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Glacier Lake (Alberta) facts for kids

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Glacier Lake
A Calm Morninf at Glacier Lake.jpg
Glacier Lake is located in Alberta
Glacier Lake
Glacier Lake
Location in Alberta
Location Alberta, Canada
Coordinates 51°55′14″N 116°51′32″W / 51.92056°N 116.85889°W / 51.92056; -116.85889
Type Glacial lake
Primary inflows Glacier River
Primary outflows Glacier River
Basin countries Canada
Managing agency Parks Canada
Max. length 3.85 km (2.39 mi)
Max. width 0.75 km (0.47 mi)
Surface elevation 1,480 metres (4,860 ft)

Glacier Lake is a beautiful and important lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. It is the fourth largest lake in this famous national park.

Glacier Lake: A Natural Wonder

Glacier Lake is known for its stunning natural beauty. It is surrounded by tall mountains like Mount Outram, Division Mountain, and Mount Erasmus. The lake gets its water from the Glacier River, which also flows out of the lake. This river eventually joins the Howse River.

How Glacier Lake Got Its Name

The lake was named by Sir James Hector in 1858. He was part of an exploration team called the Palliser expedition. He named it "Glacier Lake" because it is fed by water from glaciers. These glaciers include the Lyell and Mons Icefields, as well as the Forbes North Glacier.

A Calm Morninf at Glacier Lake
Glacier Lake is fed by melting glaciers, giving it its name.

Visiting Glacier Lake

If you want to visit Glacier Lake, you can hike there! There is a trail that is about 8.9 kilometers (5.5 miles) long. The trail starts near Saskatchewan River Crossing. This area is along the famous Icefields Parkway.

To find the start of the trail, look for the Glacier Lake trailhead. It is at the end of a short, unnamed road. This road is about 1.1 kilometers (0.7 miles) west of the turn-off for the David Thompson Highway.

Weather Around the Lake

The climate around Glacier Lake is called a subarctic climate. This means it has very cold and snowy winters. The summers are usually mild.

In winter, temperatures can drop below -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). With the wind chill, it can feel even colder, sometimes below -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit).

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