SUMMARY: An easy trail which follows part of the route to and from the Mt Shark trailhead. Follow the trail from the campground towards Mt Assiniboine Lodge, and turn south soon passing the ranger cabin and the Naiset Huts. From here pass over boardwalk through spectacular flower meadows, ascending gently. The main uphill begins at Gog Lake and winds up through larch forest past a small waterfall on Magog Creek before entering open alpine meadows. Wonder Pass is marked by a Parks Canada sign warning of the danger of grizzly bears as the trail crosses into Banff National Park. Grizzlies frequent this area so hiking in groups is recommended. The views north towards Nub Peak are spectacular here. The trail heads gradually downhill, and forkstake the left fork for a few hundred metres losing a little more elevation to an open meadow with mostly-open views of Lake Gloria and Marvel Lake, as well as a glacier-filled bowl behind Mt Assiniboine.
Note that the distance given is from Lake Magog campground: from Mt Assiniboine Lodge or the Naiset Huts the round-trip distance is only 7-8 km. The elevation gain is from the campground to Wonder Pass. The viewpoint is at least 50 m lower than the pass, so this elevation must be regained on the return.create
fullscreen
NOTICEBOARD
add_box
Wonder Pass Viewpoint (from Lake Magog)
Jul 31, 2009
There can be few hikes as easy as this with such rewards. The views back north from Wonder Pass are excellent (though they are a reminder of how far back you have to walk to Sunshine Village!). The real treats are the views of the beautiful Lake Gloria and the massive glacier-sculpted bowl behind Mt Assiniboine. We heard several glacier calving events. The only minor annoyance was the helicopter traffic bringing in people for the long weekend.
Beyond the pass (and the grizzly bear warning signs) we saw a couple of hillsides torn up by grizzlies digging for roots, though we did not see any bears. We saw more marmots and ground squirrels though :-)