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Motorcycle Road Trip In The Canadian Rockies

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Bow Lake & Glacier

Canada

This summer I rented a Harley Davidson motorcycle for a Canadian Rockies road trip through beautiful national parks in both Alberta and British Columbia. The area is full of scenic landscapes and diverse wildlife.

The motorcycle road trip began in Calgary. I was able to rent a Harley online before arriving in Canada, picking out a black 2013 Street Glide I nicknamed “Black Betty”.

At 1600 cc’s, she is a beast. To practice handling her on the road, I initially avoided the Trans-Canada Highway, enjoying the scenic and winding route 1A West towards Canmore.

Banff National Park was next, motoring North along the famous Icefields Parkway. Passing pristine turquoise blue lakes and ancient snow-covered glaciers along the way. Deer and elk were plentiful on the sides of the road.

After slowly making my way to the town of Jasper enjoying the epic views and cold fresh air whipping past, I grabbed a bite to eat in town, and found a nearby Hosteling International hostel to spend the night.

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Bull Elk Sighting

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Red Footbridge in Kootenay National Park

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Saskatchewan Glacier

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Climbing Parker Ridge

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Downtown Banff

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Enjoying Back Roads in the Canadian Rockies

The Golden Triangle

My motorcycle adventure through the Rockies continued when I reversed direction and sped back through Icefields Parkway with completely different views. Stopping for a few hours to stretch my legs with a hike to the very top of Parker Ridge, overlooking snow-covered Mt. Athabasca.

The slow-moving and impressive Saskatchewan Glacier carving its way into the valley below.

Next it was on to the Golden Triangle, a scenic motorcycle route that takes you into 3 different national parks: Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay. Right in the middle of the action is the small town of Golden, British Columbia. It’s not nearly as touristy as Banff, costs a lot less, and is surrounded by 5 different national parks.

Following the stop-off in Golden, Black Betty and I proceeded South down route 95 to Radium Hot Springs, turning East into Kootenay National Park. The road slices right into Sinclair Canyon before winding its way through the wilderness along the ice-cold Kootenay river. It was the perfect road to maneuver my powerful Street Glide through the curves.

I finished the Golden Triangle route in Banff before heading back to Calgary to drop the bike off and complete my Harley Davidson motorcycle road trip through some of Canada’s greatest national parks. It was one hell of an adventure!

SEE ALSO: Vancouver Island, Canada Road Trip

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Icefields Parkway Ride

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Mountains of Banff National Park

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Entrance to Kootenay National Park

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Cruising the Trans-Canada Highway

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Lake Moraine in Banff

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Funny Pika Rodents

Motorcycle Road Trip Canada

Canadian Pacific Railroad

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Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip.

Book Your Flight

Ready to fly? Here’s how I find the cheapest airline flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find a deal.

Cheap Accommodation

Learn how I save money booking hotels & vacation apartments.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read why you should always carry travel insurance.
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READ MORE CANADA TRAVEL TIPS

I hope you enjoyed my guide on Vancouver Island! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

Ever been on a motorcycle road trip before?

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