Linking Jasper National Park and Lake Louise in Banff National Park, the Icefields Parkway is 143 miles (230 kilometres) long. The road passes through some of the world's most wonderful scenery, including the Sunwapta Falls, the Athabasca Falls and the Columbia Icefield - which is home to the Athabasca Glacier. Continuing towards Lake Louise, the route then passes the dramatic Parker Ridge before reaching the Saskatchewan River Crossing. Although the point is named after just one river it is actually situated at the confluence of three; the Mistaya and the Howse Rivers also flow past this point.

Situated at the mouth of Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point was first 'discovered' by European explorers in 1794. At that time this location was virtually unnavigable, surrounded by actively retreating glaciers; yet as some of these are amongst the fastest-retreating glaciers ever recorded they have since moved a little further inland from this site. Today, the bay still has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in the world. From the time that this area was charted by explorers, it was noted just how many very rare species of flora and fauna could be found here. Some of this magnificent region became a National Monument in 1925, and by 1979 this celebrated Biosphere Reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The National Park was created at the same time, and it now encompasses almost 600,000 acres of marine ecosystems and other unusual landscapes. Many very rare species of flora and fauna can be found here; black-tailed deer, Canada lynx, sea lions and bald eagles are just some of the creatures that have been spotted.

Summer Months

May to September are the warmest and driest months and you can explore the miles of trails through the stunning scenery. Due to the high altitude, some of the region's lakes will remain frozen until mid-June, and some of the higher trails may still be closed due to snow.

Winter Months

During the winter months the temperatures plummet, and for those who enjoy wintry sports and activities, the snow is incredible.