Jasper and Banff National Park Road trip

[SCtoPDX]

All-
I figured since I saw a lack luster trip report to Banff National Park, I'd post one to share my experience. First off, since I had my 10 year old lab with me all the hikes were short...I planned this trip with him in mind.

Main points: Traveled the Icefields parkway North to South, with 4 days in Jasper National park staying at Wabasso Campground, then 3 days in Banff staying at the ( infamous? https://www.outsideonline.com/2401179/w ... ional-park ) Rampart Creek Campground. I hit most of the tourist spots: Whislers Peak ( via tram ),Mt Edith Cavell, Maligne Canyon & Lake, Medicine Lake, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, Parker Ridge Hike, Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and finally Lake Louise for sunrise with a hike to the Big Beehive.

I did the trip from Portland in 11 days but a week in Jasper and Banff would only scratch the surface...there is just soo much to do. Yes, the area is touristy, but if you are willing to do a little scrambling ( Maligne canyon for example ) you can get away from the crowds. The only exception to that is Lake Louise which was a clusterf&ck zoo; but worth it.

Highlights: Lake Louise at sunrise- woke up at 4:30am to get there by 5:45am and grabbed one of the last spots in the lower parking lot. Sunrise was epic. Went back to the car for breakfast then a hike up to the Big Beehive via Lake Agnes. Crowds were thick by about 8:30am and stayed that way throughout the hike. It was worth it though. The view down to Lake Louise was fantastic and the people mocking was first class ( think back to the old days of Eagle creek and the flip flop, spandex, huge pack for a day-hike crowd). Mt Edith Cavell- we left the dog in the car for this due to restrictions and did the loop in about 4 hours. Classic hike with hanging glaciers and pristine alpine meadows. Parker Ridge Hike- super easy 6 mile hike with a bit of EG to start. This hike gives you the views of Mt. Athabasca & Saskatchewan Glacier without the hoards of people at the Icefield Discovery Center. Whistlers Peak- took the tram ride up ( dogs allowed ) for a short hike to Whistlers Peak. Great views of Jasper and the surrounding area, and surprisingly it didn't feel crowded.

Here are some pictures:

[retired jerry]

thanks for report

yeah, that area is amazing. I've been there a couple times, once backpacking, another in an RV.

There are crowded places, and there are solitude places.

I remember being surrounded by Caribou in Jasper. We had a dog. The dog was going crazy, he thought it was very interesting.

I kind of like the crowded places too because there's such a diversity of people. International people. Canadians all over the place