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Touch ice, with glacier adventures that inspire action
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Glaciers hold the memory of our planet. Beneath the towering icefields, shimmering blue crevasses, and ancient rivers of ice, glaciers tell the story of Earth's climate across millennia. But those memories are being lost at an unprecedented rate (with the June 2025 collapse of the Birch Glacier, in Blatten, Switzerland, as one recent example).
In western Canada, glaciers offer more than just breathtaking scenery; they're gateways to adventure. From the majestic Columbia Icefield in Alberta to the awe-inspiring glaciers that spill from the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, these frozen wonders draw travelers seeking an unforgettable brush with nature's raw power.
Whether you're walking on a glacier, viewing them from above, or simply admiring the icy vistas from a scenic highway pull-out, glaciers in Alberta and British Columbia deliver an experience that is as thrilling as it is humbling. And as accessible, or even more so, in summer than in winter.
Take it from me: once you've touched glacier ice, or been touched by it, you'll want to join in preserving it.
Photo:
Tyler Dixon
On a teaching fellowship to Antarctica, Tyler Dixon was impacted by the immensity and importance of glaciers.
In 2024 I was selected for the 16th annual Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. The Fellowship is a unique experiential professional development opportunity for teachers that is hosted by Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society.
As part of the program, I traveled to Antarctica onboard the National Geographic Resolution in spring 2025. When I learned I was bound for Antarctica, it was the wildlife that excited me the most. And seeing whales, seals, and especially penguins in the wild was an experience I won't soon forget.
Photo:
Tyler Dixon
Penguins were an expected highlight, but witnessing glaciers had Dixon in awe too.
It was the ice, however, that truly left me in awe. I returned to Alberta curious to learn more about the glaciers in western Canada, but more specifically the ones in my own backyard of the Canadian Rockies.
Upon returning from Antarctica's ice-covered landscape, I began digging deeper into the glaciers here in Canada. Having lived here my entire life, I knew Canada could be a frigid country. But I was surprised to learn that Canada accounts for approximately 20% of the world's total glacier volume.
Photo:
Tyler Dixon
The author, on expedition in Antarctica, next to the glaciers and penguins.
This makes Canada the most glacier-rich country globally in terms of non-polar ice.
However, I fear that distinction won't last as long as I would like. As with most others around the globe, Canada's glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate.
The glaciers in British Columbia and my home province of Alberta are of most concern. It has been predicted that the glaciers in the Canadian Rockies could lose more than 90% of their volume by the year 2100.
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The timing of my expedition and ensuing glacier investigation now feels like fate. In response to the accelerating retreat of glaciers worldwide, the United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation.
Glacier Preservation initiatives
This initiative, led by UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization, aims to raise global awareness about the critical role glaciers play in freshwater supply, climate regulation and cultural heritage.
Thankfully, with UNESCO's designation and through the work of organizations like Guardians of the Ice, POW Canada, and the Ice Legacy Project, glaciers are now emerging into the public consciousness instead of existing in the shadows.
Globally, glaciers are receding. Now is the time to experience them, and assist in their preservation.
Glacier tourism is also on the rise in western Canada, influenced by shifting travel trends, climate awareness, and a growing interest in Indigenous-led experiences.
Here I have compiled a list of some of the most accessible glaciers in western Canada, as well as several of the industry leaders in glacier tourism. Let's start in Alberta.
Alberta glacier adventures
It's super easy to get up close with glaciers in Alberta.
Icefields Parkway
The aptly named Icefields Parkway, arguably the most scenic drive in the entire country, is blanketed in ancient ice. This 232-kilometre stretch of highway between Lake Louise and Jasper is dotted with more than 100 glaciers, including the Athabasca, which is the most accessible glacier in the country.
Photo:
Jeremy Derksen
Ski touring up the Columbia Icefields, with Rockaboo Mountain Adventures (circa 2019).
Athabasca Glacier
The Athabasca is one of six major glaciers (the others being Dome, Stutfield, Saskatchewan, Castleguard, and Columbia) that comprise the Columbia Icefield. Visitors can walk right up to the toe of the Athabasca or even take a guided excursion onto the glacier surface.
Pursuit offers several tour options including
- the classic Columbia Icefield Adventure where an Ice Explorer delivers you onto the glacier
- the Glacier Skywalk, which is a suspended walkway nearly 300-metres above the valley floor,
- or their latest option, the Ice Odyssey experience featuring their new SHERP all-terrain vehicles.
All tours depart from the Icefield Discovery Centre. For those looking for a more intimate, human-powered adventure, then IceWalks is right up your alley.
Their team of highly certified guides will transport you onto the Athabasca under the power of your own two feet. Options include half-day, full-day, private groups, or Indigenous-led tours.
Outside of the Athabasca, the Peyto, Crowfoot, and Bow Glaciers are also easily viewed from popular roadside stops along the Icefields Parkway.
Photo:
Jeremy Derksen
Bow Lake, with Bow Glacier in the background, can be viewed safely from a distance (trail not accessible as of spring 2025).
We know many of you are willing to work for those awe-inspiring views. Here are a few suggestions for hike-accessible glaciers.
More glacier hikes in Jasper
- Cavell Meadows Trail in Jasper National Park provides stunning views of the Angel and Cavell Glaciers
- Parker Ridge (Saskatchewan Glacier)
- Wilcox Pass (Athabasca Glacier)
Glacier hikes in Banff
- Helen Lake (Bow Glacier) along southern half of the Icefields Parkway
- The Plain of Six Glaciers in Banff National Park provides views of the Victoria and Lefroy Glaciers
- Saddleback Pass provides views of the Aberdeen Glacier
Glacially-fed Lake Louise, with the Plain of Six Glaciers behind.
Glacier hikes in Kananaskis
- The Haig, Robertson, and French Glaciers are all found in the Burstall Pass area
- The Rae Glacier, located in the Highwood Pass region of Kananaskis Country has the distinction of being the easternmost glacier in Alberta
Alberta-BC multi-day glacier hike
The Wapta Traverse is a renowned multi-day alpine trekking route that crosses the Wapta Icefield along the Continental Divide.
British Columbia glacier adventures
Moving into British Columbia, you'll find no shortage of glaciers from the easily viewed to the more challenging to access. BC also has a variety of glacier-based tour operators including:
- Tourism Whistler provides guided glacier adventures to the Whistler Glacier. Options include guided hikes, heli-hiking, and heli-glacier walks.
- Parks Canada offers guided hikes into the Stanley Glacier basin in Kootenay National Park.
- Black Tusk Helicopters, Sunshine Coast Air, BC Air, and Glacier Helicopters are all aviation companies that offer helicopter or airplane sightseeing tours over places such as the Tantalus Range, Mount Garibaldi, the Serratus Glacier, Tetrahedron Provincial Park, the Comox Glacier, Blanket Glacier, and Lake of the Hanging Glaciers.
A skier taking in the view of Black Tusk, from Whistler Blackcomb.
- Evergreen Adventures offers an Ice Cave Adventure tour complete with a private helicopter ride to the toe of a remote glacier.
Hiking to glaciers in BC
For those looking to explore under their own power, here are a few popular suggestions for hike-accessible glaciers in BC:
- Try the Great Glacier Trail for spectacular views of the Illecillewaet Glacier or the Asulkan Valley Trail to catch a glimpse of the Asulkan Glacier. Both trails are in Glacier National Park.
- The Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park is a classic multi-day backcountry circuit offering incredible glacier views.
- Wedgemount Lake and Panorama Ridge are excellent choices for glacier viewing in Garibaldi Provincial Park.
- The trails to Cobalt Lake or the Conrad Kain Hut in Bugaboo Provincial Park provide views of the park's various glaciers.
- Take the Gibson Lake Trail to Kokanee Lake for arguably the best glacier views in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.
- The extremely popular Joffre Lakes Trail features three brilliant turquoise lakes with glacier backdrops.
- Overlord Glacier can be seen from alpine hiking trails accessed via gondolas at Whistler/Blackcomb.
Looking for glacier viewpoints without breaking a sweat?
We've also got you covered here: dramatic views of the Bear and Salmon Glaciers near Stewart can be found from various roadside viewpoints.
The aforementioned Illecillewaet Glacier is easily viewed from the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre. Both the Dome and Afton Glaciers, part of the Wapta Icefield, can be seen from the Yoho Valley Road. You can catch a distant view of the Stikine Icecap from Highway 37 between Dease Lake and Iskut.
If you're on Vancouver Island you could see the Comox Glacier from a distance along sections of Highway 28.
The recommendations above are by no means an exhaustive list of all the glacier tourism opportunities in western Canada, but should provide a starting place for those looking to explore glaciers in a variety of different ways.
