Illecillewaet Glacier

Illecillewaet Glacier in Glacier National Park, British Columbia, became one of western Canada’s best-known mountain destinations after the Canadian Pacific Railway reached nearby Rogers Pass in the 1880s and Glacier House opened near its terminus. Easy access drew tourists, climbers, and Swiss guides, helping shape early alpine travel in Canada. The glacier also became one of North America’s most closely studied, especially through the Vaux family’s long photographic record of its changing terminus. That record documented a major retreat from the late 19th century through the 20th, making Illecillewaet both a landmark of tourism history and a striking measure of environmental change.

British Columbia · Canada