If you’ve been keeping up with me on Instagram, you’ll know that a few weeks ago, I embarked on an epic road trip through the Rockies. I was really looking forward to this camping adventure, and it did not disappoint! I travelled from the Okanagan, north towards Revelstoke, through the Rockies, out to Calgary, and back. I’m sharing all of the highlights from my trip for you to get the scoop on the best spots to check out! Read on for allllll the details about my road trip through the Rockies.
Yoho National Park
The journey started on a rainy Monday, with my sights set on making the drive out to Yoho on day one. Things started off well with the drive towards Revelstoke, where I first stopped in Sicamous for coffee at Blondie’s Cafe. It was a super cute spot just off the highway that I highly recommend! I stopped briefly in Revelstoke for gas before continuing on towards Glacier National Park. One of my favourite parts of this adventure was the amount of National Parks I got the chance to drive through. In Glacier, they have great signage for points of interests along the highway, and one of the first I stopped at was the Hemlock Grove Boardwalk.
It’s a cute pitstop just off the highway and features a boardwalk in the forest! It was raining heavily at the time that I stopped but worked out well due to the tree cover. They also have a lovely covered picnic area there too, where I had my lunch. Then I was on the road again, heading east towards Golden. A quick stop later and I was heading into Yoho National Park. The main entry point is near Field, a super cute small town. They have a great visitors centre where you can purchase a Park Pass if you’re planning on staying to check out Yoho National Park (including camping overnight).
I journeyed along the road near Kicking Horse Campground to check out Takkakaw Falls, which I’d heard lots about. It was a 20-30 minute drive to get up there, and the weather was so crazy at this point that it actually started snowing! Once I reached the falls, I realized they are really just a viewpoint from across the river. You’re not very close to them, it’s from quite a distance. To me, the drive up didn’t really feel worth it, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a must-see unless you are already planning to check out things in the area.
I also checked out one of the Spiral Tunnel viewpoints and Meeting of the Waters near the campground. The viewpoint was okay, it can be difficult to see when foggy (which it was, very). Meeting of the Waters links together two rivers which is kind of cool to check out, but again, I had limited visibility. I camped at Kicking Horse campground – I liked the location because it is within the park, but easy to reach from the highway. The campground itself was okay, the sites are quite close together and unfortunately it was pouring rain when I was there. Service is super spotty too, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to camp there.
Banff
Soon it was day two. Thankfully it wasn’t absolutely pouring when I woke up, so I was able to check out some of the surrounding viewpoints a bit better. There are multiple spots to check out the Spiral Tunnels, which I definitely recommend! Today I was heading out to Banff. I’ve previously visited Lake Louise and Banff before, so this trip I wanted to check out some of the areas I hadn’t seen before. I decided to focus my energy on the Banff area, and the Bow Valley Parkway heading in towards Banff. It’s a great drive through Banff National Park with a bunch of spots to check out for viewpoints and hiking. Note that you do need a Park Pass to drive through this area.
One of the main spots I wanted to check out along the parkway was Johnston Canyon. They have a big parking lot for you to have as your base before heading in to the Canyon, which features a hike with waterfalls. The hike to the lower falls is about half an hour, and it’s an additional half an hour to reach the upper falls. This was a really neat hike because it cuts through a canyon and has a lot of bridges throughout, providing you with a cool perspective of the area. If you are scared of heights you might want to make a note of the many bridges along the hike, I was a bit scared at first but got used to it as time went on! I’d say Johnston Canyon is an easier version of the Maligne Canyon hike I went on previously in Jasper – check my previous blog for more details on this.
It’s a fairly accessible hike and was super busy, especially considering it was a cooler day in mid-June – I imagine the summer crowds are absolutely packed. I really enjoyed it though and thought it was worthwhile! After checking out the many waterfalls and eating some lunch, I headed in to downtown Banff. I absolutely LOVE downtown Banff and was eager to explore the entire area. I spent a few hours wandering around, checking out stores, and enjoying the incredible mountain views. One of the coolest areas I scoped out that I hadn’t seen before was the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. It’s located on Tunnel Mountain and felt almost like a small university campus, which was so surprising to me! I hope to be back again someday.
I finished off the evening with a delicious dinner at Three Bears Brewery, a really cool spot that has trees inside the restaurant, giving the feel that you’re in the forest. Plus, their food and drinks are superb – I highly recommend checking them out if you’re in Banff! I camped at Tunnel Mountain Campground, just up the hill from downtown Banff. I’ve stayed at this campsite previously and was impressed, and this time around didn’t disappoint. Tunnel Mountain is one of my favourite campsites that I’ve been to. If you’re looking for affordable accommodation in Banff, I highly recommend camping at Tunnel Mountain – it’s only 15mins from town and a great alternative to pricey Airbnb’s and hotels in the area.
In the morning, I checked out the Hoodoos viewpoint which was super cool to see. Hoodoos are the name for the pointy rock formations that you see in the photo below. I actually never saw them the last time I was in Banff, so this was a pleasant surprise to capture! After grabbing a coffee downtown, I was off to check out nearby Lake Minnewanka. I didn’t get the chance to explore this lake the last time I was in Banff, so I wanted to check it out. The lake was pristine, surrounded by mountains, and looked like a great spot for boating and canoeing. It was definitely less busy than Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, so I’d recommend it as a good alternative if you’re visiting in the summer and want to scope out the lakes. I didn’t stay for too long because I needed to make the drive out to Calgary!
Calgary
I’ve visited Calgary a few times before but have always flown in, so driving from Banff was new to me. I actually really enjoyed the drive, it’s only an hour and a half – so great that the mountain access is so close. Once arriving in Calgary, I did a lot of exploring near the outskirts of the city. I came across North Glenmore Park, a massive green space with views of the city centre. This was a pleasant surprise: I hadn’t anticipated that area of Calgary to be so green. I enjoyed my lunch in the park before continuing to check out different neighbourhoods, and wound up at Contemporary Calgary. They were changing over exhibitions so it was a short visit, but I really liked the artwork I did see in the gallery.
My favourite was a piece done by a high school student that featured her poetry in letters in a mailbox, for viewers to take and read. It was such a cool idea, and as a fellow poet, really touched my heart! While in Calgary, I was actually staying in a hotel located in the beltline area. It was nice to have a slight break from camping, and I was able to leave my car at the hotel while I explored downtown. I wanted to visit a bunch of arts and culture spots, and was pleasantly surprised while doing so. Arts Commons is a very cool collective arts space featuring multiple different art organizations and facilities. I didn’t get the chance to fully check out Studio Bell, the National Music Centre, but it seemed super cool.
However, I did spend many hours at the Central Public Library, one of the most stunning libraries I’ve ever seen! I was captivated by the architecture, layout, and dedicated spaces for different initiatives within the library, such as a children’s library section. I was also very impressed by the public art I saw in Calgary, both at the library and throughout downtown! After thoroughly enjoying this area, I had dinner near my hotel at Native Tongues Taqueria. They had excellent tacos and it was very well-priced too – definitely recommend checking them out if you’re in Calgary. The next morning, I explored some of the communities north of the Bow River, which were super cute. I also took a quick jaunt over to University of Calgary to take a drive through their campus, which was also very green! Calgary pleasantly surprised me on many fronts, and I’m glad I had the chance to explore some of it.
Canmore
Though I was pleasantly surprised by Calgary, soon I was heading back out of the city and towards the mountains again for my next destination, Canmore. I had wanted to do some adventuring in the Kananaskis area along the way, but I found the signage quite vague and difficult to find the spots I had wanted to check out. Trails weren’t as well-marked as they are in Banff and it felt less accessible to the public. I finally found one spot I was interested in, Grotto Canyon, but I didn’t have enough time to hike the trail – so I spent a bit of time checking out the lake nearby instead. Eventually, I got closer to the outskirts of Canmore and stopped at Quarry Lake Dog Park, a large open green space with epic views of the famous mountains in Canmore, the Three Sisters.
After enjoying a nice lunch there, I headed into downtown Canmore to explore more. I came across Elevation Place which happened to have a market going on outside, and free parking for four hours – a win in my books. I checked out the market, filled with lovely local vendors, and then explored inside Elevation Place itself. It’s a super cool fitness facility with a rock climbing wall, multiple gyms, fitness studios, and a pool. It also contains the library! I was blown away by this facility, it wasn’t something I had expected at all. If you’re in Canmore, I do recommend swinging by to check it out – and enjoy their free parking!
From there I walked throughout most of the rest of downtown. Canmore is a bit similar to Banff but way less touristy, and with more mountains, in every direction you look. I explored many of the local shops and places to eat, with one of the highlights being their local bookstore, Cafe Books. It captured my attention for hours with the design of the bookstore and the unique options they had, including rare books, used books, and special cover designs for some of the classics. It was super cute! Eventually I wound up for dinner at Rocky Mountain Flatbread for some pizza – truly delicious.
After exploring Canmore, I set off to find the campground I was staying at, Bow River Campground. This spot is about 15 minutes from town just off the highway. It’s the closest camping spot I could find to Canmore, and it wasn’t bad – however, the sites are very open and privacy is limited. I’m not sure if I would want to stay there again, but it did work for me for the one night I was there. In the morning, I jetted into town again to do a bit more walking around and grab a coffee. I had never visited Canmore previously and I’m really glad I got the chance to do so!
Yoho + Glacier Park (again)
Leaving Canmore, I was heading back towards Revelstoke. There were a couple of spots I wanted to stop at along the way, including a couple of spots in Yoho National Park again. I’d heard rave reviews about Emerald Lake and hadn’t had the chance to see it yet, so I decided to scope it out. It was extremely busy and difficult to find parking, but I lucked out and got to enjoy the area for a little bit. The lake truly does have that emerald glow, and so many people were canoeing on the lake! The backdrop of the scenery was truly stunning. Hopefully I’ll get to come back another time, and try out some canoeing myself!
I also wanted to explore Wapta Falls in the park, which was a short way off the highway. The road to get there was extremely bumpy and filled with potholes – so many that I almost turned around. Be wary of this if you want to get to the parking lot for this hike. The initial section of the hike is very flat and it was a bit muddy, but then you enter more of a forested area as you get closer to the falls. There is a very steep downhill section you need to take to reach the base of the falls, which I didn’t do, as I could catch a glimpse of them from above. They were more impressive than Takkakaw Falls in my opinion, but definitely more of a challenge to get to. The entire hike was about 2 hours round-trip, and though it was pretty hot this day which made me feel a bit uncomfortable, I still enjoyed it overall.
Revelstoke
I continued my journey west towards Golden. I didn’t get the chance to explore much of it on my way towards Calgary, so I wanted to see more on my way back through. It’s a cute little town but there wasn’t a ton to see, in my opinion. I decided to grab a coffee and hit the road again, driving all the way out to Revelstoke. I was camping in Revelstoke within Mount Revelstoke National Park, which I had actually never really checked out before. My campsite was located along the Meadows in the sky parkway, an absolutely beautiful section of highway that features multiple viewpoints looking down at Revelstoke. You need a Park Pass to access this road (which you also need to camp within Revy National Park), and it’s so worth it.
I scoped out three different viewpoints right along the road, saw multiple natural waterfalls along the road, and stunning wildflowers too. I couldn’t believe I’d never seen this part of Revelstoke before! It was amazing and I highly recommend taking the drive along Meadows in the sky parkway. I camped at Snowforest campground, located at the base of the parkway, and only 5-10 minutes from downtown Revelstoke. Now this campground is truly the nicest I’ve ever been to. Their facilities were excellent, especially the washroom and shower building. The sites were large and most featured a firepit in a slightly separate area from the sleeping area.
Snowforest also has the coolest structures called MicrOcubes, essentially a very small cabin that you can book in for camping. I had never seen them before and they were super cool! I highly, highly recommend camping at Snowforest if you’re in the Revelstoke area. Note: at the time I was camping, there was a bear in the area, so they only allowed hard-sided camping (I slept in my car). Make sure to look into this before you book. And just like that, it was the morning and the final day of my adventure! I somehow timed the trip perfectly to be in Revelstoke for Saturday, the day of their Farmer’s Market.
The market has a ton of great vendors, including one that makes the best lemon crinkle cookies around. I also checked out a bunch of the cute local shops downtown too. Revelstoke has a very community-focused feel, which I love. There were tons of dogs and little kids out and about too! After getting my fill at the market, I swung by the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. They have a super cute small gallery place with art studios attached, plus a great little giftshop. I enjoyed checking it out, and then I was on my way heading back towards the sunny Okanagan.
Recommendations
On the drive home, I contemplated all of the cool places I had seen during my adventures. Road tripping through the Rockies solo was quite the experience, and I’m so glad I did it! Here are some of my top recommendations for your very own trip:
- Coffee recommendations: Blondies Cafe in Sicamous, Downtown Sally in Banff, La Baguette in Revelstoke
- Restaurant recommendations: Three Bears in Banff, Native Tongues Taqueira in Calgary
- Best waterfalls and lakes: Yoho National Park
- Best campgrounds: Tunnel Mountain in Banff, Snowforest in Revelstoke
- Best hike: Johnston Canyon
- Best art gallery: Contemporary Calgary
- Coolest experience: seeing the hoodoos!
If you’re looking for the most nature-filled and human-limited experience, I recommend checking out Yoho or Glacier National Parks. They’re both underrated and less busy, but have tons to offer. If you’re looking for public art and relatively cheap eats, Calgary is your spot. If the mountains are calling you, then Banff or Canmore should be on your list. Banff has more tourists and caters to them, while Canmore is more private/intimate. If the community vibe is something you crave, Revelstoke is calling your name. Check out their Farmers Market on Saturdays for a big heaping of the community feel!
Regardless of what you’re looking for, a road trip through the Rockies is likely the answer. It definitely was for me, and though the trip was busy, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Let me know if I missed anything in the comments and tag me on your very own road trip adventures.
