Seattle to Banff and maybe Jasper. Best Route?

[Bob_1978]

Hi all -

 

I am thinking of taking US97 north to CAN3 west, working my way up to Banff.  Then maybe to Jasper.  Return via CAN5 south through Kamloops.  Overnights at Rock Creek, Invermere, Jasper, and Kamloops.

 

Doing all of this starting Septmember 16.

 

Any advice on the route or hotels along the way?

 

Thanks

 

Bob

[John Ranalletta]

@MikeRC to the white courtesy phone. 

[Rob Nowell]

watch out for all that pipeline construction..........we drove from Jasper/Hinton south in July and it was horrible for miles and kilometers and miles and kilometers!

[9Mary7]

And remember they don't have a 2A up there......and they're really serious about it.

[MikeRC]

Here

On 9/7/2022 at 7:44 PM, Bob_1978 said:

Hi all -

 

I am thinking of taking US97 north to CAN3 west, working my way up to Banff.  Then maybe to Jasper.  Return via CAN5 south through Kamloops.  Overnights at Rock Creek, Invermere, Jasper, and Kamloops.

 

Doing all of this starting Septmember 16.

 

Any advice on the route or hotels along the way?

 

Thanks

 

Bob

 

Here's one of your best planning tools: DriveBC.  We have had a late forest fire season so it may be pretty important to keep an eye on that: Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (make sure you click on "Active fires" in the Overlay). 

 

Jasper is a no-go right now.  There is a huge (lightning source) fire about 10 miles from the townsite which is has severely damaged power to the town and most hotels & campgrounds are closed:  https://www.jasper.travel/wildfire/  .  You could stay in Valemount, BC (which is about an hour and a half from Jasper) and drive through to Banff or Lake Louise.   Accommodation is still pricey in Banff/Lake Louise/Canmore until mid-October.    Maybe a 10-20% chance of snow in late September but very little chance of road temps below freezing (ice).  You will catch the best fall foliage changes (aspen, birch &  larch) the last 2 weeks of September.  

 

BC 5 from Kamloops to Valemount is really boring.  But a means to an end.  The best roads to try and include are (in no particular order, and no particular direction):

 

• BC 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton/Lillooet/Cache Creek
• BC 6 from Cherryville to Faquier/Nakusp/New Denver
• BC 31A New Denver to Kaslo
• BC 3A Crawford Bay to Creston
• BC 33 Kelowna to Rock Creek
• BC 5A Kamloops to Nicola
• BC 93 Radium to Eisenhower Junction
• BC 3 from Hope to Creston is pretty good, but there are lots of towns and pretty heavy speed enforcement
• AB 93 Jasper to Lake Louise (the Icefields Parkway)

Currently you need to be COVID-19 fully vaccinated  to cross the border into Canada.  You must be ready to provide proof of vaccination and fill in the ArriveCAN information no more than 72 hrs before crossing the border. 

 

Mike C

 

[Bob_1978]

Thanks all!  Great advice, Mike.  I will definitely check the fire situation before leaving.