Trail was covered with a lot of fresh snow, need to watch out for possible avalanche. The views are close to instantaneous on the Parker Ridge hike Looking out at the Saskatchewan Glacier – the source of the North Saskatchewan River Another in your face mountain view just down from the glacier Wilcox Pass – An outstanding 8 km round-trip hike Parker Ridge Trail Hike: if you’re driving along the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper, consider this short, spectacular trail. Check in at the Banff Information Center, Lake Louise visitor center or Jasper Information Center to ask about the current status of the trail and to learn about alternatives if the trail is temporarily closed. Anyone can do this hike and smile at the awesome views. At almost the exact halfway point on the lengthy drive lies Parker Ridge, a short but fairly steep hike right at the base of Mount Andromeda. Keep going over the top and slightly down the other side for a remarkable eagle’s-eye view of the Saskatchewan Glacier. The closest town to the trail is Jasper. Recommend wearing snowpants. Montée difficile à cause de la neige, nous en avions jusqu’aux genoux. Parker Ridge Parking: Parker Ridge trail on the Icefields Parkway in Alberta's Banff National Park to explore requires a park pass and you get free parking. Parker Ridge Trail – 5.4 km return, moderate. The view that awaits from the ridge can’t be seen from the road. These are pikas, and they only live at high elevations. We went on Oct 23. Across the glacier the highest summit is Mt. Thank you. Amazing views. We were told it provided great views of the mountains and some spectacular overlooks. It can be short-sleeve shirt weather at the bottom of the mountain and jacket weather at the top of the mountain. Total driving distance is 127 km from Lake Louise. Directions: While Parker Ridge is located in northern Banff National Park, the closest town is actually Jasper. But with proper knowledge of the terrain, this place is a great playground for skiers, snowboarders, hikers and just plain old nature lovers. The trailhead starts on Highway 93, 8.8 km (5.5 miles) south of the Icefield Centre complex. Looking for a memorable Canadian Rockies hiking experience? Parker Ridge is a 2,255-metre (7,398-foot) mountain ridge located in the upper North Saskatchewan River valley in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.Its nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 7.7 km (4.8 mi) to the west.
, Copyright © 2021 Jasper National Park Journal Travel Guide by DH Wall – Alberta, Canada - All Rights ReservedPowered by WordPress & the Atahualpa Theme by BytesForAll. From there you can continue driving on Hwy 93 for 114 km (70 mi) until you reach the parking lot for the trail. Why we love this Jasper hike: the views from the top completely blew us away and that was in some pretty nasty weather too! Parker's Ridge is north(ish) facing and quite high elevation, so it's one of the places where snow hangs around the longest. Have a look. Click to visit the interactive panorama providing a 360 degree view from on the trail and overlooking Saskatchewan Glacier. Busy. Drive south of Jasper on Hwy 93 for 114km to the parking lot on the right side of the road. Take time to stop along your hike to enjoy the dramatic views across sweeping valleys and mountain ranges. Be careful with them! Definitely recommend crampons. Read: The Parker Ridge Trail, Banff National Park . Amazing hike!! As a reward for the ascent, the trail provides a view of the Saskatchewan Glacier you’ll remember for a long time. But it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges because they differ quite a bit in distance. The day we hiked Parker Ridge, it was very windy. It was covered with snow completely. Parker Ridge Trail Once atop the backbone of Parker Ridge you will see the longest glacier in the Canadian Rockies - the Saskatchewan Glacier, also the headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. Discuss on our WP Forum, Ultimate List of Things to Do in Jasper National Park, Featured Review: My Stay at Marmot Lodge in Jasper National Park, Culturing Wilderness in Jasper National Park, Greetings from Alberta: Visual Definition of a Canadian Province, The Jasper Tramway Experience – Tramway Ride, Hiking and Scenery. That’s the secret to hiking in the Canadian Rockies. Bring snacks. A bit tricky at time to find the path because of the deep snow and the wind blowing the footprints away, however it is well marked with fences and cairns at the top. Two minutes up the Parker Ridge Trail just before the Columbia Icefields No matter what the season get out of your car and walk a little closer to the Icefields An atypical view of the Columbia Icefields Near the Beauty Creek Trailhead Elk crossing the highway in Jasper. Hike Parker Ridge Trail and enjoy the Canadian Rockies. If you head here for the day consider combining the hike with Wapta Ridge or a visit to the Athabasca Glacier nearby. Now imagine the wind blowing cool, clean Canadian Rockies air and the smell of nature. Our day started out windy and overcast, a bit cool on the motorcycle. The scenes along the trail are spectacular. Though no trail exists here, the ridge, which is mostly rocky so a minimal effort can easily avoid trampling any fragile vegetation, can be readily followed for quite a distance over several smaller peaks till the ridge becomes obviously not navigable. Parker Ridge and the extension are a worthwhile break from the five-hour drive from Calgary to Jasper. There’s a sign marking the trail end! Also avoid taking any shortcuts to protect the restoration area! Proceed 9 km south of the Icefield Centre on the Icefields Parkway, to the Parker Ridge trailhead. While nearly all hikers stop right where the trail reaches the ridge top, this hike can be very substantially extended, at least doubling the hike, by continuing west along the very ridge top toward nearby Mt. (poles are helpful in the snow too) The part of the trail in the treeline is nice and packed down in the snow, but above the treeline the wind swept the path - so you ended up walking in calf deep snow most of the way. The hike started off in a wooded area so we had plenty of protection; however, at the top, the wind was incredible. Hidden Ridge Resort – Best Hotel in Banff National Park? The hike is a little more challenging than the popular Maligne Canyon hike in Jasper, but the rewards seem worth the effort. The elevation gain is about 275 meters (902 feet). You can hike this trail! Athabasca. Sentier difficile à suivre dû à la quantité de neige. Length: 2.9 km one way Hiking time: 2.5 hour round trip Elevation gain: 245 m Trailhead:Highway 93 North, 40 km north of the Lake Louise junction at the Peyto Lake parking lot. It's about 2.4km to get up to the Ridge, along with about 280m of elevation gain over that 2.4 km. I used skier’s up-track. Parker Ridge trail . When you arrive at the ridge, you have another option to decent by walking along the ridge over to the north west area to drop down to the meadows and back to the Tramway. Saskatchewan (3342 m). Parker Ridge Trail has an elevation gain of 280 m (918 ft), and most of it is in the first part of the route. Parker Ridge Trail hike Map. The trail is just south of Jasper’s Icefield Centre complex and the Athabasca Glacier, making the hike a good afternoon activity after a morning spent doing the Brewster Snocoach ride on the Athabasca Glacier. Hiking Time It will take about 3 hours to complete the Parker Ridge hike. Parker Ridge Trail, Banff: See 554 reviews, articles, and 382 photos of Parker Ridge Trail, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 52 attractions in Banff. Worth facing the wind for the views! 9, Alberta, Canada that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. It’s a perfect place to stop on the Icefields Parkway to stretch your legs and enjoy a picnic lunch with a priceless view. If you’re coming from Banff, you can’t ask for a better start to hiking in Jasper National Park than the Wilcox Trail. We found Parker Ridge Trail 115 km (71 miles) south of Jasper on the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93). Wilcox Ridge Hiking Trail in Jasper National Park - Unsurpassed, panoramic views of the high peaks and glaciers of the Columbia Icefield from the beautiful meadows along the eastern slopes of Mount Wilcox near the border of Banff and Jasper National Parks. Most of the climbing is at the start of the trail. ... A nice break on the trip from Banff to Jasper with a great view. Please see the park page here for information about current COVID-19 and road closures: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/covid-19-info This extension transforms this hike from a pleasant, scenic, but often crowded hike into a wonderfully solitary experience. Lovely wildflowers and view of the glacier. There is a garbage can and panabode privy in the parking lot. After a series of switchbacks, you'll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Saskatchewan Glacier headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. Wilcox Pass is in Jasper National Park, 47 km north of Saskatchewan River Crossing or 107 km south of Jasper. Since Jasper National Park was established in 1907, its historical trail networks have been expanded and maintained for everyone wanting to experience Jasper’s wilderness. The trail was covered in snow, thigh deep at some points. Parker Ridge is 2.4 km (one way, I believe - 4.8 km return - that's a little under 3 miles). Short-cutting damages the delicate alpine vegetation and leads to erosion of the thin soil cover, especially in spring, when the trail may be closed.” (Source: Parks Canada). Be prepared for snow! Almost immediately the trail starts climbing the ridge—Parker Ridge. There isn’t an end to the trail per-se, it just ends up at a wide area where you’re free to go as far or as little as you like. About 2.4km to get up to the Parker Ridge trail is 5.2 km ( 3.2 miles ) round-trip stay the. 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Total driving Distance is 127 km from Lake Louise 2.4km to get up to the end of the Glacier.