Which scenic highway in the Canadian Rockies connects Jasper and Banff National Parks?

The scenic highway connecting Jasper and Banff National Parks is the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). It runs through the Canadian Rockies between Lake Louise and Jasper, crossing some of the most dramatic mountain and glacial scenery in Alberta.

The parkway follows the Continental Divide and passes landmarks including the Columbia Icefield, Athabasca Glacier, Sunwapta Falls, and numerous alpine lakes. Its name refers to the icefields visible along the route, especially around the Columbia Icefield. The road is about 227 kilometres long between Lake Louise and Jasper.

Construction began during the Great Depression as a relief project, employing about 600 men. The original road was completed in 1940, and a reconstructed paved highway opened in 1961 as automobile tourism expanded. A common mix-up is calling the entire route “Highway 93”: Highway 93 also continues south of Lake Louise as the Banff–Windermere Highway, while “Icefields Parkway” specifically describes the scenic section north toward Jasper.

The route is not the Yellowhead Highway, although the Icefields Parkway ends near Jasper at its junction with Highway 16, the Yellowhead Highway. Travellers also need a Canadian national parks pass, and commercial trucks are prohibited on the parkway.