For The RepsBlog
SearchGet the app

Outdoors

Bow Valley Parkway Ride

You ride out of Banff on Vermilion Lakes Drive and the Legacy Trail to Fireside, then take the eastern 17 km of the Bow Valley Parkway to Johnston Canyon, which is closed to private vehicles during the spring and autumn cycling periods. The parkway is a 48 km paved road between Banff and Lake Louise that rises and falls gently through forest and meadow.

For The Reps · Updated

bike ride scenery for Bow Valley Parkway Ride near Alberta
Photo: Bow Valley Parkway slicing through a forest. Sadly this road was built by Ukrainian internment camp prisoners during the Great War. - panoramio by R. Sieben, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). Via Wikimedia Commons.
Where
Alberta, Canada
Distance
50 km return from Banff (17 km each way on the car-free section)
Difficulty
Moderate

The route

Banff to Johnston Canyon, using the car-free Fireside to Johnston Canyon section.

Park at the Banff Train Station lot and ride via Vermilion Lakes Drive and the Banff Legacy Trail to the Fireside Day-use Area at the east end of the parkway. Several Banff shops rent bikes and e-bikes.

When to go

Under the 2025-2030 cycling pilot, the eastern section is car-free from 30 April to 25 June (8:00 to 20:00) and from 1 September to 6 October; outside those dates you share the road with traffic.

Permits and fees

You need a Parks Canada pass to stop in Banff National Park (in 2026, $12.25 per adult or $24.50 per family or group per day). From 1 March to 25 June, all travel, bikes included, is banned on the 17 km section between 20:00 and 8:00.

Before you go

  • E-bikes are allowed on the parkway and on the Banff Legacy Trail.
  • Start early in spring so you finish the section well before the 20:00 closure.
  • The parkway has several picnic areas and rest stops for breaks.

What to bring

  • Helmet
  • Spare tube, tyre levers and a pump
  • Water and snacks
  • Front and rear lights
  • A layer for descents and stops

Getting ready for it

Time in the saddle matters more than speed.

If you have not ridden for a while, do two or three rides of an hour or two first so your legs and your seat are used to it.

Staying safe

  • Elk, wolves, cougars and grizzly and black bears live here: carry bear spray, ride in a group, make noise, and keep 30 m from elk, deer, sheep and moose and 100 m from bears, wolves and cougars.
  • Outside the car-free periods the parkway is a narrow road shared with cars.
  • Wear bright clothing and use lights wherever there is traffic.
  • Check your brakes and tyres before you leave.

Route details checked September 30, 2026 against parks.canada.ca, parks.canada.ca, parks.canada.ca, parks.canada.ca and banfflakelouise.com. Rules and closures change, so check before you go.