Revelstoke to Lake Louise

Revelstoke to Lake Louise, Trans Canada Highway

If you are planning on exploring the road from Revelstoke to Lake Louise via the Trans Canada Highway, then you are in for a treat! This portion of the highway is approximately 220km in length which means that it can easily be conquered in a few hours. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to find yourself on holiday in these parts, you will enjoy yourself even more if you take your time to really enjoy the sights along the way. For added comfort and convenience, this drive is great when enjoyed from a campervan, motorhome or other RV, which you can pick up in Vancouver. Carry all of your essentials along for the ride, enjoy the spacious conditions and make the most of your natural surroundings by visiting the local campgrounds along the way.

Revelstoke

Before you leave Revelstoke, make sure that you take the time to enjoy some shopping first. Just to the east you will find the Mount Revelstoke National Park and it’s 26km Summit Road will take you to the top for an outstanding view. Just a few kilometres from Revelstoke, you will reach Albert Canyon Road and, from here, you can access the lovely Canyon Hot Springs.

Revelstoke to Golden

From Revelstoke to Golden you will notice the Selkirk mountain range which is famous for receiving 10 metres of annual snow. Avalanches are frequent here but the highway is protected in high risk areas and the local military also helps prevent the mountain from taking everyone by surprise by triggering small avalanches in the winter.

The road will take you over Rogers Pass which was completed in 1962 and this was the location for the highway’s official opening. Continuing east, the highway drops into the Rocky Mountain Trench (between the Selkirk and Rocky mountain ranges) and the width varies from 3 to 20 kilometres. After navigating the MacDonald Shed and Twin Shed Avalanche tunnels, you will reach the western boundary of the Glacier National Park. There are campgrounds nearby too so you might enjoy stopping here to enjoy the crisp clean air and views. As you continue on your drive you will come across the Columbia River flood plain which is mainly marshy and you will notice an abundance of birdlife here. Stop and look for bald eagles, osprey, Canada geese and red tailed hawks amongst other fine species.

In Golden, you will have a number of restaurants and shops to visit including well-known international names in the food and beverage industry so you will find a meal you are familiar with if you’re not comfortable with too much culinary experimentation. Golden to Lake Louise After passing through Golden, the road takes you up the Kicking Horse River, which you will cross several times along the way, and you will love the fresh air provided by the local forests which are home to such tree and plant species as Engelman spruce, alpine fir, Douglas fir and lodge pole pine to name a few. Continue along the road and you reach Yoho National Park. You will pass two Spiral Tunnels and, if you would like to watch some trains passing by, you won’t have to wait long since they pass through these parts every 30 minutes or so.

On your way down the east slope of the Kicking Horse Pass, you will reach the highway 93 junction which is another popular driving route – the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. If you wish to take this detour, allow for another two days in order to really get the most of it. Just past the Kicking Horse campgrounds you will be able to make another stop/detour to visit the Takakkaw Falls and, if you’re feeling energetic, you can follow a hiking trail to the Walcott Quarry Burgess Shale fossil beds. The highway will then take you along the Bow River to Lake Louise, the popular resort town of Banff and the vibrant city of Calgary.

Lake Louise is an attraction in itself but, if you’re looking for something more, then you might enjoy Skiing Louise and the fantastic recreation year-round. From the valley, the road from Revelstoke to Lake Louise climbs approximately 200 metres and this will give you an amazing view of the lake, a nearby glacier, the gondola in the summer and the famous Chateau Lake Louise.