This was a two-week road trip, with my partner, largely around the state of Alberta – except for one day across the border in British Columbia – to the Rocky Mountains and back. Along the way we saw snow-capped mountains, vast forests, dramatic waterfalls, and some of the world’s most stunning lakes. We also had encounters with many of Canada’s extraordinary wild animals along the way. It was a spectacular and rewarding journey through one of the world’s largest mountain ranges.

I set out to describe the journey, to help readers understand how they might do their own road trip through the Rockies. However, when looking back on the trip, I felt almost as excited as I was on the trip – and my writing is focused more on the feelings than the detail. So, to give you a better idea of the itinerary, I will lay out a rough overview of our trip here, before going onto describe my experiences below.

We started and ended the trip in Calgary, from where we flew in and out from the UK. We hired a car from the airport that could take us straight to the town of Banff. From there, we started a route I had prepared beforehand.

We headed north along the highway, spending a total of five days in Banff National Park, before another five days in Jasper National Park. We did two long hikes on the first two days in Banff, which were very challenging, as we reached the snow and ice at the highest points of elevation. We then had short walks and middle-distance hikes for the rest of the trip.

Our luck in regard to wildlife came to us when we were in Jasper, where we were able to spot – from the safety of our car – many black bears, including cubs, grizzlies, elk, bald eagles, and more. With so much wildlife to spot, we took more time to relax in the second, after having spent a lot of time driving and hiking in the first week.

The latter part of our trip took us away from the Rockies; first to Hinton, then to Elk Island National Park, just outside Edmonton, which was an approximately four-hour drive from the border of Jasper National Park. We had two nights at Elk Island, amongst the wild bison there. The final drive of the trip was south, back to Calgary, where we spent our last night in unfamiliar surroundings – the city.

As for sleeping arrangements, we spent most nights sleeping in the car. Fortunately, it was a sizeable SUV with plenty of space in the back. We took sleeping bags, pillows and blankets to keep ourselves as comfortable and warm as possible. We had a few nights in hostels and Airbnbs, to break up the journey with relative luxury, which was always appreciated.

Despite covering a lot of distance, we kept driving to no more than four hours most days. We took a portable cooker, and often cooked and ate by the roadside, while always remaining cautious to keep food away from wildlife. We picked up bear spray when we arrived, as advised, to protect ourselves and bears from harm, in case of an unexpected encounter on a hike.

Banff and Jasper National Parks are accessible destinations, with many possibilities for travelling and exploring, that can allow you to delve into nature at its most wild and magnificent. We immersed ourselves into the wilderness on this trip. The way we travelled meant we were always surrounded by the scenery; indeed, we often woke up in the midst of it. It helped create an unforgettable journey, which I have shared with you below.