Questions- Calgary, Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff in October
 

We were thinking of taking a trip to Calgary, Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff on October 9 - 15. This would be 6 nights.

Is this a long enough period of time to see a lot? Could you take a guess on how many different hotels we'd have to stay in?

Also, will there be snow at this time and will the roads be ok to drive?

Is this a good trip to take a dog along?

Thank you

It would be rushed but doable. One night in Calgary, and then you could stay in one hotel in either Banff or Lake Louise and travel north to Jasper from there. Yes there definitely could be snow at that time of year, the roads should be okay to drive but blizzards can happen at any time. If you bring your dog, be sure to keep it on a leash while out walking the trails.

The average daytime high in Banff between October 9th and October 15th is 47 deg F. Since 2000, the high during those dates has ranged from 25 deg F to 59 deg F. The average low for that date range is 26 deg F. The daily low has ranged from 8 deg F to 36 deg F. These figures come from:

http://www.wunderground.com/history/...p;yearend=1972

At that time of year, sunrise will be around 8.00 a.m. and sunset around 6.45 p.m.

Normal driving time from Calgary to Banff is 1.5 hours, from Banff to Lake Louise 50 minutes, and from Lake Louise to Jasper 3.25 hours. But weather conditions on a given day could slow you down.

October can be a lovely time of the year in the mountains, and the middle of the month should be fine for a visit.

It is off-season, the rates are lower so you should be able to find some very lovely accommodation at very good prices.

October is one of those months when the weather is changing (gradually cooling on its way to winter), so the beginning fot he month can be warm and summer-like while the end of the month can be wintery. It is also variable and difficult to predict for those 6 nights this far in advance. So be prepared for warm or cold days or anything in between, and for frosty nights.

Fall is also a dry time of the year in the mountains, so you're more likely to see sunny and clear days than rainy or snowy days. By the way, the chance of snow increases towards month end, although you may see some at higher elevations earlier than that.

If you are interested, Environment Canada publishes climate data averages for the past 100 years for most locations in Canada; you can brwose through the data online at:

http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html
(and click on "Climate Data" on the left hand side of the page and follow the links to "Climate Averages").

The roads should be fine. They will not be crowded with travellers, so the drive will be relaxing. We have driven the Icefield Parkway in the middle of winter and the roads were in good shape even then.

The only downside to visiting the Rockies in mid-October is that some of the tourist attractions or points of interest may be closed for the season.

Thank you so much for answering my questions. I am terrified of driving in the snow. Hopefully we'll be ok.

I will keep the dogs on a leash.

Is this trip going to be as pretty as Alaska or the drive between Seattle and Vancouver?

Thanks

depending what time you get into calgary, you can either stay there for a night (see olympic park, nice walks along the river) or head straight to banff. base yourself in banff for 2-3 nights then head onto jasper for 2-3. i wouldn't be too concerned about snow. plan on taking most of the day to drive between banff and jasper - you can take it slow and stop often for the sites/hikes.