On our recent trip through Alberta and British Columbia – we came across a lot of water!!
From our first river in Calgary – the Bow River to the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver, there wasn’t a day when we didn’t see water. Unlike many other cities, the Bow River doesn’t go through the centre of Calgary, but it divides Downtown from the rest of this sprawling city. 
Like many other cities, there are pathways and parks along the river on both banks and these are lovely places to relax in. One lovely place to cross is the Peace Bridge, a pedestrian bridge, well used by bikes and walkers alike.
The Bow River rises in the Rockies and flows eventually to the Hudson River. We followed the river along its route to Banff and Canmore, staying just outside Canmore on our first night in the RV. The campground was alongside the river and was a lovely backdrop to the site. Banff again has lovely trails along the river and here you might encounter bears. Lake Minnewanka is a beautiful lake in Banff that is just a ten-minute drive away from the town. In the summer, it’s a busy place to hike, picnic, and go canoeing. In the winter, Lake Minnewanka can make for one of the grandest ice skating rinks in the world. Read more here
The next water we came across was Lake Louise. Famed across the world because of its beautiful blue colour, it is a very popular tourist attraction. As it is so popular, its hard to drive directly to the Lake, the best thing to do is follow the signs to the Tourist Centre, where you can get a shuttle bus to the Lake. Big tip – book this in advance! We turned up thinking we were out of season, and it would be quiet – no 
buses available for hours as we didn’t book. However, we had a Plan B – we took the gondola up the mountain and had incredible views of the Lake which is opposite the mountain. OK, at a distance but, we still saw the famous Lake. Why is it famous? It is fed by glacier melt and the rock flour gives it the amazing turquoise blue colour. The Lake is set in between mountains and its perfectly placed. The Fairmount Chateau Hotel stands on its banks, a beautiful 5 star luxury hotel in a beautiful setting. The gondola is available at the Lake Louise Ski Resort – ride it in the summer for walks and mountain biking, or in the winter for ski-ing (obviously).
Our most basic campground was Blanket Creek – no facilities here, only the dreaded pit toilets! So happy we have our own facilities in the RV LOL We’d been pointed towards Sutherland Falls which is part of the Provincial Park, we went there in the morning as we left. It was quiet, even though we were on the lookout for bears (seen in the area). The falls were beautiful and remarkably powerful for their size. It was a waterfall day – our next one was Crazy Creek, where we were the first visitors of the day. Once again, this was directly off the Trans-
Canadian. A friendly cafe and patio area lead to a 240 ft suspension bridge. Across the bridge, you have 2 levels to view the falls, the higher level is the better to see how the gorge was formed and is still being formed.
Next stop was Sicamous which is located between Shuswap and Mara Lakes. It also has several beautiful beaches, where you can swim as well as enjoying watersports. We lunched at a viewpoint overlooking the lakes and being a weekend, everywhere looked busy in sunny warm weather. A bonus round here is that there are vineyards, so wine tasting is a perfect diversion.
A little diversion off the Trans-Canadian took us to Tsutswec Provincial Park, one of the salmon spawning grounds, but we were too early to see the salmon. They arrive mid October and there’s a great viewing platform to watch them. We continued to follow the Thompson River through Kamloops and had a great view at the Kamloops Lake View Point. Here we learnt more about how the river was the first mode 
of transport for immigrants to the area, many of whom came to build the railroad. As the railroad grew, the riverboats grew less and eventually went out of business.
We followed rivers all the way to Whistler where we stayed for a couple of nights. A lovely walk along organised trails and through the golf course took us to Green Lake. Where Lake Louise was a gorgeous blue colour, Green Lake was, as you’d expect, green! Again the rock flour and glacial feed is what gives the lake its distinctive colour. You can even take a seaplane ride during the summer from the lake to Vancouver.
The final part of our RV journey took us southwards towards Vancouver, along the famous Sea to Sky Highway. This stretch of Highway 99 is around 75 miles in length. There are lots of places to stop and enjoy the views between Whistler and Squamish and we took full advantage of this. In my opinion best to drive south as all the views are on the west side of the Highway. If you drive north, then you have to cross the Highway each time. However one great stop on the east side of the Highway is Brandywine Provincial Park. 
A big car park is a clue how popular this attraction is. A relatively short walk, including crossing the railroad brings you to the waterfalls. These were the tallest we’d seen – very loud and powerful. A lovely and fairly unexpected stop. Our final waterfall was opposite our final campground in Squamish and these falls are visible from the Highway – Shannon Falls, the third highest waterfall in British Columbia.
We were so looking forward to the drive from Squamish to Vancouver along the Highway, enjoying the beautiful views and stopping regularly. However, the weather changed overnight from sunny and warm to low cloud and rain. This meant there was no point in stopping anywhere as the clouds hid everything. I think we’ll have to return to Canada and do this part of the journey again!
Vancouver is on the western coast of Canada, very close to the USA border. Its on the Pacific Ocean but protected from the open ocean by Vancouver Island. However the city and the sea are closely linked. The harbour is busy and huge, with cargo ships, cruise liners and smaller yachts (and some big ones too). Vancouver is divided north to south by the Burrard Inlet and the easiest way to cross between them is to use the Seabus (if you’re not driving). Crossings every 15 minutes, the 12 minute journey takes you from the heart of the harbour to Lonsdale Quay. Unfortunately you can’t go outside to watch the crossing, but it is an extremely popular way for locals as well as tourists to explore the city.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this aspect of our journey, water formed a very important part of it! Want to do the same or similar? Just message me or call me on 01252519669
FAQs
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When is the best time to visit the lakes and waterfalls in Western Canada?
The best time to visit is typically from late spring to early fall (May to September). Summer offers the warmest weather and most accessible trails, while early fall brings fewer crowds and spectacular fall colors. Winter can also be beautiful, but many trails, facilities, and access roads may be limited due to snow.
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Are there any restrictions or permits needed to visit national parks and lakes?
Yes, many lakes and waterfalls along this route are located within national parks (like Banff, Yoho, and Jasper). You’ll need a Parks Canada Discovery Pass to enter and use these areas. For certain popular spots like Moraine Lake, advance reservations or permits may be required to manage crowds, particularly in peak summer months.
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Which waterfalls should I not miss?
Several must-visit waterfalls along this route are:
- Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park, one of Canada’s highest and most dramatic waterfalls
- Shannon Falls near Squamish, easily accessible from the Sea-to-Sky Highway. (You can see the Falls from the Highway!)
- Brandywine Falls on the way to Whistler, which has a breathtaking view from above.
- Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park, a massive waterfall that’s especially impressive in spring
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Are there places to swim in the lakes and rivers?
Yes, though the water can be quite cold even in summer! Okanagan Lake near Kelowna is one of the warmer lakes and popular for swimming. In contrast, glacial lakes like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are stunning for photos but are typically too chilly for swimming.