A scenic paved road to Mount Norquay in Canada
Mount Norquay is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1,720m (5,643ft) above sea level, located in Canada’s Alberta province.
Is the road to Mount Norquay paved?
Located in Banff National Park, the steep road to the summit is fully paved. It’s called Mt Norquay Scenic Drive. It’s a winding mountain road, with 6 sharp hairpin turns, which sometimes have loose gravel on them, leading to Norquay Ski resort. The mountain was named in 1904 after John Norquay, premier of Manitoba from 1878 to 1887.
How long is the road to Mount Norquay?
The road to the summit is pretty steep. Starting from the Trans-Canada Highway, the ascent is 5.8 km (3.60 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 318 meters. The average gradient is 5.48%.
A chairlift service road, totally unpaved and very steep, starting north of the resort, climbs up to 1,988m (6,522ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.
Is the road to Mount Norquay worth it?
Nestled in a valley surrounded by majestic mountains, the journey offers superb views. It’s definitely worth it. There is a simply superb view of the town of Banff and its surrounds from the viewpoint near the top of the long and winding road. If there is fog about though, the view is mostly of fog. Early in the morning or evenings, you might see some alpenglow in the sky. Along this drive, you are likely to see mule deer and bighorn sheep. Although there are several great lookouts, the best in Mountain Man's opinion is from the meadow area at the end of the road. This is active grizzly country.