This is the second part of the story about my 2020 ultimate road trip to British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. You will get a closer look at the two most iconic national parks in Canada - Banff and Jasper -  the number one reason most overseas visitors come to Canada. Both are located entirely in the province of Alberta, but we also will take a quick detour into the neighbouring Kootenay National Park to see its gorgeous Marble Canyon.

If you've come all the way up to visit Banff National Park, you can already pat yourself on the back.  The park is quite a drive unless you are flying to Calgary. But your job isn't over until you see Moraine Lake at sunrise. The moment when the sun gently touches the mountain peaks towering behind the lake with its golden, almost reddish rays will take your breath away. Simply put - Moraine Lake is the more picturesque mountain lake in Canada and perhaps in the whole world. So is it worth waking up at 5 am to catch sunrise? Absolutely!
A word of caution - arrive at least 30 minutes before sunrise to get a parking spot and find a good place to watch or photograph the "light show". We arrived at 5:40 am and there were only a few parking spots left. The best picture spots on the rock pile have also been taken.
The actual "light show" lasts for about 10 minutes from the moment when the sky becomes pink to when the mountain peaks at a backdrop are all lit up.
After sunrise, you're pretty much down to a few options: you can hike one of the trails, have breakfast at Moraine Lake Lodge, paddle a canoe or leave to explore the rest of the park.
As for the hiking, the Moraine Lake Lakeshore trail (1.5 km / 1 mile one way, easy) seems like a good option, but most of it will still be in the shadow early in the morning.

Another hike - the Consolation Lakes trail (2.9 km / 1.8 miles one way, easy) - promises nice views of high alpine meadows, enormous talus slopes (a very slippery mountain incline with lots of small avalanche rocks) and a glacier. Had we had about more two hours, we would definitely hike that trail. But if you can spare at least a half-day at Moraine Lake and don't mind doing some workout, go for either one of the moderate hikes: Lake Annette (5.7 km / 3.6 miles one way), Eiffel Lake (5.6 km / 3.5 miles one way), or Larch Valley / Minnestimma Lakes (4.3 km / 2.7 miles one way). Note that when the group access is in effect (usually mid-July to mid-October), hikers are legally required to travel in a tight group of four or more to protect from grizzly bear attacks and to minimize disturbance to those animals. The research has shown that groups of less than four people including lone hikers are more likely to be eaten by grizzly bears in the area.
If you have a jam-packed agenda like we did, you'd better go straight to Lake Louise after seeing the sunrise at Moraine Lake. Luckily, the parking lot there is much spacier, so at 9 am we weren't scrambling to find a spot. Expect to compete with other people on a boardwalk for a good photo shoot though.

Pay tribute or even have a glamorous breakfast at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise which brought fame to this place in the 19th century.

Missing out on hiking the Agnes Lake trail (3.4 km / 2 miles one way) would be a huge mistake. 

Although heavily trafficked, this forested trail is only moderately difficult, offers outstanding views of Mirror and Agnes lakes and - best of all - doesn't require you to bundle up with other hikers due to grizzly bear danger. A great option for solo hikers. 

At the end of the trail, the river makes its epic fall underneath your feet forcing the rocks to tremble. 

Have you seen kissing squirrels? 

If after visiting Marble and Maligne Canyons you think you've seen it all, Athabasca Falls will make your jaws drop again. Where they lack in height, they definitely make up in crude power!

Visiting the Athabasca Glacier, the most accessible glacier in North America, was my last and the most favourite stop of the day. Make sure you dress for winter-like conditions as staying next to a gigantic glacier is like getting inside a fridge. 

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the 6 glacier tongues fed by the Columbia Icefield, the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. Waters from those 6 glaciers end up in all three oceans - Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic! 

The reality fuelled by accelerating climate change is that the ice melts faster than it can accumulate now. As a result, the Athabasca Glacier shrinks by about 5 metres / 16 ft per year!