jasper to parker ridge trail

Take time to stop along your hike to enjoy the dramatic views across sweeping valleys and mountain ranges. It was covered with snow completely. Our day started out windy and overcast, a bit cool on the motorcycle. This hike is a great stop when driving the Icefield Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper. Starting in the forest, this trail quickly makes its way uphill. Parker Ridge Trail Hike: if you’re driving along the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper, consider this short, spectacular trail. Physical Difficulty. The elevation gain is about 275 meters (902 feet). The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and running and is best used from June until October. Options to go further down the ridge or up the opposite way. To virtually interact, try this cool glacier panoramic scene on Don Bain’s Virtual Guidebooks. We found Parker Ridge Trail 115 km (71 miles) south of Jasper on the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93). While the drive from Banff to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway is astoundingly beautiful, it's long enough to make even the most seasoned roadwarrior crave the chance to stretch their legs. This post includes some affiliate links. The trailhead starts on Highway 93, 8.8 km (5.5 miles) south of the Icefield Centre complex. was windy and cold when we went, recommend packing a jacket and gloves. The trail is fairly short - if you move along the ridge as far as the trail will take you, before running into a sign advising not to proceed further, this is about 6km round trip. Jen and Mark’s blog provides a Parker’s Ridge hike report with nice photos here. The length of the Parker Ridge Trail is 5.2 km (3.2 miles) round-trip. Parker Ridge Trail is a 3.2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Improvement District No. This trail is very popular, so it’s important to follow the established pathway. Parker Ridge is an easy hike with incredible panoramic views of the mountains and Saskatchewan Glacier! Read more. 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. The day we hiked Parker Ridge, it was very windy. Parks Canada rates the Parker Ridge hike as easy, with a 2.5-hour round trip time. It's about 2.4km to get up to the Ridge, along with about 280m of elevation gain over that 2.4 km. When you drive from Lake Louise on the famous Icefields Parkway , the trail is located shortly after you pass the sign welcoming you to Jasper … It was raining and that made it slippery in fact it rained the whole 2 weeks we were there you cant control the weather. Sentier difficile à suivre dû à la quantité de neige. In good weather the source of the glacier is visible off to the right: the southern part of the Columbia Icefield and Castleguard Mountain (3077m). Our hike took under 4 hours, including time spent talking to tourists who stopped us on the way back to ask about our trip. 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). views are awesome for the short workout. Winter wonderland! Read: The Parker Ridge Trail, Banff National Park . Parker Ridge and the extension are a worthwhile break from the five-hour drive from Calgary to Jasper. Fantastic views at the top! Anyone can do this hike and smile at the awesome views. Great for snowshoes or skiing down, saw some ski tracks. Help maintain this fragile alpine ecosystem by staying on the trail. on the left, 6.4 km before Wilcox trail. Amazing hike!! Busy. 5 km return (2.5 miles) return trip. Look across the valley to the opposite ridge to view multiple waterfalls. Completed this trail on Oct. 15th. It's been a fairly snowy spring so I suspect it won't be in hiking condition until at least mid-June. Saskatchewan (3342 m). You’re there. Beautiful Photos of Winter in Banff National Park, Wintertime in Banff National Park – videos. Proceed 9 km south of the Icefield Centre on the Icefields Parkway, to the Parker Ridge trailhead. Total driving distance is 127 km from Lake Louise. Also avoid taking any shortcuts to protect the restoration area! After a series of switchbacks, you'll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Saskatchewan Glacier headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. There’s lots of tree roots to navigate in the trail. 9, Alberta, Canada that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Mountain goats use the area. Beautiful views of the glacier 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. Definitely recommend crampons. Be prepared for snow! There are great photo opportunities, including a view of the Saskatchewan Glacier. Jasper's Parker Ridge … We had crampons for our boots but you would still sink down to your knees because of the snow along the way. Did the hike today which was one of the sunnier days. If you are driving from Jasper you will pass the Icefields Discovery Center on the left, then watch for Wilcox Pass Trail on the left side, 2.8 km further along the Icefields Parkway. Amazing views:). That’s the secret to hiking in the Canadian Rockies. Hike Parker Ridge Trail and enjoy the Canadian Rockies. Combining nature and human activity, this area has dangers that can be life threatening. 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 Lovely wildflowers and view of the glacier. There is a garbage can and panabode privy in the parking lot. The view that awaits from the ridge can’t be seen from the road. The parking area is on the west side of the Icefields Parkway at KM 117, 4 km south of the Banff-Jasper boundary. For those travelers who would enjoy an awesome view of a glacier, snow-capped mountains and the chance to see mountain goats on an easy afternoon hike along an alpine ridge surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, the Parker Ridge Trail in Banff National Park is worthy of consideration. Across the glacier the highest summit is Mt. We started out in winter conditions (snowing) then fall weather on our way back down. Keep going over the top and slightly down the other side for a remarkable eagle’s-eye view of the Saskatchewan Glacier. The last quarter of the hike was a bit steeper and it was cold, make sure to cover your ears, mouth with a ski mask, and jacket to block the chilly wind. Bring water. We went on Oct 23. This extension transforms this hike from a pleasant, scenic, but often crowded hike into a wonderfully solitary experience. easy to follow trail. The closest town to the trail is Jasper. Why visit Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies? This one took us ~2 hours round trip with lots of photos at the top! Why we love this Jasper hike: the views from the top completely blew us away and that was in some pretty nasty weather too! 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. Be careful with them! 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. The hike takes about 2 or 3 hours. Parker Ridge Trail hike Map. 5. Parks Canada describes the hike as follows: “This well-defined trail switchbacks 275 m up a moderate grade to the top of a tundra-clad ridge above the treeline. But with proper knowledge of the terrain, this place is a great playground for skiers, snowboarders, hikers and just plain old nature lovers. As a reward for the ascent, the trail provides a view of the Saskatchewan Glacier you’ll remember for a long time. Parker Ridge Trail gets a lot of favorable reviews from hikers. Relatively easy getting up. Now imagine the wind blowing cool, clean Canadian Rockies air and the smell of nature. Hiking Time It will take about 3 hours to complete the Parker Ridge hike. The hike started off in a wooded area so we had plenty of protection; however, at the top, the wind was incredible. Directions: While Parker Ridge is located in northern Banff National Park, the closest town is actually Jasper. The Parker Ridge Trail trailhead is found at a large, well-marked parking area along the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93). It can be short-sleeve shirt weather at the bottom of the mountain and jacket weather at the top of the mountain. Parker Ridge Trail is located on the Jasper National Park and Banff National Park border with the trailhead starting on the Banff side. Hidden Ridge Resort – Best Hotel in Banff National Park? The scenes along the trail are spectacular. Parker Ridge actually falls under Banff National Park but it’s closer to Jasper so we’ve included it here too. Parker Ridge trail on the Icefields Parkway in Alberta's Banff National Park to explore requires a park pass and you get free parking. This could it – though the choices for hiking in Jasper and Banff are many. Thank you. Drive south of Jasper on Hwy 93 for 114km to the parking lot on the right side of the road. Hiking up Parker Ridge unlocks some amazing views of the Saskatchewan Glacier, the largest of the Columbia Icefield’s six valley outlet glaciers. Worth facing the wind for the views! Parker Ridge is situated along the west side of the Icefields Parkway and southeast of Sunwapta Pass. Click to visit the interactive panorama providing a 360 degree view from on the trail and overlooking Saskatchewan Glacier. There’s a sign marking the trail end! If you’re coming from Banff, you can’t ask for a better start to hiking in Jasper National Park than the Wilcox Trail. Trail was covered with a lot of fresh snow, need to watch out for possible avalanche. Parker Ridge is 2.4 km (one way, I believe - 4.8 km return - that's a little under 3 miles). Almost immediately the trail starts climbing the ridge—Parker Ridge. This trail along the Icefield Parkway is a great short and strenuous hike near Jasper. The hike is a little more challenging than the popular Maligne Canyon hike in Jasper, but the rewards seem worth the effort. Parker Ridge trail . From mid-July to mid-August you’ll see blue alpine forget-me-nots and cushions of pink moss campion on Parker Ridge. To hike Parker Ridge Trail, start off by entering the beautiful fir forest, on the wide dirt path at the trailhead sign. Parker Ridge is a 2-hour drive from Banff and a 2-hour drive from Jasper. , Copyright © 2021 Jasper National Park Journal Travel Guide by DH Wall – Alberta, Canada - All Rights ReservedPowered by WordPress & the Atahualpa Theme by BytesForAll. Begin the trail just south of the Athabasca Glacier Visitors Center. 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. After a series of switchbacks, you'll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Saskatchewan Glacier headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. It goes up… surprise, surprise… to the ridge. Montée difficile à cause de la neige, nous en avions jusqu’aux genoux. After a series of switchbacks, you'll be rewarded with dramatic views of the Saskatchewan Glacier headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 7.8km return Elevation: 359m Time: 2-2.5 hours. 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 Have a look. One of a visitor’s first stops to the parks (either Jasper or Banff) should be the information centers to get acquainted and to learn the status of the trails. Erosion, bears and other situations can temporarily close a trail. Parker Ridge Trail – 5.4 km return, moderate. 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