Howse Pass Viewpoint

Howse Pass Viewpoint is a roadside lookout at Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Icefields Parkway. A short walk opens onto a broad view of the North Saskatchewan River Valley and the rugged Rockies. It’s a quick scenic pause, not a hike to the remote Howse Pass itself.

The pale braided river spreads across the valley floor below forested slopes and high mountain faces. Keep some river in your photo; it gives the peaks scale and shows how wide the valley is.

The viewpoint’s name points to the historic route over Howse Pass, used by Indigenous Peoples and early European explorers crossing the Rockies. David Thompson crossed the pass in June 1807, and it became a National Historic Site in 1978. The pass is a separate, remote route west of this highway stop, so don’t mistake the viewpoint for its trailhead.

It also works as a picnic stop. Visitor services in the wider Saskatchewan River Crossing area are seasonal, so plan the stop around the view and don’t count on nearby services outside their season.