Stanley Glacier Trail: A Great Moderate Hike in Kootenay

The Stanley Glacier is a popular destination for hikers looking to escape Banff’s crowds. The Stanley Glacier trail also offers everyday hikers the chance to get up close to a glacier—and that glacier is a pretty big one. Notably, it is one of the few easily accessible glaciers in the Canadian Rockies.

To do the full glacier loop, hikers must trek 12.5 km (round trip) and 600 meters, but the effort is well worth it. It’s also possible to make this hike shorter, by avoiding the steep ascent that gets you closer to the glacier and sticking just to the maintained trail. Truly, there are many options here!

Trail Description

The Stanley Glacier trail has its own small parking lot just off 93S. It’s an officially maintained trail in Kootenay National Park. The trail to the main viewpoint is well-maintained and has several bridges and elevated walking platforms to avoid trail degradation in key areas.

The trailhead has long drop toilets, a notice board, and trash cans. During busy summer periods, we have seen people park along the shoulder of the highway, although we would not recommend it. Arrive early to secure parking during weekends and high season.

The trail starts out with a nice view from a bridge that crosses over the Vermilion River. After crossing the river the trail begins to make its way up the cirque that holds the Stanley Glacier through a series of rocky switchbacks.

The route largely ascends through a young forest of small pine trees (old forest fire), but you do get the occasional view back down the valley through Kootenay National Park. It’s a lovely view on a sunny day. As the forest is young and receives plenty of sunlight, wildflowers thrive along the edges of the trail.

Around two kilometres into the trail, it crosses Stanley Creek and reaches the cirque, which provides excellent views of the surrounding headwalls. The headwalls have several waterfalls that cascade down into the valley floor. Most notable is the Guard Wall, which looms high overhead to the south.

As the elevation begins to level off the forest opens up to a mixture of meadow and forest which holds the greatest amount of wildflowers and better views of the surrounding peaks. The trail remains the same over the next two kilometres and slowly gives way to more talus.

Officially, the maintained trail ends around the four-kilometre mark, where a rocky viewpoint atop a hill offers excellent views of the surrounding cirque and bits of the Stanley Glacier. It’s an excellent spot to stop for lunch for those seeking to complete a more moderate version of the hike.

Past the maintained trail, plenty remains to explore with a loop trail that gains higher into the cirque and largely crosses scree/talus fields. It will nearly double the amount of elevation gain on this hike and the rocky trail can be difficult for those with less mobility.

If you decide to gain the loop, you can expect a 600-meter gain day with nearly 13 km of distance involved. The area is renowned for fossils, particularly around the giant boulder to the South. Removal of fossils is not permitted, but Parks Canada offers a guided hike for those interested in learning more.

If you decide to venture further past the maintained trail, we suggest completing the loop anti-clockwise and heading to the right, as the southern side is steeper and easier to climb up rather than down. At the top of the cirque, you can find some caves and waterfalls that come down from the headwalls high above.

In the centre of the cirque is the a large rocky knob that holds several trees and where the Stanley Creek begins. The trail loops back from the headwall and towards the small island forest. We found a great rock here to have lunch and take in the views of the Stanley Glacier and surrounding peaks.

On the north side of the cirque, the trail descends back down to the officially maintained trail. Watch your footing here, as we found with the steepness and loose rock, it made for an easy spot to slip! The trail operates as an out-and-back trail so return the same way that you came to reach the parking lot.

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When is the Best Time to Hike This Trail?

The Stanley Glacier Trail is best completed in the summer, between June and September, but it’s also possible to snowshoe the trail in the winter.

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Trailhead Info

There is a small parking area just off Highway 93S right before the Marble Canyon trailhead. GPS directions can be found here.

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Trail Duration

We hiked the full loop in 4 hours, however your time on the trail greatly depends on your pace and fitness. Most people should be able to complete the full cirque in under 6 hours. If you are just hiking the maintained portion of this trail, allow for 3-4 hours. If you plan on gaining the the cirque to complete the full loop hike we recommend allowing 4-6 hours for this trail.

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How Hard is the Trail?

There are some things to keep in mind about this trail. While the first 4 km of this trail are gently graded on well-maintained, packed dirt trails, the final section of the trail, should you choose to hike it, includes nearly a kilometre of rough unmaintained trail and walking on steep, uneven and loose rocks. This hike is not for those with mobility issues; it is a moderately difficult trail.

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Trail Notes

• Fun fact: Trilobites, hyolithids, brachiopods, and sponges from the Eldon formation are hidden in the Stanley Glacier basin.
• Parks Canada offers Stanley Glacier guided hikes that operate from mid-June to early September. To book a tour that will explain and explore this area in more detail, you can book a guided hike with Parks Canada.