Hike to the Athabasca Glacier Viewpoint
Jasper, Alberta
Details
Distance
0.35 miles
Elevation Gain
60 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Sophie Lamarche
Super friendly family hike! Trail is steep, but otherwise an easy 10 minute hike to a viewpoint of the Athabasca Glacier!
Turn onto Glacier Rd. from the Icefields Parkway, and at the end of the road you will hit a parking lot and see where the trail goes straight up the hill. The parking lot has a bathroom, and some picnic tables to eat on, also across the street is the Icefields Centre where you can get food. When you are ready to hike, make sure you bring a sweater, it is very chilly at the top with a breeze blowing off the glacier.
The hike up is steep but only takes about 10 minutes to reach the top, the glacier and the trail are separated by a river and little dirt pile and you shouldn't try to go on the glacier due to the risk of falling into crevasses. When you get to the top the trail flattens out and you walk down a tiny bit to get closer to the glacier. Along the top of the trail and glacier, there a posts with facts about the glacier and old pictures.
The glacier is great for educating your children or yourself about global warming and the affects people have on the earth. The glacier has receded almost 1 mile over the past 125 years, which is huge, and is the most visited glacier in North America.
This is a super easy, family friendly hike if you don't want to pay $85 to go onto the actual glacier. It can be a short stop on your way to or from Banff or Jasper.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Get the appFeatures
Hike to the Athabasca Glacier Viewpoint Reviews
Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Hike along the Athabasca Glacier
Athabasca Ice Caves
Hike to Wilcox Pass
Snowshoe to Wilcox Pass
Hike to the Summit of Parker Ridge
Hike to the Saskatchewan Glacier
Community
© 2024 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy