You do not need a reservation for the tours at the Icefield Discovery Center unless you have a large group, though reservations never hurt and do guarantee your time and booking. If you are driving here in the winter, make sure you have winter tires on your car and always check road conditions, as snowstorms are common. This brings us to the next thing we need to mention. Water from the Columbia Icefield and its glaciers makes up underground rivers and caves and flows to three different oceans. Athabasca Falls. 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. Extra $300 per person from Adelaide, Canberra or Hobart. If you have found the content on this site helpful to your trip planning please consider supporting The Banff Blog. Directly across from the Athabasca Glacier is the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, where you can book a tour on an Ice Explorer snow coach that will take you right up onto the glacier. from. Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin . Demand is heaviest from June to September, and accommodation fills up quickly. Because the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier are inside Jasper National Park, youll need a Canada Parks Pass. Its a beautiful campground with some truly amazing views of the surrounding area. Also, campervans or RVs will allow you to see everything you put on your itinerary, and thanks to it, your trip will be more flexible. FROM $214 Jasper to Banff One-Way Tour. The Discovery Pass is what Parks Canada calls their year-long (365 days from the purchase date), multi-park entry pass. Easy 4.5 (1302) Jasper National Park. So besides visiting Maligne Lake, there are a few other activities that we recommend that you check off your to-do list. The Athabasca Glacier is just one of the enormous glaciers that make up the Columbia Icefield. We suggest picking up a packed lunch in Banff, Lake Louise, or Jasper. It lies on the Continental Divide and on the border of Alberta and British Columbia. You can learn more on the about us page. If gravel biking is your other favorite sport, this Montana dirt-focused camp is for you. Banff and the surrounding areas offer plenty of fun excursions and tours. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to have a real glacier experience . Glacier hiking tours start at $105 CAD (as of 2018) plus tax. That's right, a short walk to the foot of the Athabasca Glacier is a must-do activity while touring the Icefields Parkway. It's approximately 32 km southeast of the Jasper townsite. If youre just looking for a coffee, theres also a Starbucks inside! Mount Athabasca, Andromeda, and Snow Dome. The thickness of Athabasca Glacier lies between 300-980 ft (90-300 m). Some models suggest that the dying glacier will disappear completely between 2040 and 2100, along with 90% of Albertas glaciers at the end of the century. 5.0. Still, before you start planning your trip, it is good to know that the side road that leads from Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier parking lot is often closed from November to May, depending on the weather conditions. 3. 697 m. 4.5-6h. Rockaboo Mountain Adventures is one of Jasper's longtime guiding heavyweights, and their new Athabasca Glacier Tour is the latest addition to their daily programs (which includes ice climbing in winter and rock climbing in summer). Theres a reason so many people make this drive from Jasper to Banff or Banff to Jasper and stop along the way. Athabasca River is 1231 kilometers long river that originates in Jasper National Park at the end of Columbia Glacier and runs across the province of Alberta into enormous Lake Athabasca, spreading across the borders between Alberta and Saskatchewan. From the center, you can book tickets on the Ice Explorer or Columbia Icefield Skywalk. He has been featured as a travel expert with numerous publications worldwide and has spoken on several occasions about the power of travel. Hot Tip: Although more expensive up front, if you plan on spending more than 7 days in different parks in Canada within a 12-month period, then the Discovery Pass is actually the better deal! The Columbia Icefields Discovery Center acts as the gateway for many visitors with interactive exhibits, tours, and features such as the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. At its terminus, the glacier sits about 1500 meters from the famed Icefields Parkway and a convenient parking lot makes it an easy walk. 17 BEST Stops on the Drive from Vancouver to Whistler - Road Trip Guide, How to Get to Moraine Lake (from Banff, Canmore, Calgary, and More! That is approximately enough ice to cover a two-kilometer-wide (1.2 mile-wide) swath of land between New York and Los Angeles with an ice sheet that is one kilometer (0.62 miles) tall. Day 3 - The Rocky Mountaineer. If youre traveling in a group or with family, you can buy a single-day admission for your entire vehicle (up to 7 people in one vehicle.). Day passes can be purchased at the park gates and are per day per person, but if youre staying a week or longer, its more cost-effective to just buy an annual pass instead. You can explore on your own time and then return via any bus whenever youre ready to go. I hope you enjoyed this guide to the Athabasca Glacier in Banff National Park! The Columbia Icefield is considered to be the most abundant ice mass in the Rocky Mountains, extending 25 kms across the Continental Divide. Free shipping for many products! You can book ahalf-day tour like this onewhere youll spend 3 hours hiking on Athabasca Glacier with an experienced guide. Icefields Parkway winter driving can be hazardous as the roads can be very icy. Icefields Parkway itinerary was packed already, and these tours seemed really expensive to us for what they offer. If you can, try to book your visit in the morning (before 12 p.m.) or in the later afternoon (after 3 p.m.). Pictures cant capture just how massive this glacier is and how little you will feel while standing on it! The operating season is mid-April to mid-October. Make sure youve fueled up in Jasper, Lake Louise, or at Saskatchewan River Crossing before you get here. You can see it right from the parking lot, so no big hike is required. Its quite large, and you should be able to find a spot here. The Athabasca is the most-visited glacier on the North American continent. The RV parking tends to be busier in the middle of the day when people are here for day trips, but it does clear out, so theres quite a bit of room for overnight stays. We highly recommend booking an Ice Walk tour and not try to walk on the glacier on your own. There are not many options for food along the Icefields Parkway. 6 days, 5 nights; $4,000. I also highly recommend reading up on Leave No Trace principles before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Bear spray. While were more mixed on the Discovery Center experiences both the Banff Gondola and Maligne Lake cruise are worth a visit for most. Read our disclosure policy for more info. Jasper is the closest at 105 km and 1.5 hours driving. One thing that isnt at the visitor center is a gas station. Though your chance of an aggressive bear encounter is low, it is always better to be prepared with bear spray. A longer six-hour trek costs $175 CAD plus tax. Columbia Icefield (Athabasca Glacier): 15 Tips for Visiting. or visit eBay's page on international trade . At the Discovery Centre, there is a large parking lot and this is where youll board the Ice Explorer bus to take you right onto the glacier. Leaving Banff, travel 55 km (34 miles) west on the Trans-Canada Highway #1 to Lake Louise. As with most attractions in Banff and Jasper its best to arrive early in the morning or late afternoon to beat the crowds. We think this is one of the most spectacular areas and the perfect place for an outdoor vacation. Note: The Athabasca Glacier is located in Jasper National Park, meaning that a valid park pass is required. To open it up in Google Maps for easy navigation just click the red pin. In fact, Ive used them all over the world including in Chile, New Zealand, and Australia. About 1 million people come to the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier every year. Believe us; you don't want to arrive in Banff or Jasper in high season without a reservation. This is a really special part of Canada, and touring a glacier is such a neat experience! . Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price. If this experience sounds like the right fit for you, make sure you book this hike online now! The trail is well-marked, and it's almost impossible to get lost here. Athabasca is one of the most easily accessed glaciers in North America, just a few minutes from the parking area. Banff Inn is a perfectly located hotel and a great place to stay both in the summer and winter. Alternatively, turn the opposite direction down a rough and bumpy road if youd like to walk up to the Athabasca Glacier, just near the large Sunwapta Lake. It also includes the Athabasca Glacier Tour, Skywalk, and a mountain picnic lunch at Bow Lake, one of the largest lakes in Banff National Park. It is formed by the compaction and recrystallization of snow into ice crystals and commonly also contains air, water and rock debris. Its 6 km away from the Glacier Discovery Center and does not offer views of the Athabasca Glacier, but instead the Sunwapta Valley. The best way to let bears know youre around is simply to use your voice. This article may contain affiliate links. The hike is straightforward, making it perfect even for families or visitors who are not that fit or experienced. The falls are fed by the water runoff from the Columbia Icefield. From Banff: Thisfull-day tourleaves from Banff and heads down the Icefields Parkway. If youre hiking the free trail, theres a small parking lot near the trailhead. This was such a waste of time thats easily avoided by booking one of the tours I linked above before you go. While we think you can get better views on a hike than the Skywalk, the Skywalk is accessible for all and will help everyone get the most out of their trip that may not have the ability to enjoy long hikes. While you can drive the Icefields Parkway in the winter, weather dependent, the Columbia Icefields Discovery Center does close. You can stay right at the hotel that is part of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, but it is the priciest option. Chilling! for the possibility of wildlife encounters. The Parker Ridge Trail is a short 2.7 km (1.6 miles) trail just south of the Discovery Centre. LaidBackTrip 2018-2023. In 2018, we decided to settle down in one of the most beautiful places on earth, The Canadian Rockies. 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. For a narrative audio tour around the Rockies, consider getting the Gypsy Guide. Be aware of what time it gets dark and check the weather forecast. The hotel offers an excellent location, basic rooms, and facilities. The driving distance to the Icefields Discovery Center is 195 km and takes just under three hours from Downtown Banff. The scenery along the way is stunning; it's very easily accessible, family-friendly, photogenic, and unlike often overpriced tours, it is possible to see it for free (although there are more expensive alternatives how to see the glacier up close), so it is perfect for all budget travelers. If you want to walk on the glacier, the Athabasca Glacier tours only operate from May until October. If you dont mind being a few hours from Downtown Banff, the Town of Jasper or really anywhere else I highly recommend booking a night here. Near park entrances visitors can take advantage of updated information on the Travelers' Information Station at 1610 AM. This brings us to the next thing we need to mention over the world in... 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