It is some trail, and needs some fitness to go all the way up to the hill top. Phew! It's around 3KM long with good elevation. Once you are on the top, the view down below to the glacier and glacier waters is amazing, that's why I call it sky to sea trail. Carry some water, you'll need it for sure. Wear your sunscreen liberally, I got sunburns even after wearing it.
Great cardio workout and the views of Saskatchewan Glacier are amazing. Very well maintained trails. Go past the 3 piles of rocks, the views keep getting better.
So for us this was an adventure. The hike is about 3.5 km with views of the parkway on your way up. About 15 minutes into the hike, the trees disappear and its switchbacks all the way to the top. When we went, it was about 38 degrees/3C and snowing. We wanted to turnaround, but kept pushing through the freezing weather. When we got to the top, we veered to the right to get amazing views of the glaciers. The wind was a little hard to manage, but the photos captured the intense weather and it was all worth it.
Parker Ridge, just south of the Columbia Icefield, offers an incredible view of the Saskatchewan glacier coming off the icefield. But it is a steep hike so only for the hearty! In mid-September after some snow the trail was also very muddy. But the ridge-top view of the glacier, with river flowing out of it into a small lake, was worth it!
The hike to the top of the trail is an easy one and is rewarded with a spectacular view. Very much worth the stop. Parking is easy at the side of the highway and if you are lucky as I was, you will see Mountain Goats and Sheep there.
We were able to do this hike on our way south to Banff. It is not too demanding for a reasonably fit person. You should as always in this area do it as part of a group. The view is worthwhile once you get to the top. There are also routes you can follow from the top if you have time. There are no facilities on the ridge!
Lovely way to pass a few hours. Once we were dressed for the weather, it was beautiful. Nice way to spend an afternoon, soaking up the sights of Banff.
I must admit to being a little disappointed in this hike, mainly because I thought it was a little more difficult than I expected from reading other reviews. But let me say, too, that we are seniors, so that's a contributing factor! The trail was very steep and a little slippery from recent rain. It was late September, so no wild flowers and we didn't see any wildlife. The weather was perfect and there was a wonderful breeze once we reached the top. And the view is spectacular! Round trip for us was 2 hrs. 50 min.
Not a hard hike by any means, lots of elk and deer in the foliage. Would recommend for families. Seen a lot of hikers with dogs to.
This hike has a fair amount of climb, but the payoff is great views of a distant glacier. We also lucked out with an encounter with a female mountain sheep and her kid, and that made for a memorable hike.