Marion Lake Trail
A compact but steep subalpine hike with a lake destination and optional official viewpoint side trip.
Route overview
Steep forest climb to a small subalpine lake on the lower Abbott Ridge route.
Marion Lake Trail climbs steeply through forest along the first section of the Abbott Ridge route to a small subalpine lake. An official short side trip from the lake reaches a viewpoint over the Trans-Canada Highway and the Connaught Tunnel corridor.
Trail facts
- Country
- Canada
- Region
- Illecillewaet Valley / Abbott Ridge approach
- Distance
- 6.4 km return from Illecillewaet Valley; subtract 2 km when starting from Illecillewaet Campground
- Typical duration
- 2.5 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation gain
- 425 m elevation change
- Best season
- Mid-summer through early autumn after snowmelt and official condition confirmation
- Trail type
- Return
Access and logistics
- Permits and access
- National park admission normally applies; no separate day-hike permit is normally required.
Safety context
Confirm snow and bear conditions before departure. Treat Marion Lake as the turnaround for this record; continuing toward Abbott Ridge changes the difficulty and exposure substantially. Check current official conditions, closures, weather and access rules before departure.
Steep forest climb, lingering snow, bear habitat, slippery roots, limited water and accidental continuation onto Abbott Ridge.
Highlights
Canada, Glacier National Park, Marion Lake, Abbott Ridge, subalpine lake, steep hike, Parks Canada
Why find a buddy
Useful for matching pace on the sustained climb, maintaining bear awareness and agreeing on the Marion Lake turnaround rather than drifting onto a harder alpine objective.
Primary source
Explore and prepare
Discover hikes by intent, read the hiking guides, review hiking safety, prepare a BuddyPack, or browse hiking plans.
Route conditions, access, services and transport can change. Verify time-sensitive information before departure.