Jumbo Pass and Horseshoe Glacier hike

The Jumbo Pass hike is accessed through the small communities at the northern end of Kootenay Lake. The drive itself is stunning, taking you through old growth forest and hemlock trees. The access road to the Jumbo Pass trailhead is very long. While possible in a 2WD, you will need high clearance due to water bars and rocks. 4WD is preferred.

The Jumbo Pass hike is a relatively “easy” day hike in the West Kootenays. Jumbo Pass is still a big day, but it doesn’t feel as hard as other nearby hikes. Perhaps this is because of the incredible views, which take in parts of the northern Purcell’s and Horseshoe Glacier.

The Jumbo Pass trail starts with a steep incline for approximately 1-1.5 hours, while you gain almost 2297ft. You then enter subalpine meadows filled with larch trees, which offer some pretty views, especially looking back across the valley.

From these meadows, the hiking trail to Jumbo Pass is easy to follow and ascends much slower through meadows. There are a few steeper switchbacks, and then you pop out on the top of Jumbo Pass, where the trail splits.

If you go right from Jumbo Pass, the trail heads down to another access road coming from Invermere. There is a nice lake here to explore for an hour or so if you have the time.

If you go left when you come to Jumbo Pass, you’ll be on the way to the Jumbo Pass Cabin. You can make this an overnight hike and reserve Jumbo Pass Cabin, it sleeps 6 comfortably.

Once you reach the cabin, turn around and look back to Horseshoe Glacier! You can end your hike here with some lunch or continue up behind the cabin cross country and explore further into the pass. Horseshoe Glacier and the wild, wide open spaces of the Jumbo Valley are the reasons this hike is so worth the drive. It is one of the most beautiful areas in the West Kootenays and a place that all locals hope to keep preserved in its wild state.

To return to the car, retrace your steps from Jumbo Pass.