We drove the parkway from Banff to Jasper. This is a Canadian Rockies MUST DO! Closed for the season Please note the Columbia Icefield Adventure is closed for the 2020-2021 winter season. It is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies and covers around 230 sq km (89 sq mi) at depths up to 265 meters (1,200 ft). Learn More. Columbia Icefield Skywalk: Scary but worth it - See 1,553 traveler reviews, 891 candid photos, and great deals for Jasper National Park, Canada, at Tripadvisor. It is amongst the most popular activities in Jasper National Park – and many Banff National Park visitors drive up for the Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience too. Lake Louise to Columbia Icefields: 1 hour 50 minutes, 80 miles; Calgary to Columbia Icefields: 3 hours 35 minutes, 193 miles; Is it necessary to do an Icefields Parkway Tour? - See 1,574 traveler reviews, 903 candid photos, and great deals for Jasper National Park, Canada, at Tripadvisor. Columbia Icefield Adventure includes Ice Explorer Tour on the Athabasca Glacier, admission to the Skywalk, and return transportation from the Glacier Discovery Centre. We stopped at the Located within the Canadian Rocky Mountains astride the Continental Divide of the Americas along the border of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, the ice field lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff National Park and partly in the southern end of Jasper National Park. The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in North America's Rocky Mountains. The sno-coach tour travels on the Athabaca Glacier, one of the outlet glaciers of the Columbia Icefield. The short and easy answer is no. More of the glacier melts in the summer than is replenished in the winter, hence the recession. The main benefit to this place is being very close to the icefields, so you can get on the 9am tour. It is worth it to experience this unique location while it lasts. The scenery is beautiful. Columbia Icefield Skywalk: Not worth it. Check out our 9 tips for visiting the Columbia Icefield Athabasca Glacier. The other benefit is that it's an amazingly beautiful setting. The Athabasca Glacier portion of the Columbia Icefield could be gone in a few decades. Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure: Cold and Scary, but worth it - See 2,747 traveler reviews, 2,002 candid photos, and great deals for Jasper National Park, Canada, at Tripadvisor. This tour slot means less waiting, less crowds, and less bother, so it's worth it. The Icefield forms a high altitude ice-cap that lies on a plateau the Athabasca Glacier is a large toe that extends down from the Columbia Icefield. In the warmer months, the Icefields Parkway is well-maintained, paved, and marked with plenty of informational signage. We loved out quick stop at the Athabasca glaicer and it’s definitely worth the money to ride the Ice Explorer out to the glacier so you can actually WALK on the glacier. 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