Boundary Peak is a hike that honestly really took me by surprise. I personally hadn’t heard of it until shortly before I hiked it. I thought I’d seen a lot of the best views in Jasper in Banff having completed many summits. However Boundary Peak was hiding some of the best glacial views in Jasper national park in plain sight just off of a road I’ve driven endless times.

Boundary peak jasper — Standing atop Boundary peak with Mount Athabasca in the background

The stats

Time: 2.5 - 4 hours

Distance: 8 km out and back

Elevation Gain: 900 m

How To Get to Boundary Peak

This hiking trail starts at the the Columbia Icefields along the Icefields Parkway around a 2.5 hour drive from Banff heading north or a 1.5 hour drive heading south from Jasper. There’s a carpark just across the road from the Columbia Icefields visitors centre which lies closest to the trailhead. If this car park is full you can always park at the visitors centre and then cross over the road to start the trail.

The hike

Now this hike is steep covering almost 900 m of elevation gain in just 4 km, so it’s steeper than something like Ha Ling peak and on much looser and more technical terrain. The loose scree means two steps forward followed by one step back. Hiking on scree can be pretty tiring so leave more time than you think you might need for plenty of breaks, bring hiking poles and a solid pair of boots!

Initially the trail runs along the access road used by Pursuit to access their large glacial buses that take hoards of tourists on to the ice each day. Because of this there can be a bit of traffic on this road so keep that in mind, it may be a little dusty! We did this hike for sunrise so didn’t have any issues with traffic.

After hiking up the road for 1 km you’ll need to take a left just before you cross over the little outlet formed by ice and snow melt. If you end up at the Pursuit bus staging area you’ve gone to far.

Once you’ve found this section of the trail it isn’t particularly hard to follow! You can even see some of the trail braided in to the scree slope from the car park. From the ground it looks almost impossibly steep but it isn’t actually as bad as it looks.

Boundary peak ascent — Brook making her way up the scree at dawn with the glacier in the background.

The trail gradient remains pretty consistent and direct following along the gulley below to the right. At the last 500 metres there is one last push up a steeper section of scree before you get to the summit.

The summit views here are some of the best you’ll see anywhere in the Rockies with Mount Athabasca and glaciers behind and views down the parkway and Wilcox peak in the other direction.

Mount Athabasca at sunrise — Golden light splashing over Mount Athabasca

As for the way back down you can take a slightly different route through the scree if you so wish taking the path skiers right if you want to switch things up a little. Either way it’s always great fun scree skiing back down!

Things to know Before You Go

Steep! This trail is pretty steep and relentless with a lot of the hiking done on loose scree slopes. Good boots and hiking poles are a must here!

Check Trail Conditions Before You Go: Trail conditions in the Rockies can change month to month and year to year. Trails close for wildlife, weather and avalanche hazards. Be sure to double check trail conditions before heading out to avoid any disappointment. You can do so here!

Leave No Trace: When hiking anywhere in the world it’s important that you practice a leave no trace philosophy. This means whatever you hike in to a trail or campground you have to be able to hike out too. There won’t be trash cans or waste disposal in the backcountry and you should never throw trash in any out houses or pit toilets. In recent years, as trails and parks become busier, litter is becoming more of a problem. Don’t add to that problem!

Bears and Wildlife! Wild life is everywhere in the Canadian Rockies, even on trails that are close to town. People and animals have been attacked by bears and other wild life on popular trails in the past so don’t take it for granted.

Most wildlife is looking to avoid human contact so no matter what type of wildlife you see be sure to keep your distance. 30 metres is the minimum recommendation for most species but under any circumstance don’t approach wildlife. Even the cuddliest of critters can be dangerous!

So as always be bear aware, make noise, hike in groups, carry bear spray and, if they’re allowed on trail, keep your dog on a leash!

Offline maps knowing where you’re going is super important as to not get lost. I recommend All Trails Plus for finding routes and offline mapping allowing you to safely find your way home.

Interested in other multi-day hikes in the Canadian Rockies or maybe day hikes?

Gear Recommendations

After 10 years living in the Canadian Rockies, years working in retail and years reviewing outdoor gear I’ve dialled in my backcountry kit! And on all day hikes there are definitely a few things I always take with me to make my trip safer, easier and more enjoyable.