Jasper 
There are only a handful of ways to safely access Jasper’s Athabasca Glacier and the wonder that is the Columbia Icefield. Experienced and trained guides are necessary for exploring any icy parts of the glacier (as opposed to the public trail to the Toe of the Glacier); find these guides with the Icefields Discovery Centre, or with one of Jasper’s family and locally owned tour companies!
Credit: Athabasca Glacier Icewalks
The Columbia Icefields IceWalks company is owned by long-time mountain explorer, ACMG ski guide, and Parks Canada natural history interpreter, Peter Lemieux! He has spent over 35 years guiding visitors around the Athabasca Glacier. Today, the company continues to provide these in-depth, up-close, and awe-inspiring tours with the help of fellow expert guides, Megan Lohmann and Corin Lohmann.
The IceWalks tours are offered from May to October each year, with a few different types of tours available, including one with some paddling time along with hiking the glacier. These adventures are often greeted with other surprises, too, like the wildlife of Jasper or the constantly changing ice formations.
What Makes the Athabasca Glacier a Top Jasper Attraction?
The Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier are an incredible natural sight to behold from a distance and up close. And while the glacier, mountains, and rivers all combine to create a beautiful view, the Athabasca Glacier is also an incredibly significant part of Alberta’s natural history and modern natural world.
The glacier feeds two of Alberta and the Rockies’ major rivers: the Athabasca and Sunwapta. Both of these rivers and their valleys are teeming with wildlife and huge variety of flowers, trees, and shrubs. Getting close-up views of this massive ice sheet also gets visitors closer views of natural history through the ice’s recession, or the wild and unique formations you’d get to see on an IceWalks Tour.
Half or Full Day Ice Walk
The two classic tours provided by IceWalks offer the choice between a full or a half day spent exploring the glacier.
Athabasca Icewalks2
- Embark on a 5km hike around the lower glacier with the IceWalks Classic Half-Day Tour. Along the hike are chances to spot the deep, dangerous crevasses that splinter the glacier, frozen or flowing waterfalls that disappear into the ice, and awesome views of the glacier as a whole. These tours are available from May to October with departures in the morning or afternoon.
- The Full Day Deluxe Tours are available from June to September and roughly double your time spent exploring the glacier from the Half Day Tour. Overall, the hike is 8.5km, which will equal about 6 hours on the tour. These bring the trek much higher onto the glacier and around the glacier’s tongue. This tour includes time for lunch, spent among frozen ice pillars and sweeping views of the rest of the glacier. There is a bit more climbing involved with this hike as you climb over 300m above the toe of the glacier.
Ice to Water Tour
This two-day excursion is an incredible way to experience not only Jasper’s glaciers and mountain peaks, but also the rushing white waters of Jasper’s rivers. One day of the tour is spent exploring the Athabasca Glacier on their classic IceWalk tour. And another day of your tour will be spent on Jasper’s rushing white waters with a guided whitewater rafting trip on either the Sunwapta or the Athabasca!
- IceWalks offer the option between having your first day as a rafting day, or with rafting on the second day. How you order the trip is up to you! There’s also an option to book a pick-up shuttle or to drive yourself to the river rafting departure.
- These tours provide a glimpse into the glacier’s transition from solid blue ice to the thrashing waters of the run-off rivers.
- Rafters must be 5 years or older.
- Choose between a 2-hour, 3-hour, or 4-hour rafting trip.
Private Tours
These enable guests to create a customized itinerary while having their guide dedicated to their private group. The private ice walk tours are ideal for smaller groups of 3-5 people and are offered as a half or full-day experience. Your group can decide how much hiking and climbing you’d like to do, and IceWalks will tailor the price to fit the private tour.
Indigenous Led Tours
Those already familiar with the local Zuc’min Guiding tour company may also be familiar with the IceWalks Indigenous guide, Tim Patterson. He is the owner and founder of Zuc’min Guiding and has partnered with Athabasca Glaciers IceWalks to offer an icewalk tour with the Indigenous perspective, stories, and interpretation. Tim is a certified ACMG Hiking Guide, Indigenous Interpretive Guide and Educator, and his tours are available on select dates through the spring, summer, and fall.
- Join Tim for a half-day ice walk that runs about 5km round-trip. This trip will offer insight into how the First Nations groups used the surrounding mountain passes or bodies of water, and some of the most significant natural features around the area for those Indigenous people, whether pre- or post-European contact.
- Tim’s 2025 dates include June 24, July 9, August 17, September 8 and 13, and offer the option between morning or afternoon hikes on each of those dates.
Nearby Accommodations.
These nearby accommodations take the stress out of having to book a National Park campsite in Banff or Jasper and provide much more than a place to stay. These hotels also offer on-site dining and other amenities to add comfort to your stay.
- Glacier View Lodge is part of the Icefields Discovery Centre and is true to its name: many of the room options include sweeping views of the glacier from the window.
- The Crossing Resort have an array of spring and summer savings packages and is surrounded by more great hiking trail and exploration options.
- Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge offers a beautiful place to stay, plus a 15% off discount for anyone booking tours with IceWalks.
Planning Your Trip – Athabasca Glacier Icewalks
What: IceWalks hosts guided hikes around the Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier. The tour company is separate from the Glacier Discovery Centre and Pursuit tours, but brings guests to some of the same locations, depending on the length of the tour. IceWalks offer full or half-day excursions.
Location and how to get there: Columbia Icefields Glacier Discovery Centre parking lot, Highway 93N; 130km north of Lake Louise, 105km south of Jasper townsite
Cost: Half Day $126.99 per adult, $66.30 per child (7-16 years)
Full Day $198.15 per adult, $96.40 per child (7-16 years)
Indigenous Led half-day $158.00 per adult, $96.40 per child
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