Parking
Parking is at the end of Toes of the Glacier Road across from the Icefield Centre; toilets and full services are available at the Centre.
Overview
About Toe of the Athabasca Glacier
Why go
- Year-marker signs vividly show decades of glacier retreat
- Walk across glacially polished rock and moraines right off the Parkway
Heads up
- Public trail ends at a boundary well short of the ice
- Short, steep start can be slick and feels strenuous for some
- Often windy and crowded midday
This is the classic short walk to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. The out-and-back route is about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) round trip with roughly 200 feet (60 m) of elevation gain/loss, and most people take about an hour. You will not walk onto the ice: the public trail ends at the glacier viewpoint and its boundary.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,933–2,010 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Jasper alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted areas and facilities closedStay out of closed wildfire-impacted areas and facilities in Jasper National Park; closures protect public safety after the 2024 wildfire and remain in effect while recovery and safety work continues.Official details
- Closure93A (Wabasso Road) no through travel during roadworkFrom mid-October to early November 2026, plan for 93A (Wabasso Road) to be accessible from the south entrance only; no through travel is expected during roadwork.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Jasper Tour Guide
Your drive to Toe of the Athabasca Glacier, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Jasper National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Jasper audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Toe of the Athabasca Glacier TrailListen
“You're getting near the parking area for the Toe of the Athabasca Glacier trail. This is the classic short hike that takes you right up to the front edge of the glacier.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sunwapta Lake: The River's Quiet Beginning
- Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre and Glacier Skywalk
- Where Three Oceans Begin
- Reading the Ice
- 157 audio storiesacross Jasper’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 91 trails, 129 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Toe of the Athabasca Glacier
Route and terrainStart at the trailhead across from the Icefield Centre, at the end of Toes of the Glacier Road.
Start at the trailhead across from the Icefield Centre, at the end of Toes of the Glacier Road. Cross the bridge over a glacial meltwater stream, then follow the signed path across rocky, glacially smoothed limestone and moraine. The trail steepens to the top of a rock bench, with the glacier edge ahead. The mapped route includes a short loop around the final rocky section; return by the same trail.
What you will seeYear-marked signs show how far the glacier extended in past decades.
Year-marked signs show how far the glacier extended in past decades. Along the way are moraines, erratics, and bedrock scored by glacial ice, with views toward Mount Athabasca, Mount Andromeda, and the Columbia Icefield. Expect cold wind and meltwater sounds even on a warm day.
Safety and logisticsStay on the signed path and behind barriers.
Stay on the signed path and behind barriers. The ice at the toe is hollow and unstable, with hidden crevasses and very cold, fast-moving water; never walk onto the glacier. The trail is rocky and can be slick or wet where meltwater crosses it, so wear sturdy footwear and bring warm layers. Dogs are allowed on leash. Parking is at the trailhead, and toilets and other services are available at the nearby Icefield Centre.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Jasper
174 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
43 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
40 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
315 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,028 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Jasper. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
