Mt. Edith Cavell Path of the Glacier Trail – Jasper National Park
The Mt. Edith Cavell area of Jasper National Park is a truly stunning place where you can chose to do either a quick hike or a more difficult hike, depending on your fitness level and/or the amount of time you have.
Our original plan was to hike Edith Cavell Meadows (which is about a 1/2 day hike), but the trail was still closed to do snow when we hiked this in mid-July! So we had to settle for a much shorter, easier hike instead – Path of the Glacier. And it did not disappoint!
How to get to Mt. Edith Cavell Area for Path of the Glacier?
It’s about 45 minutes to get here from the Jasper townsite, up a seasonal road called “Edith Cavell Road.” This road is only open during the late spring to fall, and does not allow trailers.
There is a large lot at the base of Edith Cavell Road where you are allowed to unhook a camper or trailer, leave it there, and then drive up.
The drive up Edith Cavell road was nothing special as the views are obstructed by trees. You won’t see much of anything until you get to the parking lot, where the road ends. The road is paved all the way and I didn’t find it scary to drive. It just seemed to take forever.
Parking at Mt. Edith Cavell
Parking is free and the lot was huge. We didn’t have any issues finding a space even though there were a lot of people here and we arrived in late morning.
There are restrooms in the parking lot.
Hike Details – Path of the Glacier
Hike Distance: 1.2 km (round trip)
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Surface: The first 1/2 km is fully paved. Turns into a traditional hard-packed dirt trail. The trail will end at a viewpoint where you can see Cavell Pond and Angel Glacier
Type of Trail: Out and back
Elevation Gain: 70m
Dogs allowed: Yes, on leash
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Path of the Glacier shares the same parking lot and trailhead as Edith Cavell Meadows. If you’re doing the Cavell Meadows trail, you’ll see a sign pointing to the cutoff for your hike as you walk along the paved path.
This trail was absolutely stunning, even though weather conditions were a little iffy (we dealt with a little mist, and then when we got to the alpine lake, got hit with a little bit of sleet).
Along the way, look for wildflowers and these small pine trees – they’re so cute!
Once you reach the viewpoint, you can get a great view of Angel Glacier, a hanging glacier in the shape of, well, an angel, and Cavell Pond, a beautiful teal lake.
When looking at Cavell Pond, you’ll likely see large ice chunks floating in the lake, with some much large ice chunks washed up on the shore. These ice chunks are not from Angel Glacier, rather they’re from Cavell Glacier with is the glacier located across the small pond.
After spending some time at the viewpoint, just turn around and head back the same way you came to reach the parking lot. Don’t put away your camera though; the views going back are amazing and you might’ve missed them on your way there!
Final Thoughts – Path of the Glacier Trail – Edith Cavell
Pros:
Short hike – anyone can do it, as the trail is paved most of the way
Crowded
Stunning scenery!
Alpine lake was so cool – icebergs floating in the lake as well as giant ice chunks washed up on ‘shore’.
Cons:
Short season for hiking
It’s a long drive up to the trailhead from Jasper – takes much longer than you think.
Have you hiked Path of the Glacier at Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
