Small-Group Icefields Parkway Day Trip: Athabasca Falls and Abraham Lake Ice Bubbles

Pickup is offered in Calgary, Canmore or Banff, and the day runs north along the Icefields Parkway in a small group, so the guide has time to answer questions along the way. What the group stops for depends on the month. From March to November the focus is water and ice up close: the Athabasca Glacier Forefield Trail, then Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls, both known for their powerful cascades and sculpted rock. From December to mid-March the day turns to winter. The group snowshoes across the snow at Bow Lake, then continues to Abraham Lake to see the methane bubbles trapped under clear blue ice, a favourite subject for photographers. Hot drinks and crampons are included in winter. Between the main stops the route passes Cascade Mountain, Vermilion Lakes, Castle Mountain, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake and Waterfowl Lakes. The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) links Banff and Jasper and has been ranked among the ten most picturesque highways in the world. In winter, when Abraham Lake is not on the schedule, alternatives include the Weeping Wall, Athabasca Glacier, Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint, Tangle Creek Falls, Sunwapta Falls, Goats and Glacier Lookout and Athabasca Falls.