Plain of Six Glaciers

Near Lake Louise · Banff National Park

Moderate · Out and back · Official trail

The Plain of Six Glaciers trail. Photo by ThartmannWiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 96 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

About this trail

Plain of Six Glaciers is a 13.7 km out and back trail near Lake Louise in Banff National Park. It runs 6.9 km each way. The route gains 692 m in total and tops out at 2,202 m. Hike Alberta rates it moderate, and Parks Canada rates it moderate. Allow about 5 hours 30 minutes of moving time. It meets Highline Trail at 4.3 km, and passes nine other mapped junctions. At 5.6 km the trail forks. This route keeps left; the right fork is a 60 m side branch with the same name. The distance and climb above follow this route only, not its branches. Along the way you pass Lake Louise and a viewpoint. The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House is on the route, 5.5 km from the start. Some sections are steep, rough or exposed. The T3 demanding mountain hiking section starts at 5.6 km and runs to the turnaround point. Also used for horseback riding.

Length: 13.7km; 6.9 km each way
Elevation gain: 692m
Estimated time: 5h30min; Moving time
Route: Out and back
Highest point: 2,202m
Lowest point: 1,734m

Elevation profile

1,734 m to 2,202 m

Highest point 2,202 m, lowest 1,734 m, 692 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 60% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 100% of route

0% LTE · 100% 5G

Longest modelled gap: 0.0 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

0.0 kmLake LouiseLake
0.0 kmViewpointsAt 0.0, 0.1 and 0.3 km
5.5 kmPlain of Six Glaciers Tea HouseTea house or café
6.8 kmSix glaciers viewpointViewpoint

Good for

Hiking, Horseback riding
Dog friendly (on leash)
Lake, Views, Glacier, Alpine

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.4168° N, 116.2161° 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