A glass floor with 280 metres of nothing — and the Sunwapta Valley — beneath it.
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is the stop on the Icefields Parkway that we planned the second day of our Winnipeg-to-Banff road trip around. It’s a horseshoe-shaped, glass-floored platform that juts out from the cliff above the Sunwapta Valley at roughly 280 metres (918 feet). You stand on a transparent “floor” with a chasm beneath you — a thread of river, waterfalls streaking the far slopes, glaciers hanging in the side valleys. It’s the kind of view you usually have to earn with a long climb; here, a comfortable one-kilometre boardwalk with interpretive displays on the region’s geology, fossils and ecology delivers you to it.
A few important practicalities. First, you can’t drive to the Skywalk itself: everyone parks at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, and a free shuttle runs the few kilometres out to the platform. Second — and this was the dealbreaker for us dog owners — no pets are allowed on the shuttle or the platform (the buses are enclosed, and there are allergy concerns; accredited service dogs are the exception). That’s why only my wife went to see it while Nika and I waited below. Third, it’s operated by Pursuit, with time-slotted tickets, so book ahead; if you’re late, they’ll usually move you to the next departure as they did for us (a small rebooking fee may apply).
Is it worth it? If you’re okay with heights, it’s a vivid — if touristy — experience, and the platform is well thought out and secure (there’s a non-glass section for anyone who finds it too much). It’s often bought together with the Columbia Icefield Adventure, a ride in a specialized Ice Explorer vehicle right out onto the Athabasca Glacier. And do dress warmly: even in summer, it’s genuinely cold and windy up by the glacier.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| What it is | Glass platform ~280 m above the Sunwapta Valley |
| Where | Icefields Parkway, at the Columbia Icefield |
| Access | Free shuttle only, from the Discovery Centre |
| Operator | Pursuit; time-slotted tickets, book ahead |
| Dogs | Not allowed (service animals excepted) |
| Clothing | Warm layers: it’s cold and windy by the glacier |
| Season | Roughly May–October |
Read next: the Icefields Parkway itself, nearby Peyto Lake and the whole Winnipeg-to-Banff road trip.
