Banff National Park of Canada

Hiking Trails along the Icefields Parkway

Day Hikes

• Banff Area
• Castle Junction Area
• Lake Louise & Moraine Lake Area
• Along the Icefields Parkway

Molar Pass

9.8 km one way, elevation gain 530 m, 7 - 8 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway (93 North) 24 km north of the Lake Louise Junction to Mosquito Creek Campground. Trail starts immediately north of the highway bridge, on the right hand side of highway. This trail makes a gradual ascent along Mosquito Creek for 7 km to a trail junction. Here, hikers have a choice of continuing south to Molar Pass, or turning east to North Molar Pass.

North Molar Pass

11.5 km one way, elevation gain 760 m, 8 - 9 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway (93 North) 24 km north of the Lake Louise Junction to Mosquito Creek Campground. Trail starts immediately north of the highway bridge, on the right hand side of highway. This trail makes a gradual ascent along Mosquito Creek for 7 km to a trail junction. Here, hikers have a choice of continuing south to Molar Pass, or turning east to North Molar Pass.

Helen Lake

6.0 km one way, elevation gain 455 m, 4 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to the Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint, 33 km north of the Lake Louise junction; trailhead across highway from viewpoint.

Dolomite Pass

9.0 km one way, elevation gain 550 m, 6 - 7 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Same as Helen Lake. From the high ridge above Helen Lake, strong hikers can descend to the shores of Katherine Lake and then make a short climb to the summit of Dolomite Pass, 3.0 km farther.

Bow Glacier Falls

4.6 km one way, elevation gain 155 m, 3 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to the Num-tijah Lodge access road, on the west side of the highway 36 km north of the Lake Louise junction. The trailhead kiosk is 400 m down this access road.

Chephren Lake

3.5 km one way, elevation gain 80 m, 3 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to the Waterfowl Lakes Campground, 57.5 km north of the Lake Louise junction. Enter the campground and stay right, skirting around the northern edge of the facility to the trail kiosk. From the Chephren-Cirque junction, the trail to Chephren Lake branches right.

Cirque Lake

4.2 km one way, elevation gain 150 m, 3 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Same as Chephren Lake. From the Chephren-Cirque junction, the trail to Cirque Lake branches left.

Sarbach Lookout

5.2 km one way, elevation gain 590 m, 4 - 5 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to the Mistaya Canyon parking lot, 31 km north of Bow Summit, on the west side of the highway.

Glacier Lake

8.9 km one way, elevation gain 210 m, elevation loss 220 m, 6 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to the parking area on the west side of the highway, 1 km north of the Saskatchewan River Crossing Service Centre.

Sunset Pass

8.2 km one way, elevation gain 725 m, 6 - 7 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to the Norman Creek Bridge, 16.5 km north of the Saskatchewan River Crossing Service Centre.Trailhead parking is on the open flat to the east of the highway just below the bridge.

Sunset Lookout

4.5 km one way, elevation gain 390 m, 3 - 4 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Same as Sunset Pass. At the junction 2.9 km up the Sunset Pass trail, branch left 1.6 km to the old Sunset Lookout.

Nigel Pass

7.2 km one way, elevation gain 365 m, 5 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Follow the Icefields Parkway to a parking area 113.5 km north of the Lake Louise junction and 2.5 km north of the "Big Bend" switchback; parking area on northeast side of highway.

Parker Ridge

2.7 km one way, elevation gain 250 m, 3 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: Parking area on the west side of the Icefields Parkway, 4 km south of the Banff-Jasper boundary.

Wilcox Pass

4 km one way, elevation gain 335 m, 4 hours round trip (map)

Trailhead: 3.1 km south of the Icefield Centre on the Icefields Parkway at the entrance to the Wilcox Creek campground. Information on trails, weather, trail guide books and topo maps Parks Canada.

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