CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 547

Fraser River before passing long and narrow Yellowhead Lake at the foot of 2,458-meter
(8,060-foot) Yellowhead Mountain.
Finally, Highway 16 exits the park at the 1,066-meter (3,500-foot) Yellowhead Pass, on
the BC-Alberta border 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) east of the visitor center. It's the lowest
highway pass over the Continental Divide. Right before the pass is picturesque Portal
Lake, with a small lakeside picnic area.
Hiking
The 19.5-kilometer (12-mile) Berg Lake Trail is the most popular overnight hike in the
Canadian Rockies, but don't let the crowds put you off—the hike is well worth it. Beauti-
ful aqua-colored Berg Lake lies below the north face of Mount Robson, which rises 2,400
meters (7,880 feet) directly behind the lake. Glaciers on the mountain's shoulder regularly
calve off into the lake, resulting in the icebergs that give the lake its name.
Starting from two kilometers (1.2 miles) north of the visitor center along a narrow access
road, the trail follows the Robson River 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) through dense subalpine
forest to glacially fed Kinney Lake. There the trail narrows, crossing the fast-flowing river
at the eight-kilometer (five-mile) mark and climbing alongside it. The next four kilometers
(2.5 miles), through the steep-sided Valley of a Thousand Falls, are the most demanding,
but views of four spectacular waterfalls ease the pain of the 500-vertical-meter (1,640-foot)
climb. The first glimpses of Mount Robson come soon after reaching the head of the valley,
from where it's another kilometer to the outlet of Berg Lake, 17.5 kilometers (10.9 miles)
from the trailhead. While the panorama from the lake is stunning, most hikers who have
come this far want to spend some time exploring the area. From the north end of the lake,
trails lead to Toboggan Falls and more mountain views, to the head of Robson Glacier, and
to Robson Pass, which opens up the remote northern reaches of Jasper National Park.