17 km round trip / 200m elevation
We completed this trip as a two-day backpacking trip. This is a great beginner/intermediate style of trip for anyone getting into backcountry camping. It could also be completed as a day hike as you would travel considerably faster with smaller packs.
Glacier Lake has been on my list for a while now and I've always known it is a good early or late season trip. Danielle, Michele, Finn (my dog), and I headed there as soon as Parks Canada allowed backcountry camping again in 2020. All of the parks were closed due to COVID-19 during the spring of 2020. The trailhead is just before The Crossing Hotel on the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) if you are driving from Jasper. It is signposted so it should be easy enough to find.
The hike into Glacier Lake is chill. After about 2.5km you will come across the large bridge. Next up is the red chairs overlooking the Howse floodplain. This is the best view of the hike until you reach the campground.
After about 9 km you will reach the campground. We kind of stumbled across it because we hadn't been paying attention to how far we'd traveled and it just kind of appeared, which was a welcomed surprise. The weather was rolling in and we quickly set up our tents next to the lake and put up the tarp that I bought with us. There is a little cabin/shelter and we did think about sitting in there because we knew that the weather was about to turn bad. However, it is so dark in there we decided to brave the elements. A rainstorm rolled in and we were drinking beers while huddling under the tarp and wearing all of our layers. Luckily for us, the storm left us alone and it cleared up so the evening was very beautiful.
The view of the lake and the glacier's at the far end are beautiful! This is a great campground for everyone to enjoy and it is accessible for even novice backcountry users.
You hike out the same way that you hiked in so at least you know what to expect on the way out..
All in all a great trip with great gals!
For any reservations in Jasper National Park head to the reservations system to check for availability.