Hike Alberta
Glacier LakeViewpoing 1 km N
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Glacier Lake

Near Saskatchewan River Crossing · Banff National Park

Hard · Out and back · Official trail

Glacier Lake and the Howse River valley from above
Glacier Lake and the Howse River valley from above. Photo by 潘世博, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 76 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Glacier LakeViewpoing 2 km Open the map

About this trail

Glacier Lake is a 14.9 km out and back trail near Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park. It runs 7.5 km each way. The route gains 587 m in total and tops out at 1,669 m. Hike Alberta rates it hard, and Parks Canada rates it difficult. Allow about 5 hours 15 minutes of moving time. It meets Survey Peak Route at 1.8 km, and passes two other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass Glacier Lake, Viewpoing and a campground. Also used for horseback riding and backpacking.

Length
14.9km
7.5 km each way
Elevation gain
587m
Estimated time
5h15min
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
1,669m
Lowest point
1,399m

Elevation profile

1,399 m to 1,669 m
1,6691,399 0 km7.5 km

Highest point 1,669 m, lowest 1,399 m, 587 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 21% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 0% of route

0% LTE · 0% 5G

Longest modelled gap
7.5 km
Model
2024 · Natural Resources Canada

Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.

Along the way

  1. 1.0 kmViewpoingViewpoint
  2. 7.4 kmCampground
  3. 7.4 kmGlacier LakeLake

Good for

  • Hiking, Horseback riding, Backpacking
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake, Views, Glacier, Camping

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.9649° N, 116.7618° W.

Driving directions

Banff National Park admission

National park admission required

Buy day or annual pass

Pass details

Visitors spending time in a national park need valid daily admission or a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Admission is separate from camping, reservations, parking and other service fees.

Information checked October 21, 2026.

Official details

Before you go

Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:

Nearby trails

All 588 trails in Banff National Park

Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Parks Canada trail data, Open Government Licence Canada
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30