Suggestions on hikes in/or near Glacier OR Banff OR Jasper NPs

[Wuff]

The wife and I are starting to plan a road trip up the divide and through Yellowstone then Glacier then into the Canadian Rockies (Banff and/or Jasper). For many of the popular trails in these parks I know permits are hard to come by so I'd like to get a plan together for some short 2-3 nighters. Thinking late August early September, hopefully when crowds start to thin.

Does anyone have suggestions in or around these areas? Doesn't have to be inside a park. I've done the Colorado Trail and I'm looking forward to seeing the Rockies further North.

Thank you for any and all suggestions. Peace

[Venchka]

If you are willing to get to a ranger station in the Dark and wait, two people shouldn't have a problem with a walk up, or sleep up, trip.
Having spent time along the Divide from the Sandias to Mt. Robson, my favorite 2-3 night trip is the Berg Lake trail in Mt. Robson Provincial Park. Unequaled this side of Denali.
Have fun.
Wayne


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[Venchka]

Ps:
Get through Yellowstone & Glacier by Labor Day. Glacier in particular starts shutting down after Labor Day. Then go to Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper & Mt. Robson. The Canadian Parks remain fully open until Canadian Thanksgiving, October 9.
Wayne


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[Feral Bill]

The loop from Two Medicine Lake to no Name Lake to Oldman Lake makes a nice 2-3 day hike. A bit of the CDT is included. The Many Glacier area has great options as well, especially if you like bears.

[Spirit Walker]

There is a lot of incredible scenery in that area, if the weather cooperates and there aren't any fires. It has also gotten extremely crowded the last few years. Get reservations for campgrounds early and expect very crowded trails.

Get the book, "Don't Waste your Time in the Canadian Rockies". It lists a lot of excellent day and overnight hikes. Berg Lake is a good one. Tonquin Valley in Jasper was good. There are some good loops around Mt. Assiniboine. Highline Trail in Jasper is good but hard to get permits. Kananaskis Country has some good provincial parks. The Brazeau Loop is beautiful. Waterton Lake has good hiking, both day and overnight. If you are spending any time there, you will need to get the NP pass and backcountry permits, which add up.

[Venchka]

Admission to Canadian National Parks is free in 2017. I just discovered this and I am waiting for my pass.
http://www.commandesparcs-parksorder...et/en/parksb2c
A substantial savings in the Rockies alone.
Wayne

[Slo-go'en]

I would just show up and visit a ranger station to find out what's available at the time. You can't go wrong. If all else fails, just doing day hikes out of one of the campgrounds would work. Be sure to take the free bus across the divide on the "Road to the Sun".

I've done the hike from Banff to Jasper twice, but a long time ago. Amazing country. If you can get to the top of a tall peak, all you see in all directions are mountains and glaciers.

[PatmanTN]

The Going to the Sun Road free shuttle closes down for the season some time in September; check that out.

[Venchka]

Ps:
Get through Yellowstone & Glacier by Labor Day. Glacier in particular starts shutting down after Labor Day. Then go to Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper & Mt. Robson. The Canadian Parks remain fully open until Canadian Thanksgiving, October 9.
Wayne


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The Going to the Sun Road free shuttle closes down for the season some time in September; check that out.

The NPS hasn't posted their 2017 schedule yet. No surprise. But the 2016 dates should be within a day or two of this year.

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm
At 4 pm every afternoon the backcountry ranger stations post a list of open campsites for the following day. Folks who know how to plan can put together a plan before they get in line the next morning. I read an account online of a group of 4-5 hikers who didn't bother to read the list while spending the night at the ranger station and caused all kinds of problems for those in line behind them.
Hostels in the Canadian Rockies are approximately $30/person/night. Most are on roads, a few are hike in. Before Y'all start screaming about the price, remember that these hostels are near $300-$1,000/night luxury accommodations. There is very little in between.
Parks Canada sells an annual backcountry camping pass that pays for itself quickly.
Wayne

[handlebar]

...Get the book, "Don't Waste your Time in the Canadian Rockies". It lists a lot of excellent day and overnight hikes. Berg Lake is a good one. Tonquin Valley in Jasper was good. There are some good loops around Mt. Assiniboine. Highline Trail in Jasper is good but hard to get permits. Kananaskis Country has some good provincial parks. The Brazeau Loop is beautiful. Waterton Lake has good hiking, both day and overnight. If you are spending any time there, you will need to get the NP pass and backcountry permits, which add up.

+1 on getting the book. In addition to those listed you could try the Rockwall trail in iirc Kootenay. It's an end to end but I had no difficulty hitching back to where we parked our car. Also, Berg Lake Trail is a classic if you can get a permit. If you do that take an extra day and do the day hike up to Snowbird Pass for a spectacular overlook of an icefield.

[Dogwood]

LOL. Aug and early Sept can be peak or near peak usage in all those locations.

OMG if I started to just attempt to narrow down 2-3 day hikes in G NP a small book would be written.

[Venchka]

Someone's beat you to the books for all of the National Parks.
Wayne


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[TexasBob]

If you end up day hiking think about Grinnell Glacier in Glacier NP as well as Crypt Lake Trail and the Carthew-Alderson Trail in Waterton Lakes NP. The Plain of Six Glaciers above Lake Louise in Banff NP is crowded but the end is worth it. Consolation Lake near Moraine Lake is also another to consider in Banff NP. A trip to the priceless Burgess Shale fossil site near Field BC (Yoho NP) is a great day hike but is a protected world heritage site and you have to be part of a ranger led group to go there (https://www.burgess-shale.bc.ca/walcott-quarry).

[Wuff]

Highline Trail in Jasper is good but hard to get permits. Kananaskis Country has some good provincial parks. The Brazeau Loop is beautiful. Waterton Lake has good hiking, both day and overnight. If you are spending any time there, you will need to get the NP pass and backcountry permits, which add up.

Highline is the only plan I have firmed up - I was able to get a reservation at the lodge at the halfway point, so that'll be a quick and light two day.

Thank you all for awesome suggestions, I have research to do. That book "Don't Waste Your Time" is EXPENSIVE - $75 on Amazon, but it sounds worth it. Between the free Canadian parks and the generally increasing crowds of people looking for the perfect Instagram pic, I'm not assuming we'll find much solitude. Just excited to see the country up there.

[Venchka]

Folks talk about the Berg Lake Trail being crowded. It's all relative. The campsites are spread out and not large. Earlier this week all of the Campgrounds on the trail had vacancies on Labor Day.
Have a great trip!
Wayne


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[Dogwood]

... I'm not assuming we'll find much solitude...

Be careful of assumptions. Don't do what the masses do, how they do it, what they do and when they do it. That might be(should be?) the first step in gaining a greater feeling of solitude in your context of exploring those NP/Provincial Parks.

[Wuff]

Folks talk about the Berg Lake Trail being crowded. It's all relative. The campsites are spread out and not large. Earlier this week all of the Campgrounds on the trail had vacancies on Labor Day.
Have a great trip!
Wayne


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Hmm it looks like I could get a good itinerary at Berg Lake on the EXACT dates I have a reservation for the Highline. Is one better than the other?

[Venchka]

I can't speak for the Skyline Trail in Jasper.
Mt. Robson and Berg Lake are humbling. If the weather is nasty you're not going to see anything.
Roll the dice.
Wayne


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[Wuff]

Gah, you're right, I'm talking Skyline not Highline. Keep it straight, Wuff.

[Slo-go'en]

I bailed on doing the Skyline trail on my 2nd trip up there. It had rained on and off (mostly on) for the previous 2 weeks since leaving Banff and while my partners pressed to go on, I told them there was a good chance they would have to carry my body out if I went on. My tent was failing and everything was soaked.

I went to Jasper at the fork in the trail and my partners went on. They had a horrific night up there and ended up bailing themselves the next day. Meanwhile, I stealth camped a little out of town (Canadian holiday and no room at any of the inns) and woke up to a small herd of elk milling around my tent.

However, the weather finally cleared and we had a great expedition to the Fraytt climbing hut, high up on a hanging valley for the final days of the trip.