As you might have heard, my parents recently moved from their home in Central Texas all the way up to Calgary, Alberta! They’re just living the life up there having this amazing adventure, and lucky for me, I get to reap the benefits of them living in such a beautiful place!
Calgary is so close to the Canadian Rockies (just about an hour drive), so when we visit, we always make the most of it and see all the sights throughout Alberta! I had seen pictures of the blue lakes on Instagram, but never imagined that they would be that vibrantly blue in real life! I couldn’t get over it! We didn’t see all of them, but I did a roundup of the best views in Alberta, Canada that I saw while I was there this late June including Banff, Peyto Lake, Kananaskis, and Lake Louise.
#1 Lake Louise
Maybe one of the most popular lakes, Lake Louise is was the first stop on our trip. It’s great because there’s ample parking and it’s only a quick and easy 2-3 minute walk from the lot to the lake. The front area was flooded with tourists that kind of spoiled the atmosphere (summer is the best time to see the lakes because they are frozen most of the year) but if you walk around to the right side of the lake past the Fairmont Hotel, there are plenty of quieter spots to sit and enjoy the scenery. You can also rent a canoe for $125 (we passed because we had 2 little ones with us) and get a delicious hot chocolate at the restaurant at the Fairmont.
#2 Peyto Lake
It’s amazing that a place this beautiful exists. Peyto Lake was by far the darkest and most beautiful shade of blue, and the mountain views behind it can’t be beat. The hike from the parking lot is about 10 minutes and uphill, but definitely manageable even in not so great conditions (it was drizzling when we visited). I don’t know if it was because of the weather, but there were a lot less people there than there were at Lake Louise. We heard from a local that there are more trails that lead down to the water, but we didn’t want to risk slipping because of the rain.
#3 Columbia Icefield Skywalk
Best Mountain Goat sightings are found here! Take a bus from the Columbia Icefield center to this incredible glass-floored walkway over the edge of the mountain cliff. We saw tons of wildlife and the views of the mountains and waterfalls were gorgeous. It was a really unique experience and is only $37 CAD per adult. It’s definitely worth the trip!
#4 Kananaskis
One slightly lesser-known place to visit in the Banff area is Kananaskis, but be prepared to do some research before committing to this drive. There are lots of places to see here, but they’re all spread apart, and we actually wish we had visited a different area here. The spot we went to basically had this view and a campground with a small cafe, which was lovely, but in hindsight we would have rather gone to the Lake Agnes Tea House, where there is a pretty view of another lake and a great place to spot a Moose!
#5 Bow Falls, Banff
Bow Falls is a beautiful waterfall just a few minute’s drive or walk from downtown Banff. It’s fun to go right up to the falls on one side and see it up-close (tan sweater picture), but you can also drive up to the side with the high cliff and see more of a mountain view with the falls below you (red hat picture).
#6 Top of the World
We loved this so much! Take the gondola up to the viewpoint and you’ll experience gorgeous panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies, plus the ride up was an experience too. The weather was perfect in late June for us to sit comfortably in one of the ski-lift chairs as opposed to the closed-in gondola (which is great for little kids) and we had a great time looking for wildlife. You can see Lake Louise from up here, and it’s an easy trip to hop over there in the same day after the gondolas.
Be sure to check out all these beautiful locations on your next trip to Alberta, Canada!
