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One of the best hikes in the world is
ICELINE
Hikes in this area known as:
- Little Yoho / Iceline Loop
- Twin Falls
Have you hiked this area recently?
This page is a stub we are researching. You can expand it by emailing suggestions in the appropriate sections below. Our editors will add your comments. Thanks!
The red dot is YOHO National Park.
A T A GLANCE
- 21.1km (13.1mi) plus
- long day or great weekend
- medium difficulty
- July to mid-September
- it can be cold
- built 1987
This is our favourite weekend get-a-way in the Canadian Rockies.
WHY WE LIKE THIS HIKE
- Takakkaw Falls, perhaps the second most impressive in the Canadian Rockies after Berg Lake's Emperor Falls
- the 5km walk along Emerald Glacier
- huge Englemann spruce
- add-on loop to Twin Falls
- awesome valley views.
- hike Lake O'Hara on the same trip
- it's close to the famous Burgess Shale
- ... add a comment here
CONSIDERATIONS
- this is a very popular hike during the summer
- hard core hikers take gear and do it in the winter
- it is very exposed to the weather
- budget for a series of fees — hiking is not cheap in Canadian National Parks.
- the weather is highly variable. It can snow any day of the year. Or it can be 30°C (86°F).
- ... add a comment here
ROUTES
Our standard Iceline is 2 days, 1 night at Little Yoho campground.
But many other equally good itineraries are outlined in Canadian Rockies SuperGuide  . Show up at the Takakkaw Falls parking lot trailhead with your gear — and decide your route there depending on the weather and how you feel at the time.
Good alternative accommodation is Stanley Mitchell Hut. Book your beds long in advance through the ACC (Alpine Club of Canada) <email>.
LOGISTICS
- the closest major airport is Calgary, Alberta (YYC)
- rent gear if needed at MEC in Calgary
- regular bus service can drop you at Lake Louise, Alberta
- from there (we understand) there is no public bus that will drop you at the trailhead — 27km (16.8mi) west of Lake Louise on Hwy. 1 (Trans Canada)
- you could bus to Field, BC, 3.7km (2.3mi) from the Whiskey Jack hostel , conveniently located at the trailhead
- no need for a tent if you hike out of the hostel
- if you cannot get a bed at the hostel, nearby is Takakkaw Falls walk-in campground
- ... add a comment here
Questions:
Yoho National Park, Field, BC
(250) 343-6783
<email>
INDEPENDENT OR GUIDED?
Almost everyone hikes Iceline independently.
LOCAL INFORMATION
BEST TREKKING GUIDEBOOKS
There are many good hiking guidebooks. But we love Graeme Pole's innovative binders where we can remove just the relevant pages for our hike, carrying them in a protective plastic slipcover. Brilliant! Be sure to get the most recent edition.
The Copeland guide is excellent too, rating hikes from 1-4 "stars".
BEST TRAVEL GUIDEBOOKS
- Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks - Miller, Derby, Lukas, 2004
- Moon Handbooks Canadian Rockies - Andrew Hempstead, 2005
- Moon Handbooks Alberta: Banff, Jasper, Northwest Territories - Andrew Hempstead, 2004
- Lonely Planet British Columbia - Andrew Hempstead, 2004
- Moon Handbooks British Colombia - Andrew Hempstead, 2005
- Frommer's Banff & Jasper National Parks - Christie Pashby, 2004
- ... add a recommendation here
OTHER RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Gadd is our bible in the Rockies: flowers, plants, animals, birds, fish, geology, history and much more.
BEST MAPS
BEST WEB PAGES
After this page, the best links are
BEST PHOTOS & TRIP REPORTS
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