Columbia Icefield is a 365-square-kilometre sweep of wintry landscape. That makes it one of the largest icefields in the Canadian Rockies. It's also one of the few accessible ones. Tour the glaciers on an explorer bus – alight to set off on your own mini adventure.
Begin at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center. Learn about the six major glaciers: Athabasca, Castleguard, Columbia, Dome, Saskatchewan and Stutfield. Find out how J. Norman Collie and Hermann Woolley first reported the icefield in 1898. Discover how this area is one of the foremost freshwater sources in North America. See how the meltwater forms tributaries leading into the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Join the Columbia Icefield Scenic Walk. This two-hour guided tour leads you to the icefield's largest glacier, the Athabasca. It's currently retreating at an alarming rate. Although visitors can explore parts of the glacier unguided, slippery surfaces and hidden crevices mean you must know what you're doing.
For a less strenuous tour, hop on the Glacier Adventure bus. This lasts 90 minutes, drives you up onto the Athabasca Glacier and, at one point, allows you to get out and walk on it.
If a couple of hours on the Columbia Icefield isn't long enough, take the Columbia Icefield Discovery and Glacier Adventure. This 14-hour Calgary-to-Columbia round trip whisks you past the likes of Lake Louise, Victoria Glacier, Crowfoot Glacier and Peyto Lake. Book in advance for this tour. Whatever tour you're going on, make sure you have suitable warm clothes and good walking gear.
Because of its 3,000-metre altitude, the icefield enjoys snowfall throughout the year – however, the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center is only open from April to October. The Columbia Icefield straddles the boundary between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. To arrive from Jasper, it's a 100-kilometre drive south on the scenic Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). Many visitors like to stop at Athabasca Falls to take in the mesmerising view.
