If you’re looking for one of those hikes where the journey is just as good, if not better than the final payoff of a hike, the Great Glacier Trail in Canada is the hike you’re been searching for.
With just a bit of effort, you’re guaranteed expansive views of a glacier-carved mountain face with a sprinkle of waterfall located in the middle of all that goodness. It’s an extremely rewarding hike given the moderate length and difficulty.
And if you do this hike in the fall? Expect a sea of endless mushrooms waiting patiently to be seen by hikers passing by. This hike is a woody wonderland and will make you feel like you’re in an enchanting fairy forest in Iceland!
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Best Time To Visit Glacier National Park Of Canada
Glacier National Park of Canada is a hidden gem of a destination (I truly believe that!). While certainly not as popular as Banff or Jasper National Parks, there’s a lot of natural beauty to take in at this park.
Here’s what you can look forward to during the different seasons:
Spring: In the spring, Glacier National Park comes to life with the blooming of wildflowers and the return of migratory birds. The park’s many hiking trails and scenic drives offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Summer: Summer is the peak season at Glacier National Park, with warm weather and long days providing ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Visitors can hike, bike, fish, wildlife watch, and camp in the park, as well as take in the stunning views from the park’s scenic drives and viewpoints.
Fall: In the fall, the park’s foliage turns to vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, making for stunning photo opportunities. The cooler temperatures and smaller crowds also make it a great time for hiking and exploring the park’s many trails. Keep your eyes open for mushrooms and moss blanketing the forest floors in late summer or early fall!
Winter: Winter in Glacier National Park is a magical time, with snow-covered mountains and valleys providing a stunning backdrop for winter sports like skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. The park’s Rogers Pass area is a popular destination for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. Don’t forget to pack your crampons and poles during these snowy months!
Great Glacier Trail: Hike Overview
- Trail Length: 4.9-mile out-and-back (7.9 km)
- Difficulty: Moderately challenging
- Hike Duration: 2 hours to 3 hours
- Elevation gain: 1,348 ft (411 m)
- Best Time To Hike: May through October
- Dogs Allowed?: Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
- Trailhead: Park at Illecillewaet Campground (to cut some distance off the trail) or park at the day-use area next to the highway and walk in. There’s a bathroom at the trailhead. Map of trailhead area here.
- Trail Conditions: Check out the latest trail conditions on AllTrails
- Essential Packing List
- Water / snacks
- Bear spray
- Sunscreen
- Sunhat
- Layered clothing
- Bug spray (summer)
- Hiking poles and crampons (winter)
Great Glacier Trail: What To Expect
One really cool thing about the Great Glacier Trail is its historical significance. At the trailhead, you can read some interesting history about a place called the Glacier House.
It turns out that people have been hiking up to the Great Glacier since the 1880s! There used to be a train line that would drop the tourists off at a luxurious hotel here called Glacier House.
After its initial build, Glacier House was expanded twice, in 1892 and 1904, and the hotel became the leading example in the area for service and luxury.
In fact, Glacier House was built before its better-known sister properties, the Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, and was even the inspiration for the highly coveted Chateau Lake Louise!
After seeing the hotel remains and envisioning what life could have been like back in the day, it’s time to get a move on and continue the hike through the most magical forest you’ll ever lay your eyes on!
The trail starts through a lush, old-growth forest, with very easygoing ups and downs along the trail.
Take a moment to soak in how magical this forest looks — the many shades of green comprised of moss-covered rocks and other plants made this trail one of my absolute favorite hiking trails ever! It’ll honestly feel like you’ve been transported into some fantasy movie.
This is where you need to start looking down toward the ground! It’s mushroom viewing time!
If you take your time with “mushroom hunting” (and by hunting I mean just admiring with your eyes, not actually picking them unless you’re confident in differentiating between safe/poisonous mushrooms), you’re bound to see at least 15 different varieties of the cute little things!
Because of how many mushrooms we saw, I really wished I had brought my mushrooming guidebook along with me — learning about each variety of mushrooms that we passed by would have made our hike THAT much more enjoyable.
Once you’re able to peel yourself away from the colorful mushrooms along the forest trail, the trail will open up to amazing views. At this point, you’re about two-thirds of the way complete.
The last third of the hike is where most of your effort will be needed. At this point, you’re going to be facing a steady climb up with a combination of switchbacks and steep climbs. Hands down, most of the hike’s elevation gain takes place here.
But honestly, that effort you put in will be SO worth it because the views at the end of the trail are amazing!
Despite the slight smokiness from the wildfire in Jasper, we were graced with amazing scenery comprised of waterfalls, mountains, a bit of glacial ice, and colorful rock formations.
As you finish up the hike, don’t forget to look behind you to admire the mountains through Roger’s Pass and in front of you, at the glacier remains and waterfalls!
Sadly, the glacier has retreated quite a bit over the decades, so you won’t actually be able to marvel at a massive glacier when you’re up there. You may not get views of the Great Glacier itself, but you will be able to see the Illecillewaet Glacier Falls in the distance!
If you’re at the top and still looking to do some more climbing, you can continue climbing up the rock formations for different angles and even better views.
We took a nice, long break at the top and enjoyed our snacks before heading back down towards the car.
On the way down, be sure to add on the Meeting the Waters trail, which is situated right along this trail. This short little side trip will bring you to a wide river where two entities of waters literally meet. This is where the Asulkan Brook joins the Illecillewaet River.
I had never seen anything like this before, and it was such a cool sight to see! You can walk across the bridge to admire the gushing waters and even take a break in the red chairs while you soak in the views.
Note: Please note, this area has resident grizzly bears. Bring bear spray (just in case) and make plenty of noise as you hike to avoid startling bears. If you’re doing this hike in the summer, while in the forest, it’s recommended that you move faster and louder to avoid encounters with bears or moose.
If hiking in the winter, hiking poles are very helpful as it can be easy to slip around in the snow without them. Snowshoes may often not be helpful since the snow is usually densely packed.
I also recommend you download the trail map for offline use. The trail is not well marked after the first 2 km so downloading the map is very helpful to confirm that you’re going the right way!
I cannot speak any more highly of this trail–it quite easily takes the cake as one of the best moderate trails in the British Columbia/Alberta area.
Given that it’s one of the shorter trails within Glacier National Park that doesn’t require any major preparation, everyone visiting this park who is able should have this one on their itinerary!
And with that, I hope you enjoy this short, sweet, and epic hike at Glacier National Park of Canada!
Looking for more Canada travel guides? You may also like:
21 Essential Travel Tips For Banff National Park
16 Incredible Things To Do In Yoho National Park Of Canada
The Perfect 7-Day Banff And Jasper National Park Itinerary