North Loop via
Edmonton
International
Airport
The North Loop. Follow the Meltwaters of the World’s Only True Hydrological Apex
Route: Hwy 16 → Hwy 93 → Hwy 11 → Hwy 2
Recommended Duration: 5–7 days
Ideal for history buffs, wildlife watchers, and road trippers drawn to glacier-fed rivers and big mountain trails. Travel through Alberta’s farmlands to the glacial heights of the Rockies—where ice, solitude, and the Fur Trade history shaped the cultures of these lands.
Day 1 ~ Edmonton to Rocky Mountain House ~ Hwy 2 & Hwy 11
Distance. 225 km | Drive Time. 2.5hrs
Travel south from Edmonton on Hwy 2, passing through Alberta’s agricultural heartland—fields, grain elevators, and big prairie skies. At Red Deer, head west on Hwy 11 and watch the landscape shift from prairie to foothills. This scenic corridor leads to Rocky Mountain House, a historic frontier town once home to rival fur trading posts of the Hudson’s Bay and North West Companies—where Traders, Trappers, and Indigenous peoples shaped the early story of western Canada.
Highlights.
Overnight x1
Country Inn or a Campground Resort near Rocky Mountain House.
Day 2 ~ Into the Bighorn Region ~ Hwy 11 West
Distance. 90 km | Drive Time. 1 hr
Drive west from Rocky Mountain House along the David Thompson Highway as it winds through rolling foothills and boreal forest. Then, as you crest the rise near Jackfish Lake, the Rockies break suddenly into view—jagged and dominant. For first-time travellers, it’s a breathtaking reveal: the moment Alberta’s mountain frontier rises to meet the sky.
Suggested Activities.
Days 3 & 4 ~ Nordegg & Abraham Lake
Spend a few days immersed in The Bighorn.
Highlights.
Day 5 ~ The Saskatchewan River Crossing ~ Hwy 11 West
Distance. 90 km | Drive Time. 1 hr
This stretch of the David Thompson Highway leads deep into the Bighorn region of the Canadian Rocky Mountains—wild and uncrowded. Once a key passage for Indigenous travellers, explorers, and early outfitters, it remains the historic crossroads into the Mountain Parks, where rivers divide and the peaks soar.
Highlights.
Overnight x1
Stay on the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93) at The Crossing Resort.
Day 6 ~ Columbia Icefields & Jasper National Park
Distance. 155 km | Drive Time. 1.75 hrs
Follow Hwy 93 North—the Icefields Parkway into Jasper National Park, where wildlife, alpine lakes, and natural hot springs await. Along the way, visit the Columbia Icefields, home to Snow Dome, the world’s only true hydrological apex—where meltwaters flow to three oceans from a single point of ice. Stop at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, where exhibits and guided experiences reveal the stories of glaciers, geology, and climate. By 1940, Alberta had built the first road in the world that could bring motorists to the very toe of a glacier—making this one of the most remarkable alpine routes on Earth.
Highlights.
Columbia Icefields & Skywalk Tours
Sunwapta Falls & Athabasca Falls
Miette Hot Springs ~ summer
Maligne Lake ~ summer
Maligne Canyon Ice Walks ~ winter
Overnight x1
Mountain Lodge or Hotel in Jasper townsite.
Day 7 ~ Jasper to Edmonton ~ Hwy 16 East
Distance. 365 km | Drive Time. 4 hrs
Travel east from Jasper to Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway, stop in Hinton to walk the Beaver Boardwalk, the world’s longest freshwater boardwalk of its kind, passing through wetlands alive with birdlife and beavers. Continue to Edson, a town rooted in forestry and rail history—home to local museums and antique shops offering vintage finds and prairie charm. This final stretch bridges Alberta’s wild west and its urban heart.
Highlights.
William A. Switzer Provincial Park
Local Antique & Vintage Shops – rustic finds with regional flair
Take in a Hockey Game at Roger’s Place!
( October – April, June if they make the finals! )
End of Journey.
Return to Edmonton with memories of ancient ice, alpine solitude, and the waters that shape a continent.