I have cycled various parts of this route several times over the past 10 years, even when I wasn’t then living in Alberta. There is so much on the ride that encapsulates what Canada and the Rockies represent so I have always found it is worth going back for more.  Banff is central to most routes and is one of the most popular destinations for oversees tourists.  If you cycle from Canmore, Banff also marks the transition from a separated cycleway to the seasonal Parkway which is normally shared with motor traffic.

Group ride on the Parkway before it was open to motor traffic for the season

I first rode on the Bow Valley Parkway in 2016 when I had a few hours to kill in Banff before taking my son back to BC.  In that, pre-pandemic era, I rented a quality road bike in the town and set off west skirting the Vermillion Lakes, with their fantastic end on view of Sulphur Mountain, to the start of the Parkway.  It was the end of May which meant the Parkway was not yet open to motor traffic so I had the road to myself. There weren’t even any other cyclists beyond the Vermillion Lakes. 

My destination that day was Johnston Canyon, the end of the car-free section and some 30km from the centre of Banff.    Although there is a notable hill to climb where the east and west bound carriageways separate, the route is gently undulating with slightly more downhill for the return and some 600m total ascending.

As you cycle west, you mostly have a high ridge and eventually Castle Mountain on your right side and the Bow River to your left. Through breaks in the coniferous forest,  you get fine views of the Rockies to the south. However, you need to remember conditions can change rapidly in the mountains, with cloud and rain developing from a seemingly clear sky. That’s the reason why the upper Bow Valley is so luxuriantly green!

I was sad I had to turn round at Johnstone Canyon and head back to Banff for my appointment that first time.  It had been one of those glorious spring days when the fair-weather clouds and blue sky had held and the air was cool but not too cold.   It would have been wonderful to have carried on west to Lake Louise but I wouldn’t complete that leg for another 8 years.        

The next time I rode the Bow Parkway I started at Castle Junction and rode east, having set off from Kootenay Park Lodge at sunrise. Sadly, the historic Lodge is permanently closed now, possibly a victim of the lean Pandemic years. I stayed there during the second summer of the Pandemic on a ride from BC to Calgary.  I departed Kootenay Lodge that day dressed for the warmer temperatures I expected later in the ride. Consequently, I was not prepared for temperatures hovering just above zero and by the time I reached the Bow Valley my hands were numb and upper body chilled even after two hours of hard riding.

I had the Parkway to myself but really I only focused on trying to stay warm and trying to catch the early rays of sun.  My immediate destination was a breakfast café in Canmore so I minimized my time negotiating Banff by staying on the shoulder of the Trans-Canada Highway.  As I had been riding on other major highways for the previous five days by that stage in my journey, I wasn’t bothered by the traffic that was supposed to be adhering to the National Park speed limit of 80kph.

After Banff, I opted for the cycle-only Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail Banff, and headed for the Summit Café in Canmore.  I recall the breakfast being particularly fine and this set me up for the final 90km into Calgary; Cochrane Hill just about finished me off though.  

The occasion when I had most time to enjoy the scenery on the Bow Valley Parkway was on a group ride from Banff to Lake Louise.  This was on a weekend at the end of June when the Parkway was free of motor traffic as far as Johnstone Canyon. 

Each year it seems more difficult to get parking at Banff, even at the huge parking lot north of the town. Consequently, our group met up for a 9am start.    While we were fast, I had time to admire the views and to see a black bear just east of Johnstone Canyon.  We had enough riders to split into two groups and I was happy enough to take the “relaxed” option.  

When we reached the turning for Lake Louise  we turned left for the town site and had originally planned to cycle up to Moraine Lake. However, thundery clouds threatened to spoil our day as happens often in the mountain in summer so we broke for a coffee and water stop before turning back.  The ”shortened” ride was just shy of 120km.

An option for this route is to begin at Canmore that is less touristy and then to cycle the Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail up to Banff.  If you turn around at the Lake Louise ski resort, this gives you a fine Century ride of 162km  and you can claim a free can of beer at the ski lodge if you show you cycled from Banff.  I rode this route in a fast group on Canada Day when the roads were open to traffic but there were never enough vehicles to trouble us.

Again, thundery weather threatened us later in the ride, so from Banff back to Canmore, I was grateful for wearing a shower proof jacket. Even so,  I was still drenched by the time I reached the Canmore parking lot at the former tourist information office. Nowadays, the building is merely a gloried washroom!   

So, there are several options for the Bow Valley and I think my favourite would be the ride from Banff to Lake Louise before the Parkway opened to traffic, say in late June.  Next time I ride this route, I am determined to climb the hill to Moraine lake too