Photo: Ethan Sahagun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
📍 Jasper Moderate
TODAY'S STATUS (OFFICIAL SOURCE)
Open
✅ Fair · 2026-10-13: Wet and muddy sections; Snow patches Parks Canada ↗
3.6 km
Distance
1 h
Time
Moderate
Difficulty
✓
Dogs on leash
✓
Family friendly
A short walk across the forefield of the Athabasca Glacier: the ground of bare rock, boulders and moraines the ice has uncovered since the mid-1800s. It's a landscape still shaped by ice and meltwater, where hardy alpine plants have gained a foothold.
Parks Canada asks you to stay on the trail and be ready to turn back: meltwater streams cross the path and can get large on warm days. Don't walk on the glacier: it's unstable and dangerous.
It starts directly across from the Columbia Icefield Centre, 104 km south of Jasper on the Icefields Parkway.
📍 Directly across from the Columbia Icefield Centre
July to September. Near the Columbia Icefield it's cold and windy even in summer, and it can snow any time of year. Wear sturdy shoes.
The whole Columbia Icefield area is wildlife habitat. Keep at least 30 m from bighorn sheep, mountain goats and deer, and 100 m from bears, wolves and cougars.
User experiences, not official information. Always check the official status before you go.
No comments yet. Be the first.