Map of Parker Ridge Trail – Banff National Park

Banff National Park is a fantastic place to hike, ski or just simply relax with a gorgeous view. Within a few hours of Calgary, this protected area sees thousands of tourists from all over the world. One of the well-known attractions is the view when you drive on the Icefields Parkway that connects Banff  and Jasper National Parks.  Many people stop at the Columbia Icefield Interpretive Centre in Jasper, but the more active ones stop before, near the Sunwapta Pass.

Topographic Map of Jasper and Banff National Parks

Geography

The Parker Ridge Trail takes you from the bottom of the valley, where Highway 93 runs, to the top of the Parker Ridge.  From the top of the ridge, you can see the Highway 93 running through the Sunwapta Pass and into Jasper National Park. Mount Athabasca is visible to the north. If you continue along the path, you will get a great view of the Saskatchewan Glacier, which is the largest glacier in the Columbia Icefield. The Saskatchewan Glacier is the beginning of the North Saskatchewan river, which empties out in Lake Winnipeg. The mountain behind the Saskatchewan glacier is the Castleguard mountain, which is mostly covered in glaciers.  Mount Saskatchewan is to the south.

The Trail

The Parker Ridge Trail is approximately 4 miles, or 5.2 km round trip, with an 800 ft elevation gain. You can expect this to take you about 2-3 hours, depending on how much time you spend at the top.  Many people do not spend a lot of time up on the top of the ridge because of the chilly temperatures and wind. Even if it’s +20°C down in the valley, wear or bring pants and a jacket.  Please stay on the trail and do not take any short cuts, as the scarce vegetation cannot stand many feet trampling it down.

This trail starts at approximately 117° 06′ 16″ West, 52°10′58″ North. If you search in MapSherpa for Parker Ridge, it will be the second result.

Topographic Maps

Through MapSherpa – users can create their own highly detailed topographic and terrain maps of Parker Ridge Trail such as the sample area shown below.

Topographic Map of the Parker Ridge Trail

Create your own Topographic Maps of Parker Ridge. Simply search for Parker Ridge, AB with the search function in the upper left corner of the map making application and select the second result. Or if you are farmiliar with the area, search for your favourite lake, river, glacier or peak in the park.

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