Hiking the Iceline trail had been on my to do list for a long time and I just had not got around to it. Well I had no idea what I was missing! I booked to do two nights and three days to cover as many of the sites throughout the valley as possible. None of the daily distances were huge but some of the elevation gain we had to do with full backpacks was a lot!
Located in Yoho National Park, it is often overlooked for its more famous neighbour, however Yoho National Park is beautiful and filled with some the most beautiful scenery in the Rockies. I’ve taken a number of trips to Lake O’Hara in Yoho and always been overwhelmed by the landscapes which have greeted me. The Iceline Trail was no different, we included stops at towering waterfalls as well as a trip over the Whaleback as part of our loop and the trail never stopped failing to impress!
Trail Head and Parking
Approximately 35 kilometres from Lake Louise you’ll end up at Takakkaw Falls. Follow Highway one, west from Lake Louise, shortly after the town you’ll go past the Alberta and British Columbia border as well as the national park boundary between Banff and Yoho. At around 23 kilometers past Lake Louise there is a junction signposted for Takakkaw Falls on the right side of the highway, turn in here. Follow this road all the way to the end, past the steep and tight switchbacks until you reach the parking lot at the very end.
The start of the Iceline Trail is technically at the HI hostel on the road to Takakkaw Falls, however for the sake of our loop we parked at the main Takakkaw Falls parking area, just a few minutes up the road. Note that the first parking area you enter is for day use only, around the loop there is a turn off right and this is where overnight campers park.
Our Trip
Day One: Takakkaw Falls to Twin Falls Campground
From the parking lot the trail to twin and laughing falls is clearly marked at almost every junction you encounter. A short walk up a wide, flat trail you get the to Takakkaw Falls campground, an awesome, walk-in tenting spot with views looking down the valley to the falls. Towards the end of the campground keep left and you’ll soon encounter a trailhead sign. The trail cuts through a washed out river bed before heading into the trees. The trail is very well maintained and was fairly busy when we were hiking it, even during the early evening.
There are a number of off shoots from the main trail which are short detours to lookout points. We didn’t digress, mostly due to it being 5pm when we headed out from the car park! After approximately 4 kilometers a small campground pops out right on the river shore beside Laughing Falls. A cute little campsite with beautiful views and a perfect spot to spend the night for those not looking to hike over the whaleback.
Shortly after the campground is a major junction, for those staying at Laughing Falls campground, this is the junction which will take you through to the end of the Iceline Trail. We stayed on the trail signposted for Twin Falls which slowly gains a little elevation as it follows a creek through the woods. Just 2 kilometers will see you descending to the Twin Falls Campground, a small mostly treed and private site with a beautiful cook area on the river banks. Be prepared, there are no bear lockers here just hangs! The Twin Falls campground isn’t located at the falls themselves, they are a short walk further along the trail.
Day Two: Twin Falls Campground to Little Yoho Campground
From the campground it is a short walk to the base of Twin Falls and the Twin Falls Chalet, where there is a short loop which takes you to a number of viewpoints of Twin Falls. From the Chalet there are two options to get to Little Yoho Campground, one cuts lower through the valley and therefore mostly through the forest. Alternatively we chose to hike over the Whaleback.
From Twin Falls the trail climbs steeply through the forest along a number of switchbacks before you pop out at the top of Twin Falls. The views from here are beautiful but be careful and don’t get too close to the edge of the falls, people have been known to slip. We chose here as an excellent place to stop for our lunch.
Before heading out on this trip, always check the trail report, there is a seasonal bridge which gets put in at the top of the falls. Across the bridge it is time to head up again but before you know it the views start to open up and glaciers can be seen on a number of the surrounding mountains. From the ‘summit’ of the whaleback you get 360 views of where you came from and the Yoho Valley you are about to head in to.
Look out for the sign signaling where you start the descent, from here it’s a quick and knee burning trek down into the valley bottom, steep switchbacks are the name of the game here. Once you hit the valley floor it’s a fairly flat trail through the valley following the river. Shortly after reaching the ACC Stanley Mitchell Hut you reach the campground.
The Little Yoho Campground is spread out alongside the river and into the forest, some sites don’t have a lot of shelter and while we were there it was a windy night, make sure your tent is staked down well! There is an eating area and two bear hangs right at the end of the campground where you can see a waterfall just up the river.
Views from the Whaleback Views from the Whaleback Make sure the bridge is in on the Whaleback trail
Day Three: Little Yoho Campground to Takakkaw Falls
After breakfast, it is time to backtrack to the ACC Hut and follow the trail to the right, then across the river. After crossing take the well used trail to the right, following alongside the river until you reach a sign pointing up the valley side to the Iceline Trail.
Heading up through the trees, it’s pretty soon before you are above the treeline and the views start to open up. There are a lot of cool rock features here before the first glacier appears on the right. The hike along the Iceline trail is packed with glaciers around every corner but it is an undulating trail as you cross moraines from each glacier. There is a high point along the trail which is the perfect spot to stop and take some pictures. We scrambled right up to the top of the mound to take in the big views! Prepare for some serious wind along this part of the trail though.
After the high point the trail starts to slowly head down, not that anyone notices as the views are alongside the trail and they are mesmerising! Once the glaciers stop, the trail gets really steep as it starts its descent into the valley. By really steep, I mean unrelentingly steep and as you enter the trees, the switchbacks begin. Before you know it, you are down at the HI Hostel and at the road. As we’d seen Takakkaw Falls numerous times before we skipped the hike to the falls across the road and instead headed along the roadside straight back to the car to rest our feet and head home!
Tips For Having An Awesome Trip
- There are no bear lockers, make sure you have waterproof bags to hang all your scented items in.
- Take cash if you want to grab a bite at the Twin Falls chalet, they serve food every day of the week. It was closed for the 2020 season and looked to be undergoing some major renovations. For opening times check here.
- The Whaleback is a lot of elevation for some beautiful views, if the weather is bad you can always cut through from the Twin Falls Chalet to the Little Yoho Valley.
- I personally would recommend completing the loop, ending with the Iceline, the switchbacks to get onto the iceline trail from the carpark are never ending and steep, therefore somewhat soul destroying to have to climb up!
