Western Rockies Drive & Hike
7 Days & 6 Nights 5 Read 1 reviews- Get off-the-beaten-path and experience the wild Western Rockies
- Explore four National Parks on foot: Banff, Yoho, Glacier, and Mt. Revelstoke
- Keep an eye out for wolves, moose, bears, and big horn sheep
- Visit true Canadian mountain towns Canmore, Golden, and Revelstoke
- Travel the Bow Valley Parkway and Powder Highway—two classic drives
What To Expect
Tour Style:
Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active trip.
Activity:
Drive & Hike | Enjoy the best of a large region by car and on foot. Day hikes in the best places. Itinerary usually inn to inn, with mapping provided. No bag transfer. Car hire offered as an option or included.
Ideal if you have an interest in:
Wildlife, National Parks & Trails, Mountains
Activity Level & Terrain
The hiking trails are paths on dirt, gravel, and rock – although they are maintained by Parks Canada there is always the possibility of washed out, snow-covered, or overgrown conditions.
Navigation
Navigating is easy using the Macs Adventure Navigation App. Your daily hikes will be mapped in the app with GPX tracks, route notes, and turn-by-turn directions. You can download all of the routes for use offline, which means you won’t need cell service or Wi-Fi (which are often unreliable outside of your accommodations). Written turn-by-turn driving directions are included in the app; although the drives are straightforward, you may still consider using a GPS device while in the car. You will also have 24/7 Macs Adventure telephone support.
Experience & Fitness
The hiking on this trip is moderate to challenging. Hikes will typically take 5-8 hours, averaging 8-9 miles and several thousand feet of ascent and descent. To get the most from your trip, you should be a regular hiker and do some training prior to departure to get accustomed to hiking every day.
Due to the nature of the itinerary, you will return to your car after each hike; therefore, you can always shorten a hike by turning back early. In addition, there are sometimes options for hikes of differing lengths (eg, the Iceline Trail).
Note: You will be hiking and traveling in bear country. Your pre-departure information pack will outline the best practices for responsible travel in bear country and other wildlife-specific practices.
Accommodations
Stay six nights in hand-picked accommodations, chosen for their character, comfort, and Rocky Mountain charm. While each accommodation differs in style - from B&Bs to cabins, lodges, and boutique hotels - they all offer outstanding service, excellent food and warm hospitality.
As a popular summer destination with a short hiking season, lodging in this region fills early; therefore early booking is recommended. The properties shown here are the ones we use most frequently. If we are unable to secure you a room in the following properties at the time of your booking, we will do our best to accommodate you in an alternate property which we have selected for their standard of comfort (we will let you know this before we confirm your booking). For some nights it is also possible to upgrade your lodging.
Single Rooms
This trip is based on two people sharing a room. If you’d like separate rooms, a single supplement is required. If you would like to request a twin room (same room with two separate beds), pleasenotify us during booking so we can request this option where it is available. This trip is not available to solo hikers.
Meals
Breakfast is included each morning. Typical breakfasts include juice, tea, coffee, yogurt, granola, breads, jams, eggs or a choice of hot dish. Please notify us of any dietary restrictions at the time of booking.
Lunches and dinners are not included. There are places to purchase picnic provisions in each of your overnight destinations and we recommend taking a lunch with you on the trail. For dinner, choose from the nearby restaurants; just ask your host if reservations are needed.
- 6 nights in characterful accommodations (B&Bs & lodges)
- 6 Breakfasts
- Detailed digital pre-departure information pack
- Turn-by-turn digital route notes
- Macs Adventure Navigation App for your smartphone
- 24/7 telephone support
- Travel to/from Canmore & Revelstoke
- Car rental
- Lunches, dinners, snacks, and drinks
- Personal equipment
- Travel Insurance
- National Parks Passes
- Additional nights before, during or after the trip
- Accommodation upgrades (if applicable)
When To Go
The hiking season in the Canadian Rockies is relatively short as snow can remain in the mountains until early summer and autumn arrives early with cool temperatures and higher chances of snow falling (although it can snow during the summer months here too). The opening of trails in early season is dependent on the previous winter’s snowpack and can change dramatically from year to year.
June and July bring the longest days, with July and August being the warmest months. However, weather is variable in the Rockies, and you should be prepared for a range of conditions. The optimal months for wildflowers are mid-July to mid-August, which also brings higher numbers of tourists. September and early October are characterized by typically drier weather and fewer crowds, making this a great time to visit. Depending on your adventure goals, any time between June and October offers a memorable Canadian Rockies experience!
Availability
This trip is available mid-June through early-October (ending Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Monday of the month). As this region is a highly popular tourist destination, we suggest booking as far in advance as possible for a better chance at securing your desired dates. This tour is available to start any day of the week.
Getting to the Start
Fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC) and rent a car from there. Driving to Canmore takes 1 hours 20 minutes.
Getting from the End
You may choose to return your car and fly from the Calgary International Airport (YYC) (4.5 hour drive). You may also choose drive to return your car and fly from the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) (2.5 hour drive).
General Information
You will need a car for this itinerary. Either plan to drive to the trip start or fly to Calgary and rent a car (1 hour 20 minutes from Canmore). if you wish, we can arrange a rental car for you for an additional charge.
Visas
For US citizens traveling in Canada for less than 180 days, no visa is required. You are required to have a valid passport with a blank passport page.
For non-US citizens travelling to Canada, an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) is required to enter. For more information about the eTA system, and to apply online, visit the official Canadian government website. See Entry requirements.
Equipment
Our pre-departure information pack includes a detailed equipment list on what to take with you. This includes warm and cold weather gear, hiking boots, rain gear, and lots of other specifics. If you have any questions about what to take, we'd be happy to share our own top tips and advice.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance helps protect your travel investment, your belongings and most importantly you, from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip. For more information, please visit our travel insurance page.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Canmore Day 2 Hike Bourgeau Lake 9 miles / 15 km Day 3: Hike the Iceline Trail & Drive to Golden 12.5 miles / 7.7 km Day 4 Hike Balu Pass and Wildlife Afternoon in Golden - 8 miles 8 miles / 13 km Day 5: Asulkan Valley Hike and Drive to Revelstoke 8.6 miles / 14 km Day 6: Hike to Eva Lake & Explore town of Revelstoke 8.7 miles / 14 km Day 7 Onward TravelThe Macs Way
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