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Welcome to this post guide to visiting Glacier National Park in Canada.

Through our own experience of 21 days of travel through the Canadian Rockies, we tell you what you can do and what to see in Glacier National Park. Our fourth Rocky Mountain National Park visited, after the Yoho National Park and the Banff National Park and before embarking on the visit tol Mount Revelstoke National Park.

Glacier National Park of Canada, is one of the National Parks of the Canadian Rockies that we found wildest during our tour.

A park that runs around the TransCanada Highway and goes into high mountains with Glacier-covered peaks and ancient forests deep. Where, in their path, There are no towns, no cities, not even hotels. to stay within Glacier National Park.

During our visit to Glacier National Park in Canada, we were able to see how the star of this park is hiking. mountaineering spirit It is obvious from the people who are in the park and for us one of the best things.

AN IMPORTANT TIP: Don't travel to Canada without a good travel insurance, avoid big problems. It is one of the first requirements that they tell you on the Canadian government website along with the processing of the And so.
We recommend you the Iati Star We hired this insurance after a good comparison and study of the different ones on the market. It is the only one that exceeds one million euros of coverage. Without a doubt, it is the best for North America, where breaking a leg costs you €150.000, as happened to a friend of ours in the USA. Another positive thing is that Iati has an app for virtual visits.
I leave you here a link where you have a 5% off for any Iati travel insurance.

About us

Our eventful experience in Glacier National Park in Canada 

Once the tasks of doing the eTA visa On the official website of the Government of Canada, hire the travel insurance required, review the validity of our passport, buy the adapter plug that we will need, buy a SIM card for having internet on mobile in Canada, reserve the tours and activities from the trip and pack your bags with what you need, leaving the unnecessary at home. We can now leave for Canada and its impressive landscapes!

I must say that our journey through Glacier National Park in Canada was a bit bumpy, so it was not enough for us y We were left wanting to explore more and do more hiking.

On the first day in Glacier, upon arriving at the Glacier National Park Visitor Center, we realized that We had lost some keys in Golden, where we had been rafting that morning. So the route planned that afternoon in Glacier was twisted by going back to Golden to look for the keys. Luckily we found the keys, but We totally lost 3 hours. 

But our adventure in Glacier National Park did not end there. On the 4th day in the area, flat tire. Just when we were going to do one of the iconic routes to see glaciers in Glacier National Park. That made us waste the whole morning and we were unable to take such a desired route.

In short, we will definitely return to Glacier National Park in Canada. We still have some really cool mountain trails to do and it is one of the quietest places we visited in the Canadian Rockies.

How to get to Glacier National Park Canada 

On our trip we arrived in Canada at the airport Calgary. From Calgary there is 3,5h driving along the TransCanada Highway that runs right through Glacier National Park.

Actually Calgary, if you are going to visit the Canadian Rockies, is the best airport to enter Canada, the closest without a doubt.

Furthermore, the best way to get from Calgary to Glacier Canada is by private vehicle, for the flexibility it will give you to get around afterwards, since in this less crowded natural park in the Rockies there is no shuttle bus system or public transportation.

Glacier National Park tips

Based on our visit to Glacier National Park in Canada, I'm going to try to extract all the useful information you need in the form of tips that will help you plan your visit. I hope they help you.

TIP FOR HAVING INTERNET IN CANADA: Internet in Canada is essential, although coverage outside the towns leaves something to be desired, I can tell you that in advance! We use a card with unlimited data Holafly and it was great for us. You can buy it with a 5% OFF through this link.

The ideal: 2 days to visit Glacier National Park in Canada

The route that we recommend to visit the Glacier National Park in Canada is 1 to 3 days. Depending on your plans, fitness level and preferences. 

If you are a mountaineer You will surely want to be 3 days in this park, so you don't miss out on super cool hikes, where you can see glaciers and wild valleys. 

But if you are one of those you walk just enough or you travel with small children, with 1 day, to make the easy interpretive trails, you will have enough.

In our case, we traveled with children aged 8 and 12, We are used to walking, but not to doing very high mountains, so the ideal was 2 daysOne for short interpretive walks and another for taking one of the long moderate walks to see glaciers up close, although always without touching them or stepping on them, as you have to be responsible. Although with the setbacks I have explained to you, the 2 days were not enough for us hahaha.

Where to stay to visit Glacier National Park: hotels and campsites

About Us We stayed in Revelstoke and from there we visited the two adjoining National Parks: Mount Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park of Canada. 

Without a doubt, making Revelstoke your base is the option that we recommend to you more practicalThere are no towns or accommodations in Glacier National Park, except for a couple of small campsites that are always full in July and August.

Therefore, Revelstoke village a 10 minutes from Glacier National Park becomes the best option. In addition, we loved Revelstoke village and it has many options for visits and leisure activitiesIn my post about Canada with kids for 30 plans, there are actually many plans that are from Revelstoke.

You also have Golden, but it's 1 hour away, and you would miss Revelstoke, which as I said is one of the towns we liked most in the Rockies along with Banff village.

Glacier National Park Canada Hotel

The best way to stay in a hotel near Glacier National Park Canada is to stay in one of the 40 accommodations in RevelstokeAs I mentioned earlier, most of them are hotels, but there are also apartments, log cabins and even bed and breakfast type hostels. The best thing about these accommodations is that they are 10 minutes from Glacier National Park in Canada.

On the other hand, there are more hotels in Glacier National Park in Canada, a little further away, in Golden where you have  66 accommodations of the population of Golden of all kinds. But as I was saying, you only have an hour until Golden.

Glacier National Park Canada campsites

Finally, I want to tell you that if what you are looking for is to camp in a motorhome or camper or in a tent in Glacier National Park in Canada, there are 2 public campsites. Only one is reservable and it fills up very quickly, so book well in advance. Then there is another one that is not reservable and is on a first-come, first-serve basis, which also fills up quickly. 

If you are going with a tent and intend to do long mountain routes, there are other campsites that are only accessible on foot for tents.

Discovery Pass to access Glacier National Park Canada

To access Canada's National Parks you must have a pass that must be placed in the vehicle in which you are travelling and carried with you at all times.

There are day passes and single national park passes, or if you are going to be like us for more than 7 days and through different National Parks, the one you have to buy that is worth it is the annual pass called Discovery Pass. 

De There are different Discovery Passes with different prices.If you are traveling as an adult there is one for $75 or if you are traveling in family or group other than $151 or if you are retired, it costs $64. However, this is only valid for one vehicle. In our case, we took the family/group Discovery Pass.

With the family Discovery Pass we can access more than 80 destinations of Canada's National Parks and Historic Sites up to 7 people in one vehicle.

Bears in Glacier National Park, Canada

Glacier National Park is one of the lPlaces with the most reports of bear presence we have seen. In fact, it is the first thing they warn you about at the Roger Pass Visitor Center. 

On most trails you have signs warning you that it is prohibited to access the trails without anti-bear spray. Also, in many of them they require you to be 4 people minimum to access. 4 adults, because they warn you that children do not count.

Something important that they told us at this Visitor Center is that the The famous rattle to scare away bears did not work, rather it could attract some bear out of curiosity if it was a goat or some other animal. We were told that the most effective In order not to encounter bears in the mountains, speak loudly and sing. 

From then on, we always dedicated ourselves to singing with my children. “an elephant was swinging..” up to number 1000 if it was necessary hehe. Anyway, we didn't find any bears on any trail and we only saw one on the road, ideal.

The Bears are the first ones who don't want to meet humansThey eat fish and berries and are not generally aggressive. They fear us. 

What to do if you encounter a bear

If you never come across one, follow the Tips from the Visitor Center and signage.

Don't get nervous, don't shout, don't twitch your hands, don't look him in the eye. Move to the side and let him pass.

Only use bear spray if you are really going to be attacked, at less than 2 meters.

To think that the bears are tightly controlled by Parks Canada and its rangers. Many of them wear GPS collars and know where they are, so they are already closing off access to the roads. 

In addition, bears that have shown aggressive behavior toward humans or contact with their food are often euthanized. That is why it is very, very important, Never feed a bear or any wild animalNever throw your backpack at a bear or throw food at it, as this will only make it become aggressive towards other humans if it associates humans with food.

Explorer program for the little ones in Glacier National Park Canada

If you go like us with kids to visit Glacier National Park, don't miss first the visit to the Visitor Center at Roger's PassThere, apart from visiting the super-educational museum for free with the Discovery Pass, ask for the Explorer booklet for your little ones. Once you've finished it, take it back and they'll give you the Glacier National Park badge.

Apart from learning a lot from the book, the memories will be unforgettable for your little ones.

What to see in Glacier National Park Canada: Glacier National Park Canada Best Hikes and Tours

Glacier National Park, also known as Glacier National Park in English, is located in British Columbia, Canada, and should not be confused with the Glacier National Park in Montana, United States, which is not far away either and also belongs to the Rocky Mountains. 

This Canadian national park in the Rockies is famous for its stunning alpine landscapes, (ever shrinking) glaciers, ancient forests and its rich biodiversity of fauna and flora, as in all the Rockies. 

Now let's see what you can see and do in Glacier National Park, based on our experience there.

You have many of the places with map coordinates for parking lots and route tracks with Wikiloc. 

Before, but to start showing you these places, I tell you that the Access to all of them is via the Trans-Canada Highway, which sometimes means you cannot turn left or right depending on the direction. you are driving on. Therefore, you will sometimes have to make a little more detour for the accesses or plan carefully what you ultimately want to do.

Bear Creek Falls, first stop in Glacier National Park, Canada

Upon entering Canada's Glacier National Park, the first point of interest that we find, which draws our attention and which we recommend, is some small waterfalls. Bear Creek Falls, very beautiful and peaceful.

To see them you need park the vehicle here and make a walk of just over 1 km there and back.

These waterfalls, however, fall to the east, so the ideal way to visit them is to do so as the last stop before leaving the National Park, heading towards Golden.

Rogers Pass Historic Site and Visitor Center in Glacier National Park, Canada

This is the must-see spot we recommend you visit first in Glacier National Park, Canada. Whichever direction you go, you can easily access it.

Park in the Rogers Pass National Historic Site Parking Lot, where is the Glacier National Park Visitor Centre of Canada where you will be fully informed about everything. In addition, there is a small museum where you will find exhibits on history of this site based on the great feat they accomplished here with the construction of the railroad.

Access to the museum and exhibits is free with the Discovery PassIf you do not have it you will have to pay the entrance fee.

If you are traveling with children, do not forget to ask at the Visitor Center for the Explorer's booklet from Glacier National Park in Canada. Upon completion, you will have a badge that will be a great souvenir from the national park.

As a historic site, Rogers Pass is significant for being a key route in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 19th century. This railway route helped connect Canada from coast to coast and from east to west, thus uniting the country.

In addition to visiting the Visitor Center, Roger Pass is located on a mountain pass Meters 1330. Where there is Stunning views, panoramic views of glaciers and mountains. Don't forget to take a thousand photos before leaving.

From Roger Pass, there are also some hiking trails that are known for being somewhat dangerous places where you might encounter bears.

From here comes the Balu Pass, a route of almost 14 km there and back. Route named after Balu the bear from the Jungle Book. Do you know why? Exactly, you can see many bears here. So the worst thing about these trails is that most of them have many grizzly bears y They won't let you in without bear spray or if you are not 4 adults minimumIf you are like us, a family of 2 adults and two children, it does not count as 4 and they do not allow access.

What many people do is wait for other groups and ask to join them.

Illecillewaet Valley: Glacier National Park Canada best hikes

The best hiking trails in Glacier National Park of Canada start from Illecillewaet Campground. Generally, the trails are of moderate to difficult difficulty and offer views of glaciers and iconic mountains of the Canadian Rockies.

The lightest, is park next door from the campsite and look out to see from afar the Illeciwaet Glacier, the peak of the iconic mountain of Sir Donald's Glacier National Park or the Asulkan Valley, a valley with spectacular views of glaciers, waterfalls and mountain peaks. It is recommended, however, to dedicate a day to this area and choose one of its trails.

The Illecillewaet Glacier is the most accessible glacier in this area. You can reach its tongue via several hiking routes, including the Illecillewaet Glacier Trail. Great Glacier Trail, but also from other routes. More or less all of them are routes around 8 to 15 kilometers and of moderate difficulty.

Some of the well-marked and most visited routes are the Abbott Ridge, Sir Donald Trail or Glacier Crest, Avalanche Crest and the easiest, the Meeting of the Waters, a 3,3 km circular route.

The best route or most recommended route around the world in Glacier National Park of Canada is the Avalanche CrestThey say that it is the one with the best views of the Glacier and the valley. It is an 11 km round trip route with a gradient of 795 metres, of moderate-high difficulty.

Loop Brook, a trail to visit the history of the Glacier Railroad

After Illecillewaet and its campsite, there is another campsite, Loop Brook, just before its access, there is a parking lot. Where from this parking An interesting short trail starts here. It is best to stop here when heading towards Golden, as it is to the east of the park and you will not have to cover more miles than expected.

The Look Brook is a interpretative path which highlights the history of the railroad in Glacier National Park. In this circular route of just 2 km You can walk along ancient giant stone pillars of one of the bridges that once carried the railway line through the valley here. You can also learn about the history from its information boards and discover the history of these bridges. historic structures of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Rockgarden Trail, an easy trail between large rocks 

We continued driving along the Trans-Canada after Roger Pass and the Illecillewaet campsite and We parked to do a fun little trail called Rockgarden Trailhead. Ideal for stopping when heading towards Revelstoke as it falls to the west of the park.

Un circular trail It is about a kilometre long in an old forest with curious rocks, very easy and fun to do. You jump over stones of all sizes. This makes it very fun, but depending on the age of your children it may also be a difficult trail to access.

Hemlock Grove Boardwalk, a magical forest trail that is 100% accessible

Here we find another path short and accessible, less than 1 kilometer, for everyone through a lush forest, ideal for a quiet and family-friendly walk on a very cool wooden walkway all the way. Ideal for stopping when heading towards Revelstoke as it falls to the west of the park.

On this trail, you will find information panels with lots of educational environmental information about this forest and its inhabitants in the form of a question and answer game. Your children will love it.

Oh, and don't miss the photo in the red chairs, what a cool place to sit and contemplate!

Slide Path Picnic Area on the Glacier 

Have you ever wondered what it's like at the bottom of a canyon? The view at this Slide Path picnic area stretches 1500 feet in the air. You'll see from the valley floor to the very gateway to the Selkirk Mountains from this spot.

Swimming in hot springs at Albert Canyon Hot Springs

Leaving Glacier National Park of Canada, we find some hot springs within a complex where you can camp or rent a cabin, which is ideal for ending the day of touring Glacier National Park of Canada.

Is called Albert Canyon Hot Springs, and located here you will find an ideal place to spend the night next to some thermal pools ideal after the hikes you have decided to do through Glacier National Park in Canada.

Glacier National Park Canada Map

Finally, I leave you with the map with all these places and more to see in Glacier National Park. I hope this post has been useful to you, I'll wait for you in the comments below!