On day 13 of our Western Canada road trip, Callum and I decided to attempt the Iceline hike through Yoho National Park. I originally planned to visit Moraine Lake this day, but since we were able to do it in the evening a couple days ago, we decided to hike the Iceline Trail while looping through Little Yoho Valley and Yoho Valley.
This trail loop was recommended to us from the man we rented our campervan from. He said this was his favourite hike in the Canadian Rockies, and now it is one of mine too!
Yoho National Park is very close to Banff National Park, so we left our campsite at Lake Louise Campground, and started early in the day (as per usual).
This hike is a 21.7 km loop with 978m elevation gain and we had to completed in a day. All Trails rates this as a Hard hike.
A Beginner’s Experience Hiking the Iceline & Little Yoho Valley Trail Loop
For this hike, the parking lot is at Takakkaw Falls. The parking lot isn’t that big so we knew we needed to arrive early, like many of our hikes through Western Canada (especially the Rockies).
The Iceline hike began with switchbacks through a lush, green forest, offering glimpses of the Takakkaw Falls in the distance. This is where most of the elevation gain happens.
After ascending, the trail opened up to a rocky, limestone landscape (which I thought might be shale, but I realized I don’t really know what shale is－I’m not a geologist). This section offered stunning 360 views of mountain peaks, various glaciers, and a distant meadow. You will see the Vice President and Michael Peak from this hike.
I find I think about my meals often, so after we got to the top I ate my peanut butter sandwich. Peanut butter sandwiches are great for hiking, and I felt like I earned it after those switchbacks!
The hike continued along the limestone environment with relatively consistent elevation, providing ample opportunities to admire the surrounding glaciers. We did a mini photoshoot with us, and the glaciers in the background.
About three quarters of the journey, on the right side of the trail there is (for a lack of a better word) a hill where you get additional elevation for a nice viewpoint. This only added about ten minutes to the journey, and I think is worth the detour.
The Iceline hike continues along a rocky path with little elevation change. This provided us with ample opportunities to admire the surrounding glaciers.
This hike can be a little deceptive. As you walk along the rocky terrain, it looks like you are close to getting out of that environment, and heading straight to a nice, lush meadow. In actuality, you end up curving further into the rocky terrain. The rocky terrain was cool at first, but when you compare it to a lush meadow, you start to long for the meadow.
To be honest, looking back, I think the fact that I longed so much for the meadow made it even sweeter when we finally arrived, and maybe part of the reason this is one of my favourite hikes in the Canadian Rockies (maybe ever).
The Meadow
Eventually, we made it to the meadow, but the sun was starting to set, and we still had a considerable distance left to cover before nightfall. We did not want to risk hiking in the dark 
.
Even though we descended at a quicker pace, we did not let this stop us from admiring the environment. The meadow was so lush.
I also loved it because right when we entered we saw adorable Columbia Ground Squirrels. I just love the way they pop their heads out, and stand on their back feet while looking around. Also their fur has nice gold highlights. Any experience that has wildlife bumps it up in my books.
The last little bit of our hike through the meadow was mostly flat. We ended up in an area with huts, and at the time I thought they were maybe for some sort of day camp (even though I didn’t see any people). Turns out this is actually a hostel. I think it would be a pretty cool place to stay (but just not right now because they are renovating).
Finally, we walked across a flat boardwalk (over a river), and arrived back to the parking lot before dark (thankfully). The whole loop took us nearly 10 hours to complete, but it was totally worth it.
After a fulfilling day of hiking, the evening was spent at Lake Louise Campground. We made our classic meal of Sidekicks, and stretched, and relaxed in the campervan. This was our last night in Lake Louise Campground, before driing the iconic Icefields Parkway the following day.
Why I Think Everyone Should Do The Iceline Loop
- The scenery is so diverse, and the views are absolutely epic. You have waterfalls, glaciers, limestone, various mountain peaks, lush meadows, boardwalk river crossings, AND Columbia Ground squirrels
- Most of the elevation gain is in the beginning, so while the length of the trail is tiring, it’s totally worth it. I personally find elevation more tiring than long distances (maybe this is everyone)
- The hike can be completed as a loop. I think loops are the best since you get to see something different for the entirety of your journey
- It’s less busy in comparison to some of the other sites in Yoho National Park (like Emerald Lake－although the basin trail wasn’t that busy)
What You Should Keep In Mind Before Doing Iceline
- If you want to do the full loop, this will likely take you all day (unless you are a trail runner). Make sure you start early (no later than 8 am). This is also beneficial for getting a parking spot in the small lot at Takakkaw Falls.
- Hiking attire is a must. You will want a hat, preferably moisture-wicking layers (pants, short sleeve layer, long sleeve layer, jacket), hiking boots, and hiking poles (if you have them). If you watch the video of our hike, you can see more of what we wore in late August to help you determine what to wear. It gets cold up top (even in the summer). Naturally, plan based on the weather it calls for, but you can’t go wrong with layers.
- Make sure you have plenty of water, lunch, and snacks. We used a water bottle with a filter, and filled it up in glacial streams if we ran out, but I would be prepared to not be able to do this/we filled up a filter with the sediment from the glacial streams so this should really be worst case scenario. We often also bring a collapsible water bottle since we can easily refill with this. For food, we each had peanut butter sandwiches, and cliff bars, but we also like apples, bananas, or clementines for hiking as well. Trail mix is also good.
- This hike is rated hard on All Trails, but I felt as someone without much mountain hiking experience before this trip that I enjoyed this hike, and was able to accomplish it without feeling overwhelmed. It is long, but the elevation gain is less than 1000m, and it all happens when you start the hike. At this stage of my life, my regular fitness routine was more yoga, less cardio. I think this would be incredibly difficult for someone who has never hiked, and would not recommend it. For everyone else, this hike is worth it, and I highly recommend it.
Planning a Trip to Western Canada?
I’ve created guides, and itineraries based on my own experiences taking a camper van on a road trip through British Columbia, and Alberta. My Western Canada itinerary starts on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and ends in Calgary, Alberta. The itinerary goes through what to do, and where to stay in notable national parks like Kootenay, Yoho, Banff, and Jasper. On this 24-day trip you will experience vibrant cities (eat good food), majestic wildlife, rewarding hikes, dark skies, and everything in-between.
Want to Know More About Canada Before You Go? I’ve also curated a mini pop culture guide with a few books, documentaries, and podcasts on Canada. I’m Canadian, so I tried to cover what I feel reflects important elements of my country, and would be helpful for those who want to know more about this beautiful country.
For everything else you may need to know for your trip to Canada, I have created destination guides covering everything you need to know before travelling to Alberta and/or British Columbia.
Looking for Inspiration? Watch our video series on Western Canada, OR read more articles below.
