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Alberta Trans-Canada Highway Route: Highway #1 between Lake Louise and Calgary



Here is the itinerary for the 180 km along Highway #1 between Lake Louise and Calgary:

Moving east from Lake Louise (and more dramatically, when driving west from Banff), the most stunning feature is Castle Mountain, which rises on the east side of the valley like a tall reddish layer cake. Those wishing to get a real sense of the splendour of the Rockies, without pricing at faster highway speeds, should drive the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) from Banff to Lake Louise.

Banff is Canada's first national park, it has expanded from 10 square miles around the hot springs to now cover 6640 square kilomtres (2564 sq miles). The town of Banff is "action central" of the mountain parks. While other communities are quite leisurely and relaxed, Banff has lots of restaurants, nightlife and world-class shopping. For a scenic overview of the area, take a ride up the Sulfur Mountain Gondola, or for free you can drive up the Mountain Norquay Rd across the TCH from Banff, or hike up Tunnel Mountain. At several locations around the park, visitors will notice sandstone "hoodoos", tall conical towers left behind by erosion.

East of Banff is Canmore, lying just east of the park gates. Canmore began as a coal mine for the railroad in the 1800s, but the last mine was shut down in 1980. Long the cheapest gas for highway travellers, Canmore also has more hotels and condos than Banff, and tons of recreational opportunities. Canmore was home to the cross-country and biathlon events during the 1988 Winter Olympics, and is the backdoor gateway to the rugged Kananaskis Provincial Park.

East of Canmore, you pass Lac Des Arc where the highway bends around the lake which has a large cement factory on the northern shore. Along the eastern edge of the Rockies you can observe the height of glacial scour from the last Ice Age. The highway passes through a flat area (a Stoney Indian Reserve) where you can see tear-drop shaped drumlins on both sides of the highway, which are gravel deposits left behind by receding glaciers. East of the Rockies are the foothills, with high rolling hills, typically covered with white spruce and trembling aspen.

After a steep climb up and down Scott Lake Hill, the highway enters the grasslands of the side open prairie. This area lies 1000 metres (3400ft) above sea level, and is characterized by high winds and low rainfall. This area is characterized today by the raising of cattle and growing of cereal crops. While the bison that dominated the grasslands are gone (they are now protected in Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta), many indigenous species can still be seen: Richardson's ground squirrel (gopher), and magpies.


This area is best known for Alberta's Chinook wind, a warm and dry wind from the west which can raise winter temperatures by 30 degrees C (60 degrees F) is a few hours. It is evidenced by a "Chinook arch" as the clouds are lifted in the west and the arch follows the earth's curvature. The Chinook winds quickly clear winter snows enabling year-round grazing for game and livestock.

Calgary is now a city of over 1 million people, and has tripled in size since the 1970s. Visitors will see vast recently-built suburbs on the western and eastern approaches, and lots of home construction continuing in all directions. Very quickly you become aware of the office towers that comprise the city's downtown core. The buildings are tightly clustered between the Bow River and the railway tracks, and house the headquarters of most of Canada's oil & gas companies. The city has Canada's largest network of recreational trails, with great (and relatively level) running/ biking/blading trails running for miles alongside the Bow River.





Next West: Revelstoke to Lake Louise

Next East: Calgary to Medicine Hat


Alberta Motor Association road condition reports for this segment.

KM from Start

Highway Point Description

Municipality

GPS and
Map Zoom

EB

WB

0

143

Bow Valley pkwy (E) to Skiing Louise and 1A Bow Valley Pkwy, and Lake Louise Rd (W) to the town and lake

Lake Louise

Map Zoom

0

143

WB Exit ramp for Lake Louise

Lake Louise

Map Zoom

3

143

Cross CPR Railway tracks

Lake Louise

Map Zoom

2

143

Louise Overflow Campground

Lake Louise

Map Zoom

3

143

Bridge across Bow River

Lake Louise

Map Zoom

4

143

Scenic Viewpoint (WB only) overlooking Bow River

Map Zoom

6

143

Turnout on WB side

Map Zoom

6

143

Turnout on WB side

Map Zoom

25

143

Highway 93 Castle Junction (W) to Radium Hot Springs, Exit E to Bow Valley Parkway (#1A)

Castle Junction

Map Zoom

26

143

View north to Castle Mountain

Map Zoom

36

143

Overhead Animal Bridge

Map Zoom

43

143

Exit to Bourgeau Lake, Hiking Trails

Map Zoom

45

143

Overhead Animal Bridge

Map Zoom

50

143

Sunshine Village turnoff, overhead bridge

Map Zoom

50

143

Sunshine Village WB off-ramp

Map Zoom

51

143

Viewpoint overlooking Bow River WB only

Map Zoom

51

143

bridge across Bow River

Map Zoom

51

143

Cross CPR (underpass

Map Zoom

52

143

Bow Valley Parkway (1A) Exit WB

Map Zoom

52

143

Creek Crossing

Map Zoom

52

143

Car Pull-out, WB only

Map Zoom

52

143

Vermillion Lake view to West

Map Zoom

52

143

Vermillion Lakes Viewpoint EB

Map Zoom

55

143

Banff Town off-ramp

Banff

Map Zoom

55

143

Overpass: Mount Norquay Rd

Banff

Map Zoom

55

143

>Mount Norquay

Banff

Map Zoom

55

143

Banff town off-ramp WB

Banff

Map Zoom

58

143

Whiskey Creek crossing

Banff

Map Zoom

58

143

Compound Rd (for Park Maintenance)

Banff

Map Zoom

59

143

Banff Ave, East town entrance & Lake Minnewanka

Banff

Map Zoom

62

143

Minnewanka Electrical Generating Station

Banff

Map Zoom

62

143

Morant's Curve (for train photos)

Map Zoom

65

143

Exit for U Turns

Map Zoom

72

143

Banff National Park East Gates

Map Zoom

73

143

Harvie Heights Rd Exits

Canmore

Map Zoom

76

143

Exit: Canmore West: gasoline alley

Canmore

Map Zoom

78

143

Exit: Ranchlands Trail: Canmore town center (S), SilverTip (N)

Canmore

Map Zoom

79

143

Exit: Canmore East: Bow Valley Rd east to Exshaw, Ghost Lake, and Cochrane

Canmore

Map Zoom

83

143

Three Sisters Village

Canmore

Map Zoom

87

143

Deadman's Flats Exit/Pigeon Mountain: gas & accommodation

Deadman's Flts

Map Zoom

92

143

Lac des Arcs, west end, view of Lafarge cement pant on north shore

Map Zoom

95

143

Lac des Arcs exit

Map Zoom

104

143

South Ranch Rd, to Bow Valley Provincial Park

Map Zoom

106

143

West boundary of Stony Indian Reserve

Map Zoom

106

143

bridge across Kananaskis River

Map Zoom

107

143

Kananaskis Trail (Hwy #40)

Seebe

Map Zoom

114

143

OverpassOverpass & exit for Stoney Reserve access

Seebe

Map Zoom

121

143

Morley Rd Exit and underpass

Morley

Map Zoom

125

143

Bear Hill Rd exit & underpass (stunning view of Rockies EB)

Map Zoom

130

143

Top of Scott Lake Hill/ East boundary of Stoney Indian Reserve

Map Zoom

133

143

Sibbald Creek exit Hwy 68 (also called Old Morley Trail)

Map Zoom

138

143

Hermitage Rd access

Map Zoom

143

143

Ridge Rd Access

Map Zoom

144

143

Crossing Jumping Pound Creek

Map Zoom

145

143

Jumping Pound Rd (gas plant visible in valley to north)

Map Zoom

149

143

Gas station WB: Weigh Station EB & WB

Map Zoom

150

143

Highway 22 (also Range Rd 42) Junction, Cattle herds to east

Map Zoom

159

143

Range Rd 33 (N) access to Springbank Airport to N, Spingbank Community Centre Rd (S), access to Calaway Park, RV dealerships, restaurants

Map Zoom

161

143

Range Rd 31, access to Old Banff Coach Rd(S)

Map Zoom

163

143

Valley Ridge Blvd (N) West Valley Rd SW (S)

Calgary

Map Zoom

165

143

Stoney Trail Interchange(N) to airport, (S) to KOA campground

Calgary

Map Zoom

167

143

Bowfort Rd (N) to accommodation, gas and Bowness, (S) to Canada Olympic Park

Calgary

Map Zoom

168

143

Sarcee Trail Interchange to SW Calgary and downtown

Calgary

Map Zoom

169

143

Railway overpass

Calgary

Map Zoom

169

143

Bow River bridge

Calgary

Map Zoom

170

143

Home Rd intersection, shopping, gas, accommodation, parks

Calgary

Map Zoom

171

143

43rd Street NW intersection

Calgary

Map Zoom

172

143

Bowness Rd Exit to Memorial Drive to downtown

Calgary

Map Zoom

173

143

Shagannappi Trail NW intersection (EB exit)

Calgary

Map Zoom

173

143

Intersection 29th Street MW (S) and Uxbridge Rd NW (N) access to shopping & Foothills hospital

Calgary

Map Zoom

174

143

University Drive NW interchange

Calgary

Map Zoom

174

143

Crowchild Trail NW overpass

Calgary

Map Zoom

174

143

Motel Village (N) intersection

Calgary

Map Zoom

174

143

Banff Trail NW intersection, with pedestrian overpass

Calgary

Map Zoom

175

143

19th Street NW intersection (shopping, restaurants), and Light Rail Transit (LRT) underpass

Calgary

Map Zoom

175

143

17th Street NW (N) North Hill Mall (S) intersection

Calgary

Map Zoom

175

143

Pedestrian overpass

Calgary

Map Zoom

175

143

North Hill Mall (Sears) intersection

Calgary

Map Zoom

175

143

14th Street NW interchange and underpass (N to downtown)

Calgary

Map Zoom

176

143

12 St NW (N) and SAIT Polytechnic (S)intersection

Calgary

Map Zoom

176

143

10th St NW intersection (S) to Kensington shopping district & downtown

Calgary

Map Zoom

177

143

4th Street NW intersection (secondary street)

Calgary

Map Zoom

178

143

Centre Street (access to downtown & Chinatown)

Calgary

Map Zoom

178

143

Edmonton Trail NW (access to downtown, and N to accommodation)

Calgary

Map Zoom

179

143

Moncton Rd NE (athletic fields, accommodation)

Calgary

Map Zoom

180

143

Railway and Nose Creek underpass

Calgary

Map Zoom

180

143

Deerfoot Trail (Hwy #2) double diamond interchange

Calgary

Map Zoom

KM from Start

Highway Point Description

Municipality

GPS and
Map Zoom

EB

WB


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