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Home > BC's Trans-Canada Highway > Revelstoke, BC and Lake Louise, AB Itinerary
British Columbia Trans-Canada Highway Route: the #1 between Revelstoke, BC and Lake Louise, AB
Here is the itinerary for the 220 km along the #1 between Revelstoke, BC and Lake Louise, AB:
Revelstoke has a very quaint Main Street shopping district, worth getting off the highway for. Just east of town is Mount Revelstoke National Park, with the 26 km Summit Road to the mountain's top, built by the community during the Great Depression.
Between Revelstoke and Golden is the Selkirk mountain range, famous for its 10 metres of annual snowfall. With the steep mountainsides, avalanches are frequent, though the highway is protected along key avalanche routes by a number of snow sheds (remove sunglasses while inside). In winter, the Canadian military fires 105 mm howitzer shells at the mountain peaks and ridges to trigger small avalanches before the snow accumulates to dangerous levels. Pre-emptive shelling and serious avalanches may close the highway for several hours.
The Rogers Pass section of the Trans-Canada was completed in 1962 and was the location for the official opening of the highway. The Canadian Pacific Railway first built a surface line over the pass in 1885 with 6.5 km of snowsheds. In 1916, the line moved into the 8.5 km Connaught Tunnel, right through Mount Macdonald. A second 14.5 km tunnel built in the 1980s doubled train capacity through the Rogers Pass.
East of Rogers Pass, the highway drops swiftly into the Rocky Mountain Trench, between the Selkirk and Rocky mountain ranges. The Rocky Mountain trench varies in width from 3 to 20 kilometres, and is the Columbia River's basin on its northward journey up to the the Mica Dam, from which point it heads southward. The Trench is caused by a major geological fault, with the Rockies to the east exposing mostly limestone and sediments from the Triassic period, while the Selkirks and Purcell ranges to the west are made up of mostly metamorphic rocks mostly from the Cambrian period.
The area between Donald and Golden was first explored by David Thompson in 1807 on his way to the Pacific. The Columbia River floodplain west of the Trans-Canada Highway is largely marshy, with muskrat lodges, as well as birds like bald eagles, red tailed hawks, osprey, and Canada geese.
From Golden, the Trans-Canada climbs up the Kicking Horse River through a "Montane" eco-zone. The lower elevations have sub-alpine forests of Engelman spruce and alpine fir, and the higher elevations feature Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and trembling aspen. Along waterways you may notice white spruce, black cottonwood, and western white birch. The highway climbs up the slope, entering Yoho National Park, and crossing the Kicking Horse River several times, and passing two Spiral Tunnels just east of the Continental Divide, which reduce the slope of the railway. Trains pass by every half hour, you won't wait long to observe one part of the train leaving the tunnel the end of it is entering right below (or above) the exiting end. Incidentally, the west side of the Kicking Horse Pass drops 2000 feet (600 meters) more than the east slope.
Down the east slope of the Kicking Horse Pass, the highway drops rapidly to the junction with highway 93, The Icefields Parkway, north to Jasper (definitely worth a 1 or 2 day side trip!). The highway turns right, following the Bow River toward Lake Louse, Banff and eventually Calgary. Lake Louise has two attractions worth seeing: Skiing Louise with great year-round recreation, and Lake Louise itself. The road climbs about 680 ft (200 metres) from the valley, and opens to a splendid view of the lake, a glacier, and the famed Chateau Lake Louise.
BC Highways road condition reports for this segment.
Alberta Motor Association road condition reports for this segment.
KM from Start | Highway Point Description | Municipality | GPS and
Map Zoom |
EB | WB |
0 | 228 | Victoria Rd W (S), Laforme Blvd (N) access to downtown | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
0 | 228 | Junction Highway 23 (N) to Revelstoke Dam, Bend St (S) | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
1 | 227 | Junction Summit Rd (N) to Mount Revelstoke's Meadows in the Sky Parkway | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
3 | 225 | Alpine Lane (N) west end | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
3 | 225 | Alpine Lane (N) east end | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
4 | 224 | Townley St (S) east entrance into Revelstoke, Hillcreast Hotel | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
5 | 223 | Oak Drive, Mt MacKenzie B&B, KOA campground | Revelstoke | Map Zoom |
7 | 221 | Southwest boundary Mt Revelstoke National Park, Western Welcome Station | | Map Zoom |
10 | 218 | Greely Rd (S) | | Map Zoom |
17 | 211 | Parking for Clachnacudainn River view, Apex River Rafting, Thunder Ridge Trail Rides and B & B | | Map Zoom |
29 | 199 | Giant Cedars Trail (N) | | Map Zoom |
28 | 200 | Skunk Cabbage Trail | | Map Zoom |
31 | 197 | West Woolsey Creek Trail (N), Eastern edge of Mt Revelstoke National Park | | Map Zoom |
35 | 193 | Albert Canyon Rd (S) to view Albert Canyon, Canyon Hot Springs | | Map Zoom |
35 | 193 | Jumping Creek Rd (S) | | Map Zoom |
37 | 191 | Rd (N) | | Map Zoom |
40 | 188 | MacDonald Shed Avalanche Tunnel | | Map Zoom |
41 | 187 | Twin Shed Avalanche Tunnel | | Map Zoom |
41 | 187 | Western boundary of Glacier National Park | | Map Zoom |
42 | 186 | Lanark Shed avalanche tunnel | | Map Zoom |
54 | 174 | Hemlock Grove Trail (S) | | Map Zoom |
62 | 166 | Hemlock Grove (N) boardwalk, viewing area | | Map Zoom |
63 | 166 | Road Turnout with picnic area(S) | | Map Zoom |
63 | 165 | Loop Brook Rd (s) view to Abbot Ridge | | Map Zoom |
63 | 165 | Rd (N) to see Illecillewaet River | | Map Zoom |
64 | 164 | Road divides to east | | Map Zoom |
65 | 163 | Road to S | | Map Zoom |
66 | 162 | Road divides to west | | Map Zoom |
67 | 161 | Illicillewat / Asulkan Trails o E | Rogers Pass | Map Zoom |
68 | 160 | Rd to W | Rogers Pass | Map Zoom |
69 | 159 | Rogers Pass Visitors Centre, food fuel | Rogers Pass | Map Zoom |
70 | 158 | Road turnout (W) Roger Pass | Rogers Pass | Map Zoom |
75 | 154 | Road turnout, access to Helmit Cross Country ski trails, ranger station to E | Rogers Pass | Map Zoom |
75 | 153 | Tupper 1 Tunnel- west end | | Map Zoom |
75 | 153 | Tupper 1 Tunnel- east end | | Map Zoom |
76 | 152 | Tupper 2 Tunnel- west end | | Map Zoom |
76 | 152 | Tupper 2 Tunnel- east end | | Map Zoom |
77 | 151 | Tupper timber tunnel | | Map Zoom |
78 | 150 | Beaver/Copperstain Valley Trail to E | | Map Zoom |
79 | 149 | Bear Falls Creek Trail to E (1 km walk to waterfall) | | Map Zoom |
82 | 146 | Bridge over Beaver River | | Map Zoom |
86 | 142 | Turnoff, Road viewing area to W | | Map Zoom |
87 | 141 | Rd to W | | Map Zoom |
89 | 139 | Rd to W, interpretive centre, bathrooms | | Map Zoom |
96 | 132 | East boundary Glacier National Park, eastern welcome station | | Map Zoom |
96 | 132 | Road to W to Cupola Creek Trail, truck chain up area | | Map Zoom |
102 | 126 | Rd to Columbia Arm of Kinbasset Lake (elev 2420, behind Mica Dam) | | Map Zoom |
105 | 123 | hiking trail to W, Rest area, bathrooms, viewing area to N | | Map Zoom |
107 | 121 | trail to N & S | | Map Zoom |
111 | 117 | trail to N | | Map Zoom |
116 | 112 | trail to SE | | Map Zoom |
121 | 107 | Wiseman Rd to S | | Map Zoom |
121 | 107 | Bridge over Columbia River | | Map Zoom |
124 | 104 | Donald Rd to town of Donald | Donald | Map Zoom |
124 | 104 | Marl Creek Provincial Park | Donald | Map Zoom |
125 | 103 | Exit (N) Big Bend Hwy to town of Donald | Donald | Map Zoom |
127 | 101 | Exit Golden-Donald Upper Rd (N) , Blaeberry River Rd (S) | | Map Zoom |
131 | 97 | Exit (N) Blaeberry School Rd, Golden-Donald Upper Rd | | Map Zoom |
136 | 92 | Trail (E) to Blaeberry River | | Map Zoom |
137 | 91 | Moberly Branch Rd (N) | | Map Zoom |
138 | 90 | Hartley Rd (E) | | Map Zoom |
145 | 83 | Alothof Rd (N), Anderson Rd (S) into Golden | Golden | Map Zoom |
146 | 82 | Turnaround underpass | Golden | Map Zoom |
147 | 81 | 11th Avenue Exit (W), Ottoson Rd (E) | Golden | Map Zoom |
148 | 80 | 11th St N exit (W) | Golden | Map Zoom |
149 | 79 | Services on N side | Golden | Map Zoom |
150 | 78 | Exit Highway 95 South, into downtown Golden 9Pinewood Inn, Brookside Motel] | Golden | Map Zoom |
151 | 77 | Exit Golden-Donald Upper Rd & Lafontaine Rd (N) [Hillside Lodging B&B, Ramada Inn] , Golden View Rd (S) | Golden | Map Zoom |
152 | 76 | Exit Golden View Rd (S), Whispering Spruce Campground & RV Park | Golden | Map Zoom |
154 | 74 | Rd to North | | Map Zoom |
157 | 71 | Bridge (new) over Kicking Horse River | | Map Zoom |
162 | 66 | Bridge over Kicking Horse River | | Map Zoom |
163 | 65 | Pullout (S) | | Map Zoom |
164 | 64 | Rd to North | | Map Zoom |
173 | 55 | Beaverfoot Rd (S) | | Map Zoom |
167 | 61 | Rest Area (N) | | Map Zoom |
168 | 60 | Rest area (N) | | Map Zoom |
168 | 60 | Rd to North | | Map Zoom |
172 | 56 | Rest area to N (west exit) | | Map Zoom |
173 | 55 | Rd to South | | Map Zoom |
173 | 55 | Rest area to N (east exit) | | Map Zoom |
178 | 50 | Rd to S | | Map Zoom |
170 | 58 | Road turnoff (N) | | Map Zoom |
176 | 52 | Yoho National Park western boundary | | Map Zoom |
178 | 50 | Exit to Trails (S) to Wapta Falls (2.5 km) | | Map Zoom |
181 | 47 | Exit to trails. Mount Hunter Lookout Trail (N), Chancellor Creek campground | | Map Zoom |
182 | 47 | Cross Kicking Horse River | | Map Zoom |
182 | 46 | Exit to trails (E) to Inkpots and Hoodoos, Hoodoo Creek campground | | Map Zoom |
193 | 35 | Exit to trails (W) and picnic area overlooking Ottertail River | | Map Zoom |
194 | 34 | Exit (E) to trail along creek | | Map Zoom |
196 | 32 | Trail (W) to picnic area | | Map Zoom |
198 | 30 | Exit (W) to Yoho Park Warden Station | | Map Zoom |
199 | 29 | Trails (E) | | Map Zoom |
200 | 28 | Cross Kicking Horse River | | Map Zoom |
200 | 28 | Trail (W) to Natural Bridge 3 km, and Emerald Lake (10 km) | | Map Zoom |
201 | 27 | Trail (W) to | | Map Zoom |
202 | 26 | Exit to Field, Emerald lake Lodge | Field | Map Zoom |
204 | 24 | Trail (W) to Monarch and Kicking Horse campgrounds | | Map Zoom |
206 | 22 | West Exit to Takakkaw Falls | | Map Zoom |
209 | 19 | Trail (S) to Spiral Tunnel viewpoint | | Map Zoom |
214 | 14 | West exit (N) to Spiral Tunnels viewpoint | | Map Zoom |
214 | 14 | East exit (N) to Spiral Tunnels viewpoint, view of Yoho River to north | | Map Zoom |
212 | 16 | Sherbrook Creek crossing | | Map Zoom |
214 | 14 | Wapta Lake (S), Paget Peak trail | | Map Zoom |
216 | 12 | Highway 1A east, and road south to Lake O-Hara | | Map Zoom |
216 | 12 | West Louise Lodge | | Map Zoom |
218 | 10 | Sink Lake to south of highway | | Map Zoom |
219 | 9 | Alberta-BC Border (Kicking Horse Pass) | | Map Zoom |
223 | 5 | Highway Pullout | | Map Zoom |
226 | 2 | Junction with highway 93 | | Map Zoom |
227 | 1 | Exit (E) Slate Dr, Pipestone Trail | Lake Louise | Map Zoom |
228 | 0 | 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 |
KM from Start | Highway Point Description | Municipality | GPS and
Map Zoom |
EB | WB |
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