Marmot Meadows

Marmot Meadows is an open hillside on the Harding Icefield Trail, about a third of the way up from the Exit Glacier area. The forest opens into shrubs, small trees and summer flowers, with an elevated view over Exit Glacier. It’s a worthwhile turnaround if you want a real uphill hike without committing to the full climb toward the icefield.

From the Harding Icefield trailhead, the meadows are about 1.3 miles uphill. The narrow trail climbs roughly 1,000 feet per mile, so expect about 1,300 feet of ascent before turning back and roughly 2.6 miles round trip. The full Harding Icefield route continues higher as a strenuous 7.8-mile round trip. Snow can linger on the upper trail into early July, and conditions change quickly, so check before heading above the meadows.

There are no toilets or garbage cans along the trail. Start with enough water; untreated stream water can contain Giardia and needs proper treatment. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails.

Exit Glacier lies below the meadow, with dark mountain slopes and snow-covered peaks beyond it. For a photo, keep the glacier and mountain wall together in the frame and leave a strip of meadow shrubs along the bottom; that gives the view its hillside setting and a sense of depth.

The meadow is named for hoary marmots that were often seen here. As vegetation has grown over the area, they’ve become less common, so treat a marmot as a lucky sighting rather than the reason to make the climb. Black bears are also regularly spotted along the Harding Icefield Trail, often around salmonberry thickets.