The Athabasca Glacier, Alberta: Ice You Can Walk On

The Athabasca Glacier is one of six major glaciers fed by the Columbia Icefield, which sits on the Continental Divide in Jasper National Park. It’s the most visited glacier in North America and one of the few where non-specialists can walk on glacial ice without a mountaineering background. It’s also retreating visibly and measurably — markers along the approach road show the glacier’s position in previous decades, and the progression from 1900 to the present is stark.

The glacier is accessible from the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93), one of the most scenic drives in Canada, between Banff and Jasper. The Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre sits directly opposite the glacier toe.

Tours and Access

Ice Explorer Tours run on enormous purpose-built all-terrain vehicles and deposit you on the glacier surface for about 20 minutes. The vehicles are absurdly large (tires taller than most people), the drive down the terminal moraine is steep, and once on the ice you can walk around and, apparently, drink water from a small melt stream. The experience costs around CAD$105 for adults (2024 pricing; check current rates). It’s efficient, well-managed, and slightly manufactured, but it does get you standing on a glacier without any real physical effort.

If you want a more genuine experience, hire a guide for a glacier walking tour with crampons and ice axe. Several operators in Jasper town (about 100km north) offer half-day and full-day guided glacier experiences that go beyond the Ice Explorer zone. You’ll cover more ground, understand more of what you’re looking at, and work considerably harder.

Walking independently on the glacier without a guide is strongly discouraged and foolish — crevasses are not obvious from the surface.

Parker Ridge Trail

The Parker Ridge Trail, about 10km north of the Discovery Centre on the Parkway, is a 5km return hike over open alpine terrain to a ridge with views across to the Saskatchewan Glacier (another of the Columbia Icefield’s outlets). It’s steeper than it looks on the map, takes about 2 hours return, and is significantly more rewarding than anything the Discovery Centre itself offers. Wildflowers in July are exceptional.

The Icefields Parkway

The Parkway runs 232km between Lake Louise and Jasper. The Athabasca Glacier is roughly in the middle. Most visitors drive it in a day, stopping at glacier viewpoints and a few key sites. This is fine but rushed — two days with an overnight in the Columbia Icefield area or in Jasper lets you see Maligne Lake (an hour east of Jasper, with Spirit Island as the viewpoint) and do a proper hike.

Wildlife along the Parkway: elk are common and habituated to traffic. Bighorn sheep appear regularly near the road. Bears (both black and grizzly) are possible; the standard rules about food storage apply.

Where to Stay

Glacier View Lodge, right at the Discovery Centre, is convenient and has decent rooms. Booking early (6+ months for peak summer) is essential. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper is the grand option. Several smaller motels and B&Bs in Jasper town are more affordable.

Getting There

Fly to Edmonton or Calgary, then rent a car. Edmonton to Jasper is about 4 hours on the Yellowhead Highway. Calgary to the glacier via Banff and the Icefields Parkway is about 3.5 hours. The Parkway itself is a toll-free road; Jasper National Park entry requires a Parks Canada pass (around CAD$22/day per vehicle or CAD$150 for an annual pass).