Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Jasper National Park → Toe of the Athabasca Glacier

Location: Southern Jasper National Park, Alberta

Distance: 1.4 km/0.9 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain: 60 meters/200 feet

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes:Entry into Jasper requires a daily fee of about $10 per person (or ~$20 per family/group); alternatively, you can buy a Parks Canada Discovery Pass if you’re staying for an extended time.

What’s Nearby?: Mistaya Canyon, Weeping Wall, Tangle Creek Falls

This stop is incredibly popular, as it’s probably the easiest “close up” view of a glacier in the area. It wasn’t as crowded as Bow Summit when we were here, but it could have been just luck. The parking lot is very large, so they clearly anticipate large numbers of people. Regardless, it’s worth the quick run up the trail to the top for the view of the glacier. There’s a rope barring closer approach to the glacier, which is a bit disappointing for those of us used to Iceland’s Skaftafell where you can just walk up to and onto the glacier at your own risk, but if you’ve never seen a glacier it’s a pretty nice view and you do get quite close. You can purchase a guided tour and go onto the glacier, but this option is much quicker.

Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Jasper National Park → Toe of the Athabasca Glacier