Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Home Mountain MTN Places Icefields Parkway Getaway Ideas for Groups in Alberta, Canada

Icefields Parkway Getaway Ideas for Groups in Alberta, Canada

By M+E Staff

In the soon-to-be released Spring/Summer 2022 issue of Mountain Meetings, I write about Mountain Activities 101. That’s not the official title of the article—it’s actually Mild to Wild—but it is a primer about the many amazing activities groups can enjoy in the mountains, from cave tours in Bend, Oregon, to a kayaking, hiking and hot springs excursion near Boulder City, Nevada. 

Sometimes, there is so much great information that we can’t fit it all in. Case in point are the varied options offered by Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. One of my favorite trips of all time was flying into Calgary, Alberta, many years ago and traveling the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) that runs 227 kilometers between the communities of Lake Louise in Banff National Park and Jasper in Jasper National Park. Hiking to backcountry lodges, exploring all sorts of incredible trails, staying at amazing historic properties, jumping in glacier-fed lakes (get ready to be cold), and dining on excellent cuisine along the way were among the many highlights. 

Staying a few days on each end of the Icefields Parkways for an incentive trip or retreat is guaranteed to keep attendees talking for years or simply do the drive, make some stops along the way, and have a property like Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge serve as your group’s base camp. Or if you like the dual-destination idea make it easy by staying at one of the hotel’s sister properties, Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge can provide canoe arrivals on Lac Beauvert and help line up helicopter drops onto Folding Mountain and visits to the Columbian Icefields, Jasper SkyTram, and Maligne Canyon. Groups can buy out the entire 700-acre property that features 442 rooms and an 18-hole golf course dating back to 1925 or book several Signature Cabins, which include full butler service and provide the opportunity for in-chef private dining.

Of special note is a private outdoor space at Trefoil Lake that is ideal for events and dinners. Or add a touch of culture by attending Symphony Under the Sun (new this year) or Symphony Under the Stars and enjoying the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as they play on the hotel’s plateau overlooking Lac Beauvert. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge team can help meeting planners organize something similar for private gatherings. 

You get the idea … there are so many mountain activities that the hardest part will be narrowing it down and finding time to meet!

 

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