Hiking the Edith Cavell Meadows Trail in the Canadian Rockies

Looking for more good hikes in Jasper National Park?
Head to the lovely Valley of the Five Lakes or magical Maligne Canyon and Maligne Lake. For a great camping experience, check out Whistlers Campground.

CURRENT INFO

A map and reviews for the Edith Cavell Meadows trail are available on the AllTrails website. When planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies, I recommend the guidebook Moon Canadian Rockies: With Banff & Jasper National Parks.

GOOD TO KNOW

• All visitors must pay the national park entrance fee or have a valid annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass to park at the Edith Cavell Trailhead. Check the Jasper National Park website for current information.
• Edith Cavell Road, which leads to the trailhead, is quite winding. If you have motion sickness, come prepared.
• Edith Cavell Road is open from roughly mid-June through mid-October. Check trail conditions before visiting in early summer or fall.
• Vault toilets are available at the Edith Cavell Trailhead.
• Pets are not allowed on the trails at Edith Cavell.
• Wear shoes or hiking boots with good traction. The trail up to Edith Cavell Meadows is steep and rocky at times, and may be muddy. Hiking poles are also helpful.
• Those interested in a shorter, easier hike can follow the mostly paved “Path of the Glacier” trail to the Cavell Pond viewpoint. It’s less than one mile roundtrip if you only go as far as the viewpoint and avoid the rocky, off-trail trek down to the pond. After checking out Cavell Pond, I recommend continuing up the Edith Cavell Meadows Trail a little further if you can. This is the area where you are most likely to spot (and hear) pikas and marmots.
• Bring water, snacks, and appropriate layers and sun protection (if you luck with a sunny day visit).
• Signs mark the trail to Edith Cavell Meadows. For extra navigation help, I recommend downloading a trail map ahead of time, such as the one from AllTrails, or taking a photo of the map at the trailhead.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

HIGHLIGHTS

With a dramatic hanging glacier poised over an icy, jade-green pool, the views at Mount Edith Cavell are stunning, and unlike anything else we experienced in the Canadian Rockies. It’s well worth the drive, even if you don’t plan to hike all the way to Edith Cavell Meadows. I would love the chance to visit again on a clear day to see the mountain peaks in all their glory, but a cloudy day lends a moody, mysterious aura to this epic hike.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

One of the great things about hiking at Edith Cavell is you don’t have to go far to make it worth your while. A short hike to view Cavell Pond followed by a walk along the rock pile to look for pikas and marmots is the perfect adventure for little ones. With older kids, head up the switchback trail like we did to reach the gorgeous views from Edith Cavell Meadows.

My younger son struggled a bit with the full hike. Although he is more than capable of the uphill climb, sometimes a “long” hike just isn’t his jam. But the pikas and marmots — those were a hit! Edith Cavell provided some of the best wildlife encounters we’ve ever had on any hike. No matter your age, those pikas are just so gosh-darn cute!

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Mount Edith Cavell is easy to visit from any of the campgrounds located near Jasper townsite along the northern end of the Icefields Parkway. We spent six nights at Whistlers Campground, the largest campground in the Canadian Rockies. Despite its immense size, it was a relaxing place to overnight, and the amenities can’t be beat.

There are many other incredible sights in this area. Be sure to stop by Athabasca Falls, but aim to go early or late, as this is one of the most popular stops along the Icefields Parkway. Another good hike is the Valley of the Five Lakes, which is a little easier on the knees than Edith Cavell Meadows.

Jasper townsite has you covered when it comes to basic supplies, groceries, gas, lodging, laundromats, cafes, and restaurants. A few of our favorite places in town include Jasper Brewing Co., Andromeda Coffee, and BeaverTails. In case you’re wondering, BeaverTails is a Canadian chain selling fried pastries (similar to elephant ears or fry bread) with all manner of tasty toppings. Needless to say, it was a big hit with our kids. Oh, who am I kidding? We adults loved it, too.

After a few smoky days in Jasper National Park, the air was beginning to clear. Not completely, mind you. It was undeniably cloudy, but I’ll take clouds over smoke any day. And who knows? Maybe, if we were lucky, Mount Edith Cavell would grace us with her presence, if only for a fleeting moment.

High with anticipation, we drove the winding road to Mount Edith Cavell. A number of other hikers milled around the trailhead, but there were still plenty of available parking spots. The air was brisk, so we quickly pulled on our gloves, hats, and rain gear. For now, the pale white clouds overhead gave no sign of rain, but it pays to be prepared.

The hike started off easy, following a wide, paved path. Another trail just below the paved one provides an alternate, unpaved route. Soon, the lower trail joined the upper path, and not long after that we reached the junction for Cavell Pond. From here, I recommend taking a short detour to get a close-up view of the starkly beautiful lake at the base of Mount Edith Cavell.

Despite the sign warning against approaching the lake (due to risk of avalanches and flash floods), many hikers go beyond the end of the trail to the water’s edge. Approach at your own risk. It is indeed a magical spot, partially ringed by the remains of a receding glacier, with a delicate waterfall trickling down the cliff face from heavenly Angel Glacier above.

After the detour to Cavell Pond, we turned left at the trail junction toward Edith Cavell Meadows. Here the trail follows alongside a massive wall of boulders. It may look inhospitable, but almost immediately we heard a sharp, high-pitched cry calling from the rocks. A small furry animal scampered through the boulders, pausing for a few moments to check its surroundings before disappearing again into the rocky tunnels. A pika! More squeaks and squeals greeted us as we headed up the trail, and soon our pika count was up to six… now seven… wait, was that eight?

The trail is fairly gentle at this point, but in a few sections the path disappeared in a jumble of jagged rocks that required some careful footing to cross. Water flowed underfoot, and I can only imagine how muddy this trail must be when the snow first melts.

Eventually, we came to a junction where the main trail branches off to the left into the forest. But before we could head into the woods, we had one more surprise. About twenty feet from the trail and as still as a statue, a marmot stood proudly atop one of the tallest boulders. He paid no mind to the gawking hikers below, but kept his chin high, calmly surveying his domain.

As we started on the path through the woods, we were treated to a fantastic view of Cavell Pond and Angel Glacier. If you’ve hit your hiking limit at this point, it’s not a bad place to turn around.

For those who choose to continue, the trail gets steeper and muddier. Seven-year-old T wasn’t exactly pleased by this turn of events, but I convinced him to keep going. The hike into the woods was refreshing, and offered a completely different experience from the barren terrain surrounding Cavell Pond.

After what seemed to T like an eternity (it was probably no more than 20 minutes), the trees grew smaller and sparser as we neared the tree line. We reached another trail junction and headed to the right. If you don’t plan to hike the full loop through the meadows or head further up to the East Ridge Summit, this is the best option, as it heads directly for the viewpoint of Angel Glacier and Cavell Pond.

The views grew better and better as we crossed the meadows. At the viewpoint, a large open area provided the perfect spot to enjoy our lunch. Everyone was happy to rest their feet and take in the awe-inspiring surroundings. Clouds wafted lazily across Angel Glacier, but clung stubbornly to the peak of Mount Edith Cavell. As luck would have it, a glimpse of the lofty mountain peak was not in our destiny that day, but with views like this, who am I to complain?

After lunch, we decided to continue on the loop before heading back down to the trailhead. T was not pleased with this decision, as it meant more hiking, specifically more uphill hiking. But the rest of us were eager to give it a try, so T reluctantly followed. At one point, when he felt it was all just too much, he even managed to finagle a piggy-back ride from his older brother.

As we neared the top of the lollipop loop, a great cracking sound echoed in the distance. Snap! Crackle! Pop! Somewhere, a glacier was calving, setting off a series of pops like a bowl of enormous Rice Krispies. We stood stock still, listening, our eyes darting to spot a puff of snow signaling the breaking of ice. But although we continued to hear the snaps and cracks, the source remained a mystery.

At the peak of the Edith Cavell Meadows trail, we came to one final trail junction. From here, many hikers continue further up to the East Ridge Summit. Had it been a clear day, we likely would have done the same, but considering the circumstances (and considering T’s refusal to hike any higher), we decided to turn back.

The trip down passed quickly. We spotted several more marmots, including one right smack in the middle of the trail scarcely ten feet away (he – or she – was of course totally unperturbed) and added to the pika count. With ample wildlife, gorgeous glaciers, soaring mountains, and moody forests, the hike to Edith Cavell Meadows is truly epic. If you have the chance to visit, don’t hesitate — go, and enjoy this incredible landscape while you can.