Athabasca Glacier

Athabasca Glacier is a long valley glacier flowing off the Columbia Icefield, across from the Icefield Centre. Marked public paths make it one of the world's most accessible glaciers to see on foot. Start from the Centre's large parking lot: the Forefield Trail is short and moderate, while the Toe trail is fairly flat at first and gets steeper near the glacier's lower edge. The footpaths give you a glacier view without booking the separate onto-ice outing.

The Forefield Trail crosses rocky terrain the glacier has uncovered since the 1800s. The Toe of the Athabasca Glacier Trail crosses rock scored with glacial grooves before its steeper approach. These short walks take you through the retreat landscape rather than leaving it as a distant view.

Stay on marked gravel paths and do not cross barriers or step onto unmarked ice. The glacier is unstable, with deep hidden crevasses; people have died after falling into them.

The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, a remnant of the thick ice mass that once covered much of western Canada's mountains. Athabasca Glacier spills off its high plateau over three giant bedrock steps and flows down the valley.

The glacier has receded for about 125 years as the climate has warmed, leaving a wide field of rocky moraine in front of the ice. The exposed rock and meltwater channels make that change visible as you walk toward the toe.

From the marked approach, include the gray moraine and meltwater in the foreground with the glacier between the valley walls. That foreground gives the ice scale and shows the rock the glacier has left behind.

The seasonal, paid Ice Explorer outing is a separate way to travel onto the glacier; public footpaths stop at marked viewing areas. Visitors value the chance to stand on the ice, though some find the landing area crowded and their time there brief. Choose it for the unusual step onto glacier ice rather than a long, unhurried walk.

The Discovery and Information Centre across from the glacier is seasonal, and its large lot is the practical starting point for the marked trails. Services along the Parkway are limited; bring your own food and water and check current operations if you are planning a paid excursion.