Berg Lake Trail – Mount Robson Provincial Park, BC

Hiking the Berg Lake Trail has been on my bucket list for years. Somehow, with all of the covid-craziness this past summer, I managed to snag a reservation for the sites I wanted and turned dreams into reality. I don’t think I have ever been so excited for a hike in my entire life. The anticipation was killing me and I couldn’t wait to hit the trail!

Berg Lake is located in Mount Robson Provincial Park, nestled between Valemount, BC and Jasper, AB. In total the hike is about 42km out-and-back and is best done as a multi-day adventure. Although it boasts an elevation gain of 1509m, the incline is pretty well spread out along the route (with the exception of one tough 4km stretch) and feels quite manageable. In my opinion this is a great multi-day hike that anybody could do with the proper preparation. There were people of all ages and even families on the trail.

The night before embarking on our hike we stayed at Robson Meadows campground, located directly across from the Mount Robson visitors center and start of Berg Lake Trail. It was awesome to wake up a quick 5 minute drive from our destination. Before beginning your overnight hike there is a mandatory 5-minute registration/orientation at the Visitors Center (more information about this is included in your booking confirmation). If you don’t have 2-4 days to spare then day hikes are also welcome on the Berg Lake Trail. There are plenty of worthwhile destinations spread along the 21km trek (Kinney Lake makes a great day trip at only 7km distance). I have also heard accounts of trail runners/avid hikers making the whole trip up to Berg and back in one day! But personally, if you’re comfortable backpacking this is by far the best way to experience the trail as there is so much to see and do you need more than 1 day!!

For overnight hikers there are seven campsites along the Berg Lake Trail: Kinney Lake (7km), Whitehorn (11km), Emperor Falls (16km), Marmot (19km), Berg Lake (21km), Rearguard (22km) and Robson Pass (23km). After passing through each campground I can honestly say it doesn’t matter which ones you choose, these are hands down the nicest backcountry sites I have ever seen! I’m going to focus on the 3 we stayed at but you can read more about each one on the BC parks website.

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Day 1: Trailhead to Emperor Falls

The first 7km of the trail takes hikers to Kinney Lake along a nice flat path. This portion can very easily be completed as a quick day hike if you happen to be in the area. Bike riders are also allowed to use the trail up until the end of Kinney Lake (from here the hike is it on foot and there are bike racks for those who are continuing onwards). After winding along one of the bluest rivers I have ever seen we finally reached the south end of Kinney Lake. Here hikers are rewarded with a breathtaking glimpse of Whitehorn mountain and there are a handful of benches to sit and rest if you choose. We decided to continure a little further along to the far end of the lake before grabbing a seat on a stretch of sand to soak up some morning sun.

After passing Kinney Lake the trail splits and depending on water levels hikers can choose to go left along Kinney Flats or to the right, which climbs up and over the flats. The route along Kinney Flats is quicker and involves less elevation so of course we chose to go that way. After about 1km the trails merge back together and you continue along a forested ledge, eventually reach a set of 2 bridges which cross the Robson River.

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From here a short but steady 2km climb up Whitehorn hill will bring you to a spectacular suspension bridge, leading back across the river to the Whitehorn campground. As previously mentioned there are plenty of different ways to split up the 21km hike to Berg Lake. Many people choose to spend a night here at Whithorn as it’s about the halfway mark. It also boasts a covered cooking facility, which can be a real saving grace as you never know what the weather will be like. However, for our first night I booked Emperor falls, about 5km further along. We spent about half an hour at Whitehorn enjoying a short lunch before continuing onwards.

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The 5km stretch of trail between Whitehorn and Emperor is a real journey. It involves the toughest section of the hike climbing roughly 500m in 4km. This section of the hike ascends through the Valley of a Thousand Falls, which truly lives up to its name. However, don’t be fooled, this steep climb has no available water source! (as kindly pointed out by a warning sign from BC Parks). The slow climb affords plenty of chances to take a break and enjoy the many waterfalls in the area, two notable ones being “White Falls” and “Falls of the Pool”. Creeping closer to Emperor falls the trail levels out ever so slightly as your destination comes into view.

I believe it took us about 5 hours to reach Emperor falls, including breaks at Kinney and Whitehorn. The campsite itself does not sit directly next to the falls, it’s actually right above. There is a short 500m lookout trail which will take hikers to the base of the falls. We chose to save this for our hike out (definitely don’t miss it!). After a gruelling day I was so excited to reach the campsite and pull off my boots. We somehow lucked out and snagged the only wooden tent pad at this site, sitting directly in front of Mount Robson. It was such a magical first night spent at Emperor. We basically had the campground all to ourselves and spent the evening sipping wine and watching the moon rise. The only downside to staying at Emperor Falls is that there aren’t any covered shelters, so it could turn into quite a miserable night in the wrong weather conditions.

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Day 2: Emperor Falls to Berg Lake + Toboggan Falls

Since we chose to hike all the way to Emperor Falls on the first day, it was only a quick 5km walk to Berg Lake the following morning. The trail is quite flat and traverses along a rock slide until descending to the Robson river flats, eventually reaching the shore of Berg Lake. To reach the Berg Lake campground continue past Marmot campground (19km) and the trailhead for Hargreaves Lake Route (a day hike which we did later that day). It took us about an hour to arrive at the Berg Lake campground. I swear we had some serious luck on our side this trip, as we somehow snagged one of the few tent pads with a direct view of Mount Robson and the Berg Glacier!

I chose to book Berg for both night 2 & 3 since there are a handful of day hikes in the area I wanted to do. Camping at Marmot or Rearguard would also be great option, however I would highly recommend trying to spend at least one night at Berg Lake campground. It boasts a stunning wooden cabin rich in history (some of which hangs on the walls for visitors to read) and of course sits directly in front of the famous Mount Robson.

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After a quick lunch we set out on a day hike to Toboggan Falls and Hargreaves Lake. This hike offers a breathtaking look at Berg Lake and Mount Robson and can be done as a loop. Setting off from the Berg lake campground, head east towards Rearguard until you reach the trailhead for Toboggan Falls on your left. It’s a fairly steady climb alongside the waterfall runoff, which boasts multiple lookout points to stop and soak in Mount Robson below. I was honestly in awe the entire time (but when am I not).

After climbing Toboggan Falls you will reach a junction going left to Hargreaves Lake, right towards Mumm Basin or further upwards to another viewpoint. Unfortunately the viewpoint/Mumm Basin trail was closed during the 2020 season due to a rockslide which occurred in the area (I am unsure when it will re-open). I can’t speak for Mumm Basin, but Hargreaves Lake was a treat! From here you can see both Berg and Mist Glacier from the front and Hargreaves Glacier in-behind. We enjoyed quite a bit of time at Hargreaves before heading back down to camp and actually met a woman who knew the Hargreaves family! The whole loop was about 6.5km and 350m of elevation – and I believe it took us roughly 2 hours with many photography breaks.

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The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. It can get pretty chilly at night (bring layers!) so we spent most of our time in the cabin eating, playing cards, and swapping stories with other hikers. We also experienced our only incident of bad weather the entire trip, waking up in the middle of the night to torrential downpour.

Day 3: Snowbird Pass/Titkana Peak

Somehow by morning the rain had subsided and we woke up to sun beaming down on our tent. This was not the only surprise of the day as we looked up towards Taiti Ridge and the Snowbird Pass route, our intended destination for the day, to see fresh snow! I was a little nervous about trying to summit a fresh snow covered mountain but we had come to far not to try. Plus worst case Snowbird would have still been attainable. Thus we embarked on the 22km day trip. Once again, head east but this time follow the trail out and past Rearguard campground. Once past the campground you will see a sign marking a fork right towards the pass. The trail winds around to the backside of Rearguard Mountain and eventually leads hikers up into the Robson Glacier moraine.

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While the first 2km of the hike involve a nice gradual incline, the climb soon begins. The path ascends along the side of a rock wall and there were more than a few times it felt a little to close to the edge for comfort, but we pressed on. The first section involves a minor amount of scrambling (although nothing technical) as you move on a steep incline up the face of the rock wall. Eventually the route transitions from a rocky climb to a more gradual dirt path.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we came to the final set of steep switchbacks leading over the ridge and into snowbird meadows. This is a great place to spot wildlife – specifically mountain goats. I think all of the snow must have scared them off because we were told that days before people reported over 100 of them in the meadows! The snowbird pass route is also closed until July each year to protect herding caribou so keep that in mind.

We weaved through the meadow until before us stood a clear view of Titkana peak, coated in a frosting of snow. The route to Titkana is not officially marked (neither is the route to snowbird, however that path is quite worn in) and so it involves some route finding to reach the summit. Many people will first reach snowbird pass and then traverse up and across the ridge line from there. We instead chose to veer off the path and tackle the the mountain on its front face. It’s hard to say what the best option is but regardless be prepared for some serious exposure! My heart was racing the entire time and I narrowly avoided a panic attack midway through the ascent (I don’t always handle heights well).

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After a very slow and steady trek we reached the peak of Titkana and it was worth every second of agony! This particular peak lays along Tati Ridge, the divider between Mount Robson and Jasper National Park, and those who reach the top are rewarded ten-fold. In every direction there were glaciers as far as the eye could see plus a birds eye view of Berg Lake. I could have spent hours up here, except for the fact it was absolutely freezing! Instead a quick 10 minutes was all we could handle; long enough to snap a few pictures and force open the summit log capsule and record our feat.

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During our descent it started to snow once again and I remember wishing I packed a pair of pants and some gloves (I’m typically a shorts-only kind of hiker). After 7 hours, 22km, and 1257m we returned to camp tired and ready for dinner. Looking back on it I think Titkana Peak is definitely the summit I am most proud of (so far). I had to overcome a lot of fear to reach the top, so it felt truly earned. That being said I wouldn’t recommend climbing Titkana unless you are comfortable with steep inclines and loose rock scrambles. The views from Snowbird are equally out of this world and either one would make for a rewarding day trip.

Day 4: Berg Lake to Trailhead

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We decided to hike out of Berg Lake in one day since it is almost all downhill. Plus we hiked in on the same trail, so I was not too worried about going slow to soak in the scenery. Alternatively, the distance can be broken into two days but it only took us about 4 hours to travel the 21km to our car. We took one slight detour to check out Emperor falls on the way down. Definitely the most impressive waterfall of the many we saw on the trail. If you don’t mind getting a little wet I highly suggested walking right over the base of the falls for a better look.

Overall, my experience on the Berg Lake Trail was next level! As you can tell I took an endless amount of photos and was constantly blown away. We were also super lucky to have the beautiful weather that we did which I am so thankful for. It’s not often that things all go according to plan. I have heard that people can go an entire trip without being able to see the peak of Mount Robson (it’s often covered in clouds) and somehow we saw it all 4 days! This is definitely a hike that I would love to do again one day.

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