HELLO CANADA Part Two! | Athabasca Falls, Icefields Parkway, Columbia Icefield, Peyto Lake

This is Part 2 of my Canada vlog which covers Athabasca Falls, Icefields Parkway, Columbia Icefield, Peyto Lake and more! 🇨🇦🍁 #AdventureAlberta
A trip to Jasper National National Park wouldn’t be complete without visiting Athabasca Falls, one of the most remarkable waterfalls on the Icefields Parkway.
On first glance you might not be impressed with its height, at only 23 m tall, but it’s the sheer volume and force of the Athabasca River tumbling over a wide ledge into a tight canyon that makes Athabasca Falls one of the most powerful waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies.
Athabasca Falls is a Class 5 waterfall on the Athabasca River, the largest river system in Jasper National Park. The river and falls are fed with water flowing from the Columbia Icefield glaciers, snowmelt from surrounding mountains, and rainwater.
The Athabasca Falls formed during the last glaciation when movement of the Athabasca Valley Glacier sheared off chunks of hard quartzite, creating a cliff. When the ice melted, water poured over the cliff and carved a path through the softer limestone below, creating the short canyon we see today.
Over thousands of years, the river has eroded potholes, cracks, and intricate shapes into the canyon walls. The potholes were “drilled” into the walls by particles of sand, silt, and gravel caught in spinning water below the waterfall. Potholes are still forming that one day will be suspended above the water of an even deeper canyon.
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, covering some 230 sq km (89 sq mi) to a depth of 365 m (1,200 ft) and some 28 km (17 mi) long. Draped over the continental divide on a high alpine plateau along the Alberta-BC border, it receives an average of 7 m (23 ft) of new snowfall per year. Not all of that snow can melt in the short summers, so it accumulates, turning to ice which flows outward through the surrounding passes, creating fingers of ice known as glaciers, the Athabasca Glacier being the most well-known.
Peyto Lake is one of the most famous lakes in Banff National Park. It’s a turquoise blue glacier-fed lake 40 km north of Lake Louise and a popular stop on the famous Icefields Parkway. The brilliant display of blue is fed by the Peyto Glacier high above the lake and part of the Wapta Icefield.
The viewpoint is one of the most spectacular in all of Banff National Park and a super popular spot for photographers. Peyto Lake, in our opinion, competes for beauty with Moraine Lake without as many visitors. There is little mystery as the lake’s viewpoint is a must for things to do in Banff.
Similar to many other glacier-fed lakes in Banff National Park, Peyto Lake is a brilliant blue during the summer months. This is a natural phenomenon found in many glacier lakes as the glaciers grind rock down into the rock flour, carried downstream into the lake. This rock flour then refracts the light and gives off a vivid blue or teal color.
It’s a breathtaking sight to see, and there are several blue lakes around Banff National Park, such as Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, Sherbrooke Lake (Yoho), Bow Lake, and Hector Lake, all accessible to most visitors.
Peyto Lake is named after Bill Peyto, an early guide in the park back in the early 1900s. Peyto Lake sits at 1880m in elevation in the Canadian Rockies. It’s fed by the Peyto glacier and has a max depth of around 90m.
After the glacier waters flow out of Peyto Lake, they create the Mistaya River before merging into the North Saskatchewan River at Saskatchewan River Crossing. If you’re wondering how to pronounce the name, it is pea-toe, but don’t worry if you still say and hear pay-toe; it’s how most people still say it!
Peyto Lake is located off the Icefields Parkway or 93N. The highway begins just off the Trans-Canada Highway #1, a few minutes West of Lake Louise. From there, it’s another 40km to the Bow Summit and Peyto Lake Lookout parking lot.
Watch for signs off the Icefields Parkway, and the turn-off will be on your left, coming from the Trans-Canada or Right from Jasper.
Tours that stop at Peyto Lake
- Banff or Lake Louise to Jasper: One-Way Sightseeing Tour
- From Calgary: Icefields Parkway Route Tour w/Hotel Transfers (Private Tour)
- Radventures Banff & The Icefields Parkway | Small Group Full Day Adventure
- Icefields Parkway Private Day Tour
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[@bikeenrikets2218]

Wow na wow 😯

[@sofiamanzano7180]

Wow ❤❤❤ Endless majestic views!

[@habibtienina6559]

Amazing Peyto Lake! ❤🥰😍

[@ArtistryOfAdventure]

Athabasca falls is so beautiful!

[@teodyperla9306]

Sobrang saya nyo ❤

[@MelissaAnnDLVA]

Alam na pag me usok sa video 😅