Canadian Rockies Roadtrip - June 2023
 

After being sold out of a lot of our travel plans this last summer, I'm planning 2023 summer early. Hearts set on Canadian Rockies.

Details:

• family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids - 17/14/11; well traveled and not complainers)
• 3 weeks, able to add days if needed
• roadtrip, car (not RV)
• staying in vrbo/air bnb since hotels tend to be pricey for 5 (plus we cook most meals and need that kitchen)
• focus on nature, hiking, natural wonders (vs. museum, big cities) but also enjoy small town charms and kitch

I'd like help with planning the order of the trip (and of course any must sees, hikes, breathtaking drives, etc). I've been reading about flying in to Calgary and from there driving to Jasper, Wells Gray, Yoho, Lake Louise/Moraine, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes, Banff and back out of Calgary. Thoughts? Open to other routes. Ideally we don't want to move everyday. We want to stay at least 2 nights when we stop, maybe 4 or so nights in/near Banff & Jasper. Thank you in advance for your help and comments!

One thing to be aware of is that vacation rentals are forbidden within Canada's national park boundaries. Any towns within the park boundaries (i.e. the town of Banff and the village of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, the town of Jasper in Jasper National Park, the town of Field in Yoho National Park) are going to have you looking at either hotels, condo-style hotels, or in the case of Jasper, a rental suite inside somebody's house (which may not work for 5 people).

So if you're looking up VRBO or AirBnB, you're going to have extremely limited options. Outside the national park boundaries, the sky is the limit. This works in Banff, where you can stay in Canmore, a town a 15 minute drive down the highway just outside the Banff National Park boundary, but doesn't set you up well for Jasper, where you will definitely want to stay in the town of Jasper. Hinton is an industrial town an hour outside Jasper, and Valemount is really too far away. There really are no other options that don't put you at a severe location disadvantage.

Coincidentally, I was just in Radium Hot Springs the other day, which is right outside the Kootenay National Park boundary, so you might have some options there, or in nearby Windermere or Invermere, which is just 15 minutes further down the road. I was also in Fernie on the same trip, a stunning little mountain town in the Canadian Rockies without the same touristy vibe you'd find in Banff - really authentic, great restaurants, cafes, and breweries, some really cool shops, a mountain biking/river rafting/hiking hot spot with a lot of charm. I know they have vacation rentals there if you're willing to change the itinerary up. I only had one night in Fernie, but I wish I had at least two more.

Finally, there's no avoiding the prices of Banff and Jasper. They are by far the most sought-after, most in-demand tourist destinations and the prices will always be way more there than similar mountain towns nearby. If you are wanting to see them, you just need to set the expectation that you're paying 5-star prices for 3-star hotels. If budget is a real issue, you could consider some other mountain towns in western Canada like Nelson or Revelstoke (or Fernie, as I suggested), which are great mountain towns with a lot of charm and personality, alpine hiking, lakes, and natural wonders nearby, but cater more to local outdoorsy families and mountain bikers rather than the international tour bus crowds that Banff and Jasper do. So prices aren't as high.

thank you! super helpful info. if you have recs for specific places in Fernie - would love to hear them