Mount Wilcox is a 13.7 kilometer lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Nordegg, Alberta, Canada that features a great forest setting and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking and nature trips and is best used from May until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
hiking
nature trips
forest
views
snow
We hiked as far as the ridge before turning back as it was late in the day. Easy climb up to the pass and clear trail to the ridge on a perfect day (July 15). Great views to the Icefield and will come pack for the summit.
The first section to Wilcox pass is very family friendly, passing by the iconic red chairs and through to the lookout. However, to actually go from the pass to the summit is much harder as the official trail starts at the bottom of a grassy slope that is hidden from the pass. When we hiked it we just went straight up a rocky section and missed the trail completely. Once we gained the ridge, some snow deterred us from continuing along and we traversed a few gullies to reach the summit for some difficult scrambling up. This was a mistake - go along the ridge to reach the summit! We did this on our way back, even through some snow, and it was much easier.
Overall I think this hike would be best when all the snow is melted so that the ridge trail can be located. Other than that it is a challenging, long hike, taking us 6 hours though we did go off trail.
As always, the views were amazing, and even more so with the snowy peaks surrounding us. The Athabasca and Columbia glaciers are always in view, making this hike incredibly beautiful.
Awesome hike! You cover lots of different types of terrain on your journey through Wilcox Pass and then transitioning to Wilcox Peak. Physically I wouldn't say it's a hard hike, only the last little portion of scrambling creates some difficulty. We had a fairly large group (8 people), and it was about a 5-6hr round trip from the parking lot to the peak. Great views of the Columbia Icefields/Athabasca Glacier that can't be beat.
we just did it today, it was great.
go early to avoid traffic.
once on the top, you can keep going north direction 800 meters to the top, like hiking on the back of the dragon, trust me, you will recognize that part.
Great hike with expansive views. The first 30 minutes or so are well trafficked. Majority of the hike is very exposed so prepare for that. Still a fair amount of snow at the top and not totally dry but relatively easy scrambling for the most part. The views can’t be beat!! Prepare to take a lot of gorgeous pictures.
Spectacular view. Trail gets busy so go early. Although most stop at the red chairs about 30mins into the hike.
Amazingly short hike for what the payout is. The scramble is quite short at the peak, 20 metres or so, but very exposed. This is a must do.
such a beautiful view of the icefields! such a fun scramble and ridge to reach the summit. worth the hike
Agreed with the previous review. The view on the top is spectacular! Be prepared with the weather and no cell phone signals
The first 80% of the hike was quite easy. The last bit was quite steep and technical- a few spots were narrow and required you to carefully move using footholds and handholds. The trail also became less clearly marked near the top. Unfortunately it was cloudy and rainy when we went, which made it more slippery and muddy. The view at the top when the clouds broke momentarily was pretty!