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

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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	Highway Point Description	Municipality	GPS and Map Zoom
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	Highway Point Description	Municipality	GPS and Map Zoom

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