Mt. Edith Cavell Trail (to Angel Glacier)

October 5, 2019 tarannosaurus

Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Jasper National Park → Mt. Edith Cavell Trail (to Angel Glacier)

Location: Jasper area, Jasper National Park, Alberta

Distance: 0.6 km/1 mile roundtrip to the viewpoint

Elevation Gain: 70 meters/230 feet

Time Required: 30 minutes – 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Check online for conditions if you want to hike the Cavell Meadows trail; the opening of the trail depends on how much rain/snowfall the region has had. The Path of the Glacier Trail is popular, so go early to avoid crowds. 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?: Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls, Whistlers Summit Trail, Valley of Five Lakes

The Cavell Meadows trail is supposed to be divine, but it has a very short season and was still not open when we visited the area in early July. The Path of the Glacier Trail, however, is always open, and is a great stop. A short, easy trail takes you to a viewpoint above Cavell Pond where you can see the Angel Glacier in full display (some older photos, like this one, illustrate how it got its name). You used to be able to do a loop around the pond, but that was before the collapse of the Ghost Glacier in 2012, which caused a tsunami (!) and significant damage. Luckily no one was hurt, because the collapse happened early in the morning, but the danger is real and no one is allowed in the “drop” zone anymore. If you’re looking for alternate views, however, there’s a climbers’ access trail running along the edge of the moraine field, and there are various places where you can climb up and scramble around on the rocks for more elevated views of the lake and glacier.