(#5) Driving Icefields Parkway: Parker Ridge, Columbia Icefield, and Sunwapta Falls

July 10, 2024 Kelly W

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Day 5: Hiking Parker Ridge, The Columbia Icefield, Athabasca Glacier, & Sunwapta Falls

Even on cloudy, hazy days, the Icefields Parkway is grand. The mist transforms the towering mountains on either side of the road into muted silhouettes, but rather than diminish the beauty, it’s simply an invitation to explore everything tucked inside the 232 kilometers of the Icefields Parkway.

The quiet hikes.
The numerous overlooks.
The canyons and waterfalls.
The clear blue lakes.

The weather doesn’t overshadow the adventure that lies along one of the greatest road trips in the world, but it does ask you to step off the beaten path and get closer to its wonders within.

When you can’t see Peyto Lake, hike to Chephren Lake.

When Athabasca Glacier is obscured from the road, walk onto its surface.

When the Rocky Mountains are hidden by fog, look down into the Mistaya Canyon or feel the force of Sunwapta Falls.

Day 5 of our 10-day Canadian Rockies Road Trip brings us such an invitation, as it’s still hazy and overcast when we wake up.

We’re getting ready for another day of adventuring along the Icefields Parkway, but this time, we’re headed past the Crossing Resort toward Jasper National Park. We won’t make it all the way to Jasper today; instead, we plan to hike and explore attractions along the way, such as the Parker Ridge Trail, the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier, and Sunwapta Falls.

We kick off the day with one of our favorite simple pleasures when on vacation… a warm breakfast at the main lodge of the Crossing Resort.

The resort itself feels a bit like a tourist trap, as it's one of only a few lodges along the Icefields Parkway — and they charge for amenities accordingly. But to our surprise upon arrival, we booked some sort of ‘Adventure Package’ when we reserved our room a few months earlier. This package comes with a complimentary breakfast buffet, and we’re definitely enjoying a hot meal and coffee from our table overlooking the misty day outside.

Besides the Crossing Resort, there are only a handful of places to stay on the Icefields Parkway. There are luxury accommodations at the Glacier View Lodge near the Columbia Icefield, and a few lodges closer to the town of Jasper, but campgrounds make up the majority of overnight options along this drive.

We chose the Crossing Resort because it’s toward the center of the Parkway, close to many attractions. When spending a couple of days on the Icefields Parkway (versus driving from point to point in one day), it’s a great home base with a comfortable bed, super hot water, a private bathroom, and access to restaurants, groceries, and gas. (Important because these are also few and far between along the Icefields Parkway!)

After breakfast, it’s time to hit the road and drive north, driving past the “Big Bend” on our way to the Parker Ridge Trail.

Wondering just how grand the Icefields Parkway is? This is the “Big Bend” overlook on a clear, sunny day! Incredible!!! I love this photo for the scale of the mountains compared to the road in the valley. It’s an amazing perspective of what you’re driving through even when the weather hides some of the view. Photo credit.

One of the best hikes along the Icefields Parkway, the Parker Ridge Trail is a moderate trail spanning approximately 5.1km round-trip. We park in the large parking area right off the road and begin following the well-marked path.

The landscape’s gorgeous; We’re passing pine trees and alpine meadows and enjoying the feel of fall as we walk past yellow and red brush next to the trail.

The gradual elevation gain eventually rewards us with beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Once we reach the summit, the Saskatchewan Glacier is sprawled out in front of us, and despite the crisp mountain air getting even chillier on the ridge, the panoramic views are well worth the effort.

Parker Ridge Trail

Us at the summit

As we’re turning around to retrace our steps back down to the start of the Parker Ridge Trail, a group of five are walking up the summit toward us. One of them catches our attention and says, “Just a heads up— there’s a mama grizzly and two cubs near the start of the trail. We were just starting the trail when we saw them, so decided to hike together to form a bigger group.”

These hikers are just a few minutes behind us, which means the grizzlies must have been in the area while we were hiking through the forest at the start of the trail shortly before.

Since we’re one-half wildlife obsessed and one-half safety conscious (can you guess who is who?), we flag down a couple walking a hundred or so yards in front of us. We want to let them know about the grizzlies in the area since they’re heading down the mountain, but are also hoping to hike back alongside them so we can search for the grizzlies… safely? 🐻😅

(By “search,” I just mean, we’re going to follow the trail back to our car, but one of us is definitely willing to get a glimpse of said grizzlies from a safe and respectable distance.)

The couple we join forces with are actually from the area and hike the Parker Ridge Trail at least twice a year on their drive to and from Jasper National Park. It’s one of their favorite hikes along the Icefields Parkway since it’s a good climb with gorgeous views but isn’t too strenuous. (We agree! It’s a perfect length and challenge!) They also recommend the Edith Cavell hike, Maligne Canyon, and the Wilcox Trail, the latter of which is just a short way down the road and comes with two infamous red Adirondack chairs for a seat with a view. (Stumbling upon red Adirondack chairs in the wilderness is one of the most fun things to do in the Canadian Rockies if you enjoy hiking! Learn more about Parks Canada’s Red Chairs here.)

We four (five if you count Lincoln… though I’m not sure she counts when you’re looking for safety in numbers to deter grizzly bears…) continue descending the Parker Ridge Trail.

It’s a highlight trail that’s worth the stop, in our opinion, too — whether you’re driving from Lake Louise to Jasper in one day or three days. It’s especially stunning this time of year (early September) as fall is just starting to show with gorgeous red and yellow leaves along the path. It can get cold along the ridge on overcast days like today, but the views more than make up for it!

Toward the “back” of the trail… keep walking straight after getting to the top of the first climb

Facing the “front” of the trail — You can see the Icefields Parkway in the valley between the mountains!

We (fortunately? unfortuntely? — depends on who you ask!) don’t run into any mama grizzlies or grizzly cubs on our way back to the start of the Parker Ridge Trail. (Fortunately. Definitely, fortunately.)

So, we say goodbye to our new hiking friends as they head south toward Lake Louise, and we keep driving north. Our next stop is the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, where we grab a sandwich for lunch, use the restrooms, take a moment to enjoy surprisingly strong internet, and browse our options for exploring either the Columbia Icefield Skywalk or Athabasca Glacier (or both).

The Icefields Parkway is named after the Columbia Icefield, one of the largest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle. This massive icefield is the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains, covering an area of about 325 square kilometers (125 square miles). It feeds several major glaciers, including the Athabasca Glacier, the glacier you can see from the Icefields Parkway or directly across from the Discovery Centre.

It’s magnificent!!

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the most visited glaciers in North America. Its accessibility most likely plays a part in the crowd it draws, as visitors can get relatively close to the glacier without extensive hiking or mountaineering.

You can view the Athabasca Glacier from the Icefields Parkway (driving south toward the Glacier is absolutely incredible from the road!!!!)… from the terraces of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center… by following a short path to the “Toe of the Glacier” for a closer look… or by booking a guided tour onto the surfaces of the glacier itself.

If you’ve never walked on a glacier before, these guided tours offer a unique opportunity to explore crevasses and the striking blue hues that characterize glacial ice.

The Icefields Parkway headed south toward the Columbia Icefield

View of Athabasca Glacier from the Discovery Centre

Athabasca Glaicer from the “Toe of the Glacier”

The Glacier View Lodge is next door to the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, so if you’re looking for a luxurious stay with gorgeous, 24/7 views of Athabasca Glacier, you might find your lodge of choice here.

As mentioned, there are a few ways to enjoy Athabasca Glacier from this stop along the Icefields Parkway.

There are gorgeous views from the road and from the terraces at the Discovery Centre. If you're up for a short hike, you can walk to the “Toe of the Glacier” from a separate parking lot across the road from the Centre. (This is the closest you can get without a guided trip.) However, if you want to drive to the glacier, walk on it, or access the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, you’ll need to buy tickets.

Since we walked on Exit Glacier — and even rappelled into crevasses and ice climbed! — during our Great Alaskan Road Trip, we don’t feel a big pull to book tickets for a trip to Athabasca Glacier. But we do plan on purchasing tickets for the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, as our research told us this is one of the best things to do along the Icefields Parkway.

It’s still overcast when we arrive at the Discovery Centre after our hike on the Parker Ridge Trail. After learning a little bit more about our options for tours and tickets, we decide not to purchase tickets for the Skywalk just yet. We had mistakenly assumed the Skywalk would allow you to walk over the Columbia Icefield. Rather, it’s a glass-floored observation platform that extends over Sunwapta Valley and the Sunwapta River.

That’s not a dealbreaker in and of itself, but the weather isn’t helping the visibility in the valley, and we have been on glass observation platforms before (so that’s not as big of a draw as it would be if we hadn’t). Maybe we’ll come back tomorrow, but for now, we skip the Skywalk and head toward Sunwapta Falls instead.

To our surprise, we pass the Columbia Icefield Skywalk on our way. It’s right off the road. If you’ve never had the experience of walking over a glass floor, this could be a neat place to do so, especially on a sunny day with great visibility. But since we have and the weather’s not great, we’re happy with the views of the valley and surrounding mountains that we can get from other areas along the Parkway. We keep driving with no intention of returning tomorrow as the appeal of the Skywalk doesn’t quite match the glossy brochures in our eyes.

The Columbia Icefield Skywalk

View from the road

Sunwapta Falls is about 30 minutes from the Columbia Icefield. It, too, is right off the road, but this short trail leads to an impressive waterfall fed by the Athabasca Glacier.

Its force is the first thing I notice!

It’s hard to put into words the force with which the water flows over the falls and bounces against the sides of the canyon at the bottom.

It’s strong enough to carve a CAVE into the side of the canyon, and watching the mist bounce off the rocks is mesmerizing — and this is all said by someone who’s self-proclaimed to be “not a waterfall person”. (Jonathan doesn’t get it because I’ll point out every single body of water we pass while driving but intentionally deprioritize waterfall hikes when browsing AllTrails or national park guides 🤷‍♀️)

There are two main viewing areas at Sunwapta Falls: the bridge overlooking the falls (where you can look down and truly appreciate the force of the water hitting the sides of the canyon from a birds’ eye view) and a platform closer to the first waterfall.

The viewing areas are surrounded by lush forest, making it feel like a peaceful and relaxing hideaway despite being so close to the road.

Sunwapta Falls from the bridge

Closer view

Sunwapta Falls is the furthest we’re traveling today, so once we’ve had our fill, we turn around and retrace our drive past the Columbia Icefield, Parker Ridge, and the Big Bend. For me, this direction is hands-down the most impressive direction to drive to take in the grandeur of the Icefields Parkway.

We make it back to the Crossing Resort by early evening and head straight for dinner & drinks at the pub onsite. We’re craving something other than the PB&Js we’ve been eating for dinner the last few nights, and a brewery-type atmosphere is another one of our favorite simple pleasures while on vacation.

There’s just not much better than spending a day exploring someplace new, challenging yourself for an epic view as your reward, maybe dipping your tired feet in a cold, crystal blue lake… only to cap off the day getting warm and cozy by the fireplace of a dimly lit pub. Put a cold cider and loads of plates piled high with comfort food on the table in front of me, and I’m living a version of my best life. (The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise will now forever be another version, and a pina colada in one hand with a good book in the other while sitting beach, pool, or lake-front is a third. 😍🍻)

The pub also happens to be one of the few places along the Icefields Parkway with decent Internet so we’re happy to have some leisurely phone time while we eat. We take the opportunity to catch up with loved ones, look through photos, and relax before getting to bed ahead of our final day driving the Icefields Parkway in the morning.

Tomorrow, we drive the final stretch of the Icefields Parkway to Jasper!

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