Bald Hills. This makes the visit more enjoyable, and you can focus on the incredible experience in front of you. Using Motorhome Republic you can search hundreds of deals across multiple companies to pick a great vehicle and the cheapest price. C$203.96. Something you will quickly realize when searching for hotels. The only reservations that are required are for the guided Ice Walk as it is with an independent tour operator not associated with Pursuit and the Icefield Discovery Center. Toe of the Glacier Athabasca. But with this popularity comes a few challenges when it comes to planning your visit. Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below. The Athabasca Glacier is a large toe that extends down from the Columbia Icefield. We're a family who hike quite a bit - and so - are interested in. We quickly realized that some of the activities are out of our budget, so it was easy to rule them out, but there were also too many things we wanted to see and too many photogenic places we did not want to miss, so the decision process was often quite heartbreaking. If you'd like to support our work check out our shop for unique prints and souvenirs or support us directly here. While you can drive the Icefields Parkway in the winter, weather dependent, the Columbia Icefields Discovery Center does close. These tours dont include transportation from nearby towns, so youll need to get yourself to the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre on the Icefields Parkway. Its a search engine with lots of deals with good customer service. An icefield is quite literally what the name implies, a large field of ice built up over the millennia. The Athabasca Glacier is not alone in its retreat: Since 1960, glaciers around the world have lost an estimated 8,000 cubic kilometers (1,900 cubic miles) of ice. Board the Ice Explorer, a large six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle. Most notable is an effect called a Katabatic Wind, this is created as cool air draws off the glacier down to pockets of warmer air. Although only about 1.5 hours in length, it is a good experience and one you can easily work into your day driving the Icefields Parkway. This postcard comes to life at the incredible Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier in Alberta. The ice in the center of this glacier is as thick as the Eiffel Tower is tall! Because the Canadian Rockies is a destination where the winter can be really rough, it is always essential to plan your trip carefully and have a backup plan, especially if you plan on traveling outside the summer season. It's estimated to be at least 12,000 years old. The Cycling House crew's home base is Big Sky Country, and guides know where to find the best off-the-beaten-path backroads. Its safe to say that travel insurance has saved us thousands over the years! There are a lot of great vantage points along the pathways where you can see the Athabasca River as well as caves and unique rock formations. Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience. For campers, there are two nearby campgrounds. Tips For Seeing the Athabasca Glacier And Columbia Icefields. I love this area of the world, so make sure you stop in eitherJasper,Banff, orLake Louise. This 1km (.6 mile) walkway towers over the Sunwapta Valley. Glacier hiking tours start at $105 CAD (as of 2018) plus tax. 7. Absolutely. Banff Inn is a perfectly located hotel and a great place to stay both in the summer and winter. If youre traveling during these uncertain times, be sure that you have travel insurance! For us, booking hotels or campsites this well in advance was one of the most annoying things to do when planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies, but it's a necessary thing to do. Right across the street from the icefields and Athabasca Glacier is the Columbia Icefields Visitor Centre. Here are the different tours you can choose from: On this tour, youll board a giant Ice Explorer vehicle to travel right onto Athabasca Glacier, where you can get out and walk around. The Columbia Icefield is home to one of the most accessible glaciers in the world and is a great experience to take in along the Icefields Parkway. Youll spend an entire day sightseeing, including an Athabasca Glacier tour, Skywalk adventure, a visit to the Weeping Wall, and Athabasca Falls. Location: 130 km from Lake Louise & 103 km from Jasper. Wilcox Pass is a moderately challenging 4 km (2.5 miles) hike that starts at the Wilcox Creek campground. Although you can use public transport, on some occasions, it means your trip will not only require more time but more planning. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Postcard - Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park - Alberta, Canada at the best online prices at eBay! The Columbia Icefield formed around 240,000 years ago. You may opt out of personalised ads at any time. Youll have amazing views of the Sunwapta Valley, and the long glass-bottomed walkway thats over 1,000 feet above is a thrill! Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 28 min to complete. There is no admission charge for the parking either. If you're feeling brave, book an Athabasca Glacier Tour where you can walk on and drink from the 10,000-year-old sheet of ice (with an expert guide and the right equipment, of course! A short straightforward walk is all takes to get up to the rocky plateau looking out at the glacier. So we are breaking down helpful tips to know before you go. With a million people coming every year between May to October, you wont be alone in wanting to stop here. Located at the juncture of Banff and Jasper national parks, the center offers interpretive exhibits, gift shop, restaurant and cafeteria, an extensive . The landscape is stark and bare, covered in loose gray stones. Rooms are adequate, however, this is one of the finest examples of paying extra for the location. Icefields Parkway itinerary was packed already, and these tours seemed really expensive to us for what they offer. Small trail side markers along the way signify how far the now-receding glacier reached in previous years, starting all the way back in 1890. Length 0.9 miElevation gain 200 ftRoute type Out & back. Whether it be buying a coffee or (even better) purchasing a unique print for your home from The Banff Print Shop all purchases help with the upkeep of this site that is updated daily. Hard. Only you can answer this question. Tickets for the experiences operate on time slots so its best to purchase your tickets in advance to avoid a long wait or the tickets being sold out entirely. Columbia Icefield Discovery Center is technically a regular visitor center with restrooms and a large gift shop, and a restaurant on the second floor that is located on the opposite side of the Athabasca Glacier parking lot. You can only go to the skywalk from the discovery center as there is no parking on the road, so you will have to go check in there first. Please do not use my photos or trip reports without receiving permission. FROM $1,103 Circle West - Canadian Rockies Round Trip Bus Tour From Vancouver. This article may contain affiliate links. For 99 CAD, it's one of those typical tourist things to do, so only you can tell if it's worth it. Photos (1,077) Directions. If youre looking for a tourist-free rugged wilderness experience, sorry but this is not it. To reach the summit requires a long hike to a technical glacier crossing and then up an exposed face or col. The falls are fed by the water runoff from the Columbia Icefield. Glscier-fed Sunwapta Lake to the rear looking somewhat gloomy. Length 0.6 miElevation gain 82 ftRoute type Out & back. The peak is one of many in the Canadian Rockies famous for reaching an altitude of 11,000 feet. Trail Length: 1.0km (.62 miles) Difficulty: Easy; Elevation Gain: 26m (85 feet) 7. A longer six-hour trek costs $175 CAD plus tax. While youre on Athabasca Glacier bring an empty water bottle as you can fill right up from the source of glacial water! See the Acropolis, an ancient citadel perched on a hilltop overlooking Athens and visit Thessaloniki, the cultural capital of Greece. The visitor center is very busy in the high season, but there is not much to do except for asking for directions, information about the hikes and tours, or visiting a modest museum with a small theater. Duration: 3 hours. Get to Know The Athabasca Glacier. Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is . Look for the trail markings that lead you across a bridge and up towards the glacier. Near park entrances visitors can take advantage of updated information on the Travelers' Information Station at 1610 AM. It will be quieter here in the winter, so you wont be dealing with a crowd. The Ice Explorer vehicles are massive and operate all day in the summer, thats a lot of CO2 emissions doing damage to the precious environment. Tours are operational in the summer months only and subject to seasonal weather. Informative panels describe the slow retreat of the glacier. Its $16.75 CAD per night for both campgrounds. Further travel is roped off and signs ask that you go no further. That being said its easy to walk on the glacier with a guide. You can find the following services. Theres a reason so many people make this drive from Jasper to Banff or Banff to Jasper and stop along the way. These campgrounds are all first-come, first-served, pretty basic (some have washrooms, some only pit toilets), and fill up pretty fast too. We just couldn't justify the price tag for this attraction - a whopping 36 CAD. Nevertheless, the hike itself is free. The rooms here are around $329 CAD. If youre driving up the Icefields Parkway, visiting this glacier is definitely an essential must-do on your Icefields Parkway itinerary. Your guide will point out ice formations, meltwater streams, icefalls, and waterfalls. Dome Glacier, Stutfield Glacier and . FROM $99 Guided Glacier Hike on The Athabasca with IceWalks. That's right, a short walk to the foot of the Athabasca Glacier is a must-do activity while touring the Icefields Parkway. Free WiFi is provided. All rights reserved. Columbia Icefields are home to the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. That said, if youve never been up near a glacier before is this an experience worth having? Youll see the Crowfoot Glacier, Athabasca Falls, Bow Lake, the incredible glacier tour, and a visit to the Skywalk. 17. Unlike the above hiking tour, this hike is a little more difficult and is best suited to those with a moderate level of fitness. Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin . We never leave our home without travel insurance which is designed to help cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip. Jasper | Jasper Inn and Suites - When traveling north, Jasper is the best place to end your Icefields Parkway road trip. The hike starts from a gravel Athabasca Glacier parking lot. It has already lost more than half of its total volume in the past 125 years and is shrinking by 16 feet every year. . However, you can still come in winter to hike theToe of the Athabasca Glacier TrailI previously mentioned. peak is one of many in the Canadian Rockies. Note: The Athabasca Glacier is located in Jasper National Park, meaning that a valid park pass is required. Athabasca glacier (6 km long, 90-300 m thick, 6 km 2 in area) is one of the six glaciers fed by Columbia Icefield, which can accessed easily by visitors traveling on Icefields Parkway. No need to worry about safety as these glass panels are literally bulletproof and then some. Said that there is a campground very close to the Athabasca Glacier walk. See our complete Alberta packing list here. The Icefield forms a high altitude ice-cap that lies on a plateau. The Icefields Parkway itself is a fantastic drive with a ton of great places to stop. You need to make a reservation for the big campgrounds in Banff or Jasper well in advance or arrive there around check-out time and hope that they will have availability. For the best weather, come in the warmer summer months in July to August. Getting to Athabasca Falls: From Jasper, travel south on Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway) then turn right onto Highway 93A. You can combine the tickets with the Lake Minnewanka cruise, Banff Gondola, or Maligne Lake cruise for a discount. Columbia Icefield Campground has 33 tent-only sites that are first-come, first-served. 697 m. 4.5-6h. Learn more on our about us page! 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