide was a lot of fun!

Walking Around Emerald Lake

Our final stop was at Emerald Lake, the perfect end to our trip. For our last Backroads activity, we took a morning walk around the lake. The lake’s color even changes from different perspectives and at different times of day!

Another great activity was white water rafting, which was another highlight! I would highly recommend doing so while in the Canadian Rockies.


That concludes my post on the Canadian Rockies, but feel free to leave any comments or questions below. I’d be happy to share more details. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog below and check out my related posts!