Four Car-Free Highways to Bike This Spring
How to enjoy the short yet stunning window of time where roads are free of snow, closed to vehicles and open to bikes
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Biking on Highway 40
Alberta is a mecca for outdoor adventures, from skiing in the winter to hiking in the summer. And every spring, there’s an exceptional activity we highly recommend: car-free bike rides on mountain highways.
A handful of highways in Alberta — primarily located in Kananaskis Country — have annual seasonal closures. These roads typically close at the start of December and reopen in mid-May or June (read on for exact dates). That means there’s often a small yet wonderful window of time where the roads are free of snow, closed to vehicles and open to people on bikes. Dear reader, this window is fast approaching!
Read on to find out how you can enjoy a memorable ride in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by stunning scenery with no vehicles speeding past. Plus there’s a few options for tacking on a hike to these bike routes, and if you’re like us, a bike plus a hike is a true winning combo.
Keep in mind a few basic tips before you head out. Bring bear spray and be bear aware — we’ve seen both black bears and grizzlies while biking on many of these routes. In addition to wildlife sightings, be prepared for bike trouble and for changing weather. Bike repair kits, warm clothes, food and water are all must-haves on these mountain routes. You’ll also need to purchase a Kananaskis Conversation Pass for the rides in Kananaskis, and a Parks Canada Discovery Pass for the Banff National Park ride.
Read on for details on where to go, then get rolling!
The Highway 40 winter gate from the south side (pictured with Cailynn’s beloved bike)
Highway #40 (Highwood Pass)
This highway is often described as one of Canada’s best drives. Experiencing it at a slower pace, on a bike, makes it even better. Just be prepared to climb — this is also the highest paved road in Canada, reaching 2,206 metres at Highwood Pass.
The route is closed to vehicles annually from December 1 to June 14. There are several different options, depending on if you want a 110-kilometre day or a 35-kilometre day, and there are also several different hiking trails accessed from the highway, if you want to add on a hike.
You can access this bike ride from either the north side, where you’ll find the winter gate right near the King Creek Ridge Trailhead, or the south side, near Highwood House Junction. Both starting points are located about an hour and half from Calgary by vehicle. The north side offers a shorter route to the pass — you’ll need to cover about 18 km — but it’s steeper than the south side, which has a more gradual grade but a longer distance (38 kilometres to the pass).
We tend to park at the north winter gate and bike to Highwood Pass and then go back the same way we came. Some years we’ve hit some snow near the pass, but the closer to mid-June you ride, the more likely you’ll have a clear route.
We love how many different people get out to do this ride every year. Last year, Cailynn saw road bikes, cruiser bikes, two tandem bikes, ebikes, kids bikes and numerous different arrangements to tow kids (and pets) up the steep pass. She rode on the last June weekend Highway 40 was still closed to vehicles, so it was bustling out, but made for such a fun atmosphere up at the pass. Joining so many people outside, all on two wheels, is a joy.
Yikes bikes! Lots of people at the pass on Saturday June 10, 2023
Highway 1A (Bow Valley Parkway)
Biking on the Bow Valley Parkway
Highway 1A, the scenic secondary highway between Banff and Lake Louise, is known as The Bow Valley Parkway. In 2020, this popular road in Banff National Park was quietly closed to motor vehicles and opened to people for a 24-kilometre stretch along the eastern section, in an effort to reduce COVID-19 exposure. The closure didn’t stay quiet for long and biking the parkway became a highlight for us of that first strange pandemic year.
You can still enjoy this road without vehicles, as Parks Canada is running a three-year cycling pilot program from 2022 to 2024 along a 17-kilometre stretch of Bow Valley Parkway’s eastern section. The closure runs from May 1 to June 25 and August 30 to September 30. Any non-motorized transport is allowed, so we’ve seen plenty of people out walking, as well as the odd person on rollerblades.
Cyclists are encouraged to start and end their journey in the Town of Banff, parking at the Train Station Public Parking Lot. From there, just ride the incredible Vermilion Lakes Road to the Legacy Trail Connector, and then you’ll be at the Bow Valley Parkway. The road is car-free until Johnston Canyon (a short but scenic hike if your legs aren’t tired yet), and you can keep riding past that if you’re comfortable alongside vehicles.
Highway #546 (Sheep River Road)
Sheep on the aptly named Sheep River Road
This Kananaskis closure on Highway #546 runs from the Sandy McNabb Campground to Sheep River Falls, every December 1 to May 14. This route truly lives up to its name, as we’ve never not seen sheep while biking here. You can park at the Sandy McNabb Campground and bike on the highway from the winter gate for about 16 kilometres, when you will reach Sheep River Falls. Leave your bikes here, walk for less than a kilometre and you’ll be rewarded with a lovely waterfall — a perfect spot for a picnic lunch.
Those looking for a longer ride can start in the town of Diamond Valley (the amalgamation of Black Diamond and Turner Valley) and cycle the 35 kilometres to Sheep River Falls. This route typically has snow-free conditions earlier than other mountain routes, so it’s often the first route we’ll enjoy each spring.
Highway #66
Biking on Highway 66
Highway 66 is located close to Calgary (just a 30-minute drive west) and offers users a variety of options, depending on how long or short you want to cycle. This Kananaskis road is closed annually from December 1 to May 14 west of the Elbow Falls Provincial Recreation Area (which is where we recommend parking) and the Powderface Trail.
Biking with kids? Super little legs can manage two kilometres on bikes to the Beaver Flats Campground, where they can play and explore, including hiking the short Beaver Flats interpretive trail. Stronger bikers can go 5.1 kilometres to Rainy Summit or about 10 kilometres to Forget-me-not Pond. The latter may only be a 20-kilometre round trip, but there’s about 350 metres elevation gain, so it’s no small ride.
Happy biking! And if you’ve made it out for a spring ride, let us know in the comments where you went and what conditions you found.
