JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 387

skyward just seven kilometers (4.3 miles) away across a flower-filled meadow. This is as
close as you can get to the peak in your car.
If you're approaching the park from the west, you'll see Mount Robson long before you
reach the park boundary (provided the weather is cooperating). It's impossible to confuse
this distinctive peak with those that surround it—no wonder it's known as the Monarch of
the Canadian Rockies.
Berg Lake Trail
• Length: 19.5 kilometers/12 miles (8 hours) one-way
• Elevation gain: 725 meters/2,380 feet
• Rating: moderate/difficult
• Trailhead: 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of Mount Robson Visitor Centre
This 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. Beautiful 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.
The trail begins by following 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-vertical-foot) climb. The first glimpses of Mount Robson come
soon after reaching the head of the valley, from where it's one kilometer (0.6 mile) farther
to the outlet of Berg Lake, 17.5 kilometers (10.9 miles) from the trailhead. The first of
three lakeside campgrounds is two kilometers (1.2 miles) from this point.
While the panorama from the lake is stunning, most hikers who have come this far will
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.