Canadian Rockies and Rivers

Welcome to Canada! On arrival, please make your way to your hotel for this night. Rest, relax and recuperate. If  you feel up to it, take a taxi to downtown and explore the city highlights or maybe visit the nearby Aerospace Museum of Calgary. Tomorrow you ride!

After breakfast, collect your motorcycle. Your adventure starts with the ride south to your first destination – the stunning Waterton Lakes National Park. There are numerous routes to take including due south through downtown Calgary but you will soon be out into the wide open spaces. Once south of Calgary, the ‘Cowboy Trail’ offers an easy ride through big country that is Southern Alberta.

Today’s ride is a real highlight, not a long day but incredible scenery and roads. For the early risers there’s much to see in Waterton Lakes National Park; unusual geology, amazing wildlife and rare flowers. Take a ride up to Cameron Lake and spot grizzly bears before crossing the 49^th Parallel into Montana, USA and Glacier National Park. The next highlight is the Going to the Sun highway, ‘a must ride’ for any bikers, before ending today’s ride in Kalispell.

A choice of routes today, all with nice roads and great mountain scenery. Follow the Kootenay River on highway 2, Kootenai Falls are a highlight. Your destination is Bonners Ferry located on the famous Selkirk Scenic Loop, A 280 mile loop on some of the most scenic highways of the American Northwest and Canada. Visit, the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, Museums and Breweries around Bonners Ferry.

Follow the Selkirk Scenic Loop for a choice of fantastic rides. Go south for scenic lakes, Colville National Forest and the Columbia River valley. North into the Kootenay Mountains of Canada, the scenic towns of Nelson and Salmo. Cross Kootenay Lake on the longest free ferry ride in North America before arriving in Rossland, Canada’s highest town.

A winding mountain route takes you from Rossland onto the Crowsnest Highway, one of the ‘great routes’ of Canada running parallel to the US border. Pass through the Southern BC towns of Christina Lake, Grand Forks and Greenwood to join the Kettle River Valley before climbing towards the warmest and driest part of Canada, the southern Okanagan. Finally, you descend Anarchist Mountain (no, we don’t make up these names!) to Osoyoos, the warmest spot in Canada.

With its warm, dry climate you’ll find Canada’s only desert nearby. This part of the Okanagan teems with rare flora and fauna alongside fruit orchards and vineyards. The warm clear lakes are ideal for swimming, with beaches to rest on or, if gets too warm, a ride into the hills or north towards Penticton and Kelowna on Okanagan Lake.

A longer ride awaits today, with 140km of sparkling lakeside vistas, twists and curves all day on some scenic side roads away from the traffic. The day will pass all too quickly. Look out for Giant’s Head Mountain as you approach Summerland, maybe visit a winery or the O’Keefe Historic Ranch, or perhaps visit the unusual rock formations of Windy Canyon and look out for a cattle drive on the ranches of Nicola Valley.

A chance to explore the magnificent Wells Gray Park, set in the heart of the Caribou Mountains. You can just feel the solitude in 530,000 hectares of unspoiled wilderness. Visit Dawson Falls where the Murtle River plunges more than 18 metres, the Devil’s Punch Bowl where the force of water has pounded holes into the rocks, and Helmcken Falls, 3 times the height of Niagara Falls! Ride out into the BC Lake District or try some horse-riding, fishing, hiking, golf, kayaking, or whitewater rafting.

The Yellowhead Highway follows the North Thompson River between mountain ranges to Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. On the way, allow time for a lake safari at Blue River  – ecotourism at its best. Mount Robson Provincial Park is a World Heritage Site and the visitor centre is well worth a visit. Ride over the Yellowhead Pass and into the stunning wilderness of Jasper National Park. If time allows, take a ride to Maligne Lake, Mount Edith Cavell, or ride the Sky Tram and have lunch on top of Whistler Mountain.

We’ve saved the best bit until today! Today you ride what many consider to be the world’s most scenic highway, the Icefields Parkway, flanked by snow-capped peaks, glaciers, pristine alpine rivers, lakes and forested valleys. Cross thundering rivers, the Bow and Sunwapta Passes, and stop at the Columbia Icefields Centre to take a ride or walk on a Glacier. Always keep an eye open for the diverse wildlife that frequently show up on the roadside. Marvel at the brilliant blue waters of Peyto Lake and beauty of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Banff’s beautiful mountain setting awaits you and offers plenty of attractions to occupy your time.

Banff offers plenty of options. Explore Lake Minnewanka, the hoodoos and Bow Falls. Take the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain and soak in the hot springs. Or try your hand at horse riding, canoeing, hiking or mountain biking, perhaps finishing the day with a tasty western dinner at Wild Bill’s.

With just a short ride into Calgary remaining, you have time to explore the sights around Banff. Ride the Sulphur Mountain Gondola, visit the Cave and Basin historic site, take a dip in the hot springs or catch up on some souvenir shopping. On the way to Calgary, ride the quiet Bow Valley Trail through ranching country along the Bow River, passing Ghost Lake and maybe visiting a Wolf Sanctuary and the western style centre of Cochrane, famous for its Coffee shops and Ice Cream parlours, before returning your bike to Calgary and catching your flight.