The group sounded pretty well stocked…one gentleman asked a lady if there were, “Any more butter tarts?” Those ACC folks really know how to wait out the rain. The rain from the previous week had stopped, the sun was out, and the trails were drying. The start of the trail beyond the forest is very pretty, but not yet truly out of this world. We planned to complete the loop in the counter-clockwise direction, starting low with the Yoho Valley Trail, climbing the Little Yoho Valley Trail to the Stanley Mitchell Hut, and finishing along the Iceline Trail before descending back to the trailhead. It was even more amazing to hike so close to the glacier itself, though the ice has receded. Day Trip: summit the Iceline Trail and return on the same route for a 13km there and back hike. I read that after a short part of it you come to a 2.5 mile (or was it km?) Our first leg was a beautiful warm up jaunt along the sunny banks of the Yoho River. There is also a backcountry campsite at Yoho Lake if you are up for a night in the wilderness. My goal is to relax a little more in these places, knowing I am capable and prepared. Iceline Trail: the lake that wasn’t even on our map! We renewed our annual park pass at the Park Visitor Centre in Field and got info from the ranger. At times it felt like we were hiking a “Rocky Mountains Greatest Hits” trail. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking. Iceline Trail: the amazing rainbow colours at Takakkaw Falls. Finally it was off to the Takakkaw Falls Trailhead to change clothes and organize gear for the day. The 3-Day Yoho Valley Hiking trip begins at Takkakaw Falls, accessing many of the local trails: the Iceline, the Whaleback, Little Yoho Valley & Twin Falls. The trail follows a lot of really well-built switchbacks up through the woods. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. Elevation Gain: 864m; Duration: 4-6 hrs to the lookout and return dependent on fitness level. The hike then follows the glacier for another kilometre or so, crossing rivers and taking you to a couple of blue glacier lakes. However, what a treat to start high, and climb even higher on a day hike! We saw some scratches on trees that we think might have been bear sign, but there was no hair on the bark to DNA test! Little Yoho is a small hanging valley tucked up behind the President Mountain range, above an elevation of 2000m. Eventually, the trees thinned out and the ground became drier. A group of intrepid photographers were the only other folks winding down the day there. From authors to artists to movie stars, these quotes are guaranteed to inspire you. Don’t worry, that’s coming. This helps towards the costs of running our website. This is the start of the most spectacular section of the Iceline Trail. The Daly Glacier, Mount Niles and Mount Balfour were spotted across the valley. Some people did it in five hours, others in seven. We really liked this waterfall as it was nestled among the trees and rocks, making it a picture perfect spot. Hiking among glaciers: The Iceline Trail, Yoho National Park, Sydney Itinerary 2 days: how to see the best of the city (from a local), 16 Big mistakes to avoid in Yosemite National Park, 40 of the most beautiful Lake Quotes to inspire your next Instagram caption, 90 Road Trip Quotes to inspire you to hit the road, 85 Sunrise Captions guaranteed to spark a conversation on Instagram. The Siding Cafe in Field served us excellent hash brown potatoes with peanut butter and jelly toast. Soon you’ll reach the second lake and a junction. and about 205 km east of Revelstoke, B.C., both of which are located on Highway 1) Parking for the Iceline trail is in the Takakkaw Falls parking area (51.497255 N; 116.483012 W). The first stop on our Rockies Road Trip this fall was Yoho National Park. There aren’t many trails in the world where you can get this close to a glacier on a mountain and it reminded us of the Skyline Trail in Mount Rainier but with far fewer crowds (and that made all the difference). Instead use the Takakaw Falls car park for day use and walk to the trail head from there. Tak Falls parking fills up quickly mid morning. Length: 20.8 km Hiking time: 2 days Elevation: 710 m Trailhead: Takakkaw Falls parking lot, 17 km east of Field, B.C. Dry boardwalks carried us over braided streams. We were well out of danger range, but the volume of rock surprised and fascinated us. Iceline trail in Yoho National Park. Towards the end of this section just before the second glacial lake is a little peak you can climb which offers some more fantastic views. It’s not long before you reach Celeste Lake, a beautiful lake in the meadow, we didn’t see another soul on this whole section of track and it was a wonderfully peaceful experience. Just make sure you go via Celeste Lake and Laughing Falls, otherwise you may add on a lot more distance! Keep on this track, ignoring the bridge (or pop by the falls first) and heading onwards. Mike and I drove our car up Yoho Valley Road to a stating elevation of 1510 m. On Vancouver Island, we generally access our alpine from sea level, Buttle Lake (220 m), or Paradise Meadows (1090 m). As we took in the brilliant scenery, a thundering rock fall broke the silence. If you’re looking for inspiration to caption those dreamy lake photos on Instagram, we’ve put together 40 of the most beautiful lake quotes. For the 17km loop take the right to Laughing Falls which is a few kilometres down the trail (you could make an even longer loop taking in Twin Falls if you have time). One of the many spectacular glacial ponds on the Iceline Trail. We recommend heading clockwise to get the steep stuff out the way at the start and see the glacier early on. It can be accessed via the Iceline trail, or by following the Little Yoho Valley trail which leaves from the Laughing Falls campground. The air was cool and the atmosphere was happy since the sun was finally out. 20km loop. Iceline hike Map. The Iceline Trail is a 32km backpacking trip in Yoho National Park. This hike can range from 13 to 20 kilometers, (eight to 12.4 miles) in length. Great for beginners and experienced hikers alike, the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park is one of the premier hikes in Western Canada. Lake Louise & Yoho. We continued southeast past the junction, through a stark landscape of cairns, until we started to drop into the subalpine. National Parks usually have well-engineered forest switchbacks…and the Little Yoho Valley Trail was no exception. The forest is quite different to the others in the Rockies as it felt a lot more open which was very motivating for each view of the falls felt like you’d made significant gains in elevation. via the Trans-Canada Highway and Yoho Valley Road. Overall map of the Iceline Trail loop in Yoho National Park (purple line). length of the trail..." | Check out answers, plus see 172 reviews, articles, and 116 photos of York Cat Trail, ranked No.233 on Tripadvisor among 546 attractions in York. There were several couples encountered along this section, all going down to the valley. Just don’t park by the trail head down the road as you could get towed away. Iceline via Little Yoho. The length given is from HI—Yoho to the highest point along the trail (2,250 meters/7,380 feet). Ranking top 10 in Canada, the Iceline is Yoho's most scenic trail. All Rights Reserved. The path briefly follows the river before heading back into the forest. Iceline Trail: walking beside the roaring river. Climbing a small peak off the Iceline Trail. The panoramas were endless, stunning, and unbelievable. The walking is easy on this section and almost all flat. The view of Takakkaw Falls is incredible though and suddenly that immense waterfall looks tiny from your new perspective. Southwell trail booklet [PDF] The booklet includes: 1. four circular walks starting on the trail … (The turn to Takakkaw Falls is 3.6 km east of Field, B.C. Our bodies basked in the post-hike-fatigue-glow that we love so much. The hike starts by heading out of the car park and taking a sharp right, following the river on your left as if you are going to see the falls. The trail follows the river for a while before veering off into the forest again. After the lakes you’ll cross a bridge over a roaring river and reach a junction with what felt like 1,000 choices! This trek start … Long Day: summit the Iceline Trail, then on your return at the alpine meadow junction create a looped by taking the Junction down on the Celeste Lake Trail to the Little Yoho Valley Trail and finish on the Yoho Valley Trail. From authors, philosophers and artists, these quotes are guaranteed to inspire you. All visitors to Yoho National Park require a. Patton B. We left the hut and hiked up more switchbacks to the alpine. Alternatively you can get the Canada National Parks Annual Pass for $136.40 CAD for a group and get entry to every national park in the country for a year. We were almost the last people at the trailhead! The stunning blue water looked untouched and miles away from civilisation. I filled my water bottle in a windy drainage zone, shivering at the sudden temperature changes when the clouds obscured the sun. Little Yoho Valley. The Iceline hike is a wonderful trail up past tree line to and along a ridge presenting beautiful vistas across the Yoho Valley of Takakkaw Falls as fast-receding glaciers teeter above you. Before long, I took time to add a base-layer under my clothes and upgrade my gloves. We weren’t the only ones waxing lyrical at the next section of the track, one woman was brought to tears! Iceline via Celeste Lake. However, our favourite was the next lake which wasn’t even marked on our map! This leg was my favourite! Crackers, peanut butter, dragon boat mix, and dried fruit fuelled us instead. Do the hike for take-your-breath away views of the Yoho Valley, Emerald Glacier along with views of the Vice President, Whaleback and Isolated Peak – if you hike to the high point on the trail. Distance: 17km Elevation: 687m Type of trail: Loop (you can make a shorter out and back route if you prefer) Time taken: 5.5 hours. Answer 1 of 4: A little help, please! Both options are strenuous hikes over rugged terrain with dramatic scenery. Parking here can be tricky in the middle of the day, but if you’re patient a spot will open up. There are outhouses here but bring your own toilet paper! The regular trailhead for the Iceline Trail can be found next to the Whiskey Jack Hostel, which can be reached by following the Yoho Valley Road up from the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1). (The turn is approximately 60 km east of Golden, B.C. With snow beta acquired, we started our ascent to the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) Stanley Mitchell Hut. With our objective decided, breakfast was next! Iceline Trail. Dogs: Permitted on leash. There’s a campsite there as well - possibly the greatest spot for a campsite we’ve ever seen. Starting the Iceline trail. We also felt we could pick up time if we spent too long around the glaciers on the descent through the forest section if necessary. It’s our favourite way to travel. The Iceline Trail starts from Takakkaw Falls in the heart of Yoho National Park. It’s a sensation of being very small in a vast, airy wilderness. Two bodies of water flow into one, making half the river brown and half turquoise. It had physical challenge, epic views, rugged peaks, glaciers, green rivers, big waterfalls, blue tarns, and lovely access. Iceline Trail Hike Details: 13 miles; +/- 3,100 feet of elevation; Start at the Takakkaw Falls parking lot, Yoho Valley Trail to Iceline Trail to Little Yoho Valley Trail to Yoho Valley Trail. You can walk, cycle or horse ride along the trail and there are a number of free car parks to allow access. 1.403.678.4164 — 1.866.678.4164 About Us He was a hard-core Rockies hiker in trail runners, a fast-finisher of the Skyline Trail and the Rockwall Trail. The trail climbs 690 m from the Takakkaw Falls parking lot. :-). We started at 1pm and were finished about an hour before sunset. via the Trans-Canada Highway and Yoho Valley Road. We used to talk about travelling the world together, and in 2012 we finally made that happen. Takakkaw Falls Trail - British Columbia, Canada | AllTrails With the President Range in clear view, I took a few bearings off some peaks with my compass. Iceline Trail: the meadow on the descent to Celeste Lake. Summerthought Publishing; 2007. The road is snowbound and closed to vehicles mid-October to mid-June; it is used by cross country skiers in the winter. I was so excited to be on this famous Yoho hike! The Iceline Trail is without a doubt one of the most spectacular trails in the Canadian Rockies. The Iceline Trail…a classic Canadian Rockies “must-do” hike! After a few kilometres, Mike and I needed water so we filled up on the Yoho River. The trail can be done as an out-and-back hike to the high point along the trail (8.6 miles round-trip) or as a loop (13 miles round-trip). You have to park at the main car park for Takakkaw Falls (other people parked on the road, but you can get towed as this is reserved for guests of the Whiskey Jack Hostel only). The forested section before you reach the big views on the Iceline Trail, Read next: Jaw dropping stops you need to make on the Icefields Parkway. Whist this is counter to what we often say, the alternative is to start with 12km of hiking through the forest. There are two ways of doing this hike: anti-clockwise (heading north first) for a gradual uphill climb and steep decent; or clockwise (heading south first) for a steep start but a gradual descent. All in all, this was one of the best day hikes I’ve ever done in my life. Before you start, be prepared. Don’t be put off by what a lot of people say (we were told we’d need 7-8 hours by some hikers on the trail) as you can complete the whole loop in less than six and we weren’t rushing. The Iceline Trail is one of the great hiking trails in Yoho National Park. Because it was late in the afternoon, we kept our break short so we could clear the Iceline Trail in good light. The trail follows switchbacks and is in decent condition. After passing between twin tarns we reached the high point of the Iceline Trail, a bump on a spur trail near a cairn (2252 m). This makes the total journey of the Iceline Loop Trail nearly 15 miles long. Read next: Stunning Jasper hikes you need to take on! A spectacular ending to a spectacular hike. The climbing hasn’t finished yet, but it is more gradual than you’ve tackled so far. It was surreal to clear the trees and abruptly enter the huge moraine field of the Emerald Glacier. Neither of us had done that hike before, and we love exploring new places together. Iceline Hiking Trail Length: 6.4 kilometers/4 miles (2.5 hours) one-way Elevation gain: 690 meters/2,260 feet Rating: moderate/difficult Trailhead: HI—Yoho (Whiskey Jack Hostel) The Iceline is one of the most spectacular day hikes in the Canadian Rockies. It is about a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Banff or one hour from Golden. We’ve put together our favourite quotes to encapsulate the magic of taking a road trip. The trail continues up a rocky path for another couple of kilometres before turning a corner and reaching a truly awe inspiring landscape - you are walking right next to the ginormous Emerald Glacier! The hike starts by heading out of the car park and taking a sharp right, following the … The trail to Yoho Lake can be added as a small 3-mile loop. The Stanley Mitchell Hut (2055 m) looked very comfy with its pretty green roof and fireplace blazing; there were campsites in the trees too. 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