Top of the Cliffs via Harding Icefield Trail

Top of the Cliffs is an out-and-back on Harding Icefield Trail, climbing from the trail register above Exit Glacier to the first official icefield overlook. The park map marks the turnaround at 2.3 miles each way, or 4.6 miles round trip; another park page rounds it to about 2.4 miles each way. The line to this turnaround measures about 2.23 miles on the mapped trail, which fits the map's rounded figure. Plan on four to six hours. This is the route to choose when you want the Harding Icefield view but don't want to continue to the full trail's emergency shelter and end point.

The climb is the commitment. The register sits at about 426 feet and Top of the Cliffs at 2,454 feet, a rise of roughly 2,000 feet before you turn around. The park describes this hike as strenuous, and the miles underestimate the effort.

The trail starts across the valley floor through cottonwood and alder forest. Views over the valley and the end of Exit Glacier appear early. About 0.8 mile in, a wooden bridge crosses a rushing stream; farther up, the forest opens at Marmot Meadows. The park map puts the meadow about 1.5 miles from the register; a separate park page says about 1.3. From the meadow you can look down toward the glacier from above, a good payoff even if you decide not to continue.

The name comes from hoary marmots once often seen there. They're less conspicuous now as vegetation has grown over parts of the meadow. This is a useful place to pause before the route's hardest stretch.

Above Marmot Meadows, the park identifies the trail to Top of the Cliffs as its steepest section, with many switchbacks. The turns are there for a reason: stay on the trail through fragile alpine plants rather than cutting across the slope. In snow, orange flags mark the route. The upper trail often holds snow into early July, so the map line and a clear summer tread may not be visible on every visit.

Top of the Cliffs is marked at 2,454 feet, where the first broad views open across Harding Icefield and the dark peaks that rise through its snow. Those isolated peaks are nunataks. The Harding Icefield covers about 700 square miles, and Exit Glacier spills down from it below the route. For a photo, keep some of the glacier or rocky ridge in the foreground with the icefield beyond; that gives the view its depth and scale.

This is a turnaround, not the end of Harding Icefield Trail. The full outing continues past the emergency shelter at 3.7 miles and ends about 3.9 miles from the register, for a 7.8-mile round trip. Marmot Meadows is the shorter option if the steep upper switchbacks are more than you want today.

Park at the Exit Glacier Nature Center at the end of Herman Leirer Road, then follow the paved access by the nature center to the Harding Icefield Trail Register. The distance above begins at the register, uphill from the parking area. Parking is limited and is busiest from about 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in June through August. Restrooms and a picnic area are down by the nature center; there are no toilets or water sources along the trail. Bring at least two liters of water per person or a filter, since untreated stream water can carry Giardia.

Black bears are regularly seen along Harding Icefield Trail, especially around salmonberry thickets. Keep the park's bear guidance in mind. Weather can change quickly at this elevation, and snow and avalanche hazards can persist on the upper trail. Check the park's current conditions before setting out. Pets aren't allowed on park trails.