Canadian Rockies and Columbia Valley loop from Calgary road trip

Canadian Rockies and Columbia Valley loop from Calgary

A summer loop from Calgary to Canmore and Lake Louise, then west over the Trans-Canada to Golden and Revelstoke. Mainly for mountain bikers, with hiking and climbing in the Bow Valley.

Fly into Calgary (YYC)Best Jul-Aug4 stops528 mi / 850 km12 h driving11 days suggestedLoop, back to the startCanada

Mountain BikingHikingClimbingRunningKayaking

When: Golden and Lake Louise peak Jul-Aug, Canmore and Revelstoke Jun/Jul-Sep; all four list Nov-Mar as avoid.

Getting there: Fly into YYC; major rental companies at the airport. The route crosses national parks; check Parks Canada for passes.

Day by day · 10 nights, 11 days

Start in Calgary (YYC): pick up the carDrive to Canmore: 70 mi / 113 km · 1 h 36 min

Canmore

AB, Canada

3 nights

Canadian Rockies basecamp with Olympic trails, limestone crags, and wild valleys

Biggest draw

Banff Bow River Pathway · RunningSpectacular mountain town trail along glacier-fed river with Rocky Mountain peaks and wildlife viewing.

Also here

Mount Assiniboine Approach · Hiking
Canmore · Climbing
Canmore Nordic Centre Trails · Mountain Biking

Full Canmore guide →

Drive to Lake Louise: 52 mi / 84 km · 1 h 18 min

Lake Louise

Alberta, Canada

2 nights

Glaciers, golden larches, and historic tea houses deep in the Canadian Rockies

Biggest draw

Canadian Rockies Lake Agnes Tea House Trail V2 · 4.9/5 · HikingA scenic climb to a historic tea house overlooking a beautiful alpine lake.

Also here

Larch Valley Trail Banff · 4.8/5 · Hiking
Plain of Six Glaciers · 4.7/5 · Hiking

Full Lake Louise guide →

Drive to Golden: 54 mi / 87 km · 1 h 18 min

Golden

BC, Canada

2 nights

Kicking Horse delivers 1,100 meters of vertical in one of Canada's most serious bike parks

Biggest draw

Kicking Horse Bike Park · Mountain BikingHigh-alpine bike park with 1,133m vertical drop and steep, rocky descents through sub-alpine terrain.

Full Golden guide →

Drive to Revelstoke: 93 mi / 150 km · 2 h 6 min

Revelstoke

BC, Canada

3 nights

Columbia Mountains gondola access, massive vertical, and no crowds — Canada's hidden bike park

Biggest draw

Revelstoke Mountain Resort · Mountain BikingColumbia Mountains bike park with gondola access and epic vertical descents.

Full Revelstoke guide →

Drive back to Calgary: 259 mi / 417 km · 5 h 42 min

Back in Calgary: drop the car and fly home.

WHEN, HOW FAR, WHAT TO BRING

When to go

Best: Jul-Aug. Golden and Lake Louise peak Jul-Aug, Canmore and Revelstoke Jun/Jul-Sep; all four list Nov-Mar as avoid.

All 4 stops are in peak or shoulder season in Jun-Sep.

Jan0/4

Feb0/4

Mar0/4

Apr0/4

May2/4

Jun4/4

Jul4/4

Aug4/4

Sep4/4

Oct3/4

Nov0/4

Dec0/4

Number = stops in peak or shoulder season that month. Darker = more stops at peak.

Canmore: peak Jun-Sep, avoid Jan-Mar, Nov-Dec
Lake Louise: peak Jul-Aug, avoid Jan-Apr, Nov-Dec
Golden: peak Jul-Aug, avoid Jan-May, Oct-Dec
Revelstoke: peak Jul-Sep, avoid Jan-May, Nov-Dec

Driving split

12 h on the road over 5 drives: about 2.4 h per drive on average, 528 mi (850 km) in total.

Longest day: Revelstoke to Calgary, 5 h 42 min.

No single drive is over 6 hours.

Drive times are free-flow estimates from OpenStreetMap roads, without stops, traffic or border queues.

Sports and gear

Hiking · every stopBring: boots, layers, map or offline maps, water.
Mountain Biking · Canmore, Golden, RevelstokeBring: helmet, gloves, pads; check the bike-park pass and bike rental.
Climbing · Canmore, Lake LouiseBring: harness, shoes, helmet, rope and quickdraws (or rent locally).
Running · Canmore, GoldenBring: trail shoes, hydration vest, headlamp for long days.
Kayaking · Golden, RevelstokeBring: PFD, helmet, dry layers; many rivers need a guide or permit.

OTHER ROAD TRIPS