Cavell Meadows Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

The Cavell Meadows Trail can be found at the 0.3 mile mark along the Path of the Glacier Trail. From the Mount Edith Cavell trailhead sign at the edge of the parking area, hike 0.3 miles on Path of the Glacier Trail to a well-marked trail junction with Cavell Meadows Trail. Go left here to begin hiking Cavell Meadows Trail.

Cavell Meadows Trail begins by switchbacking up a rocky old moraine (?). After the third switchback, one is on top of the moraine with the moraine drop-off on the right, fir forest on the left, and awesome views of Mt Edith Cavell, Angel Glacier, and Cavell Pond ahead to the right. After about half a mile on top of the moraine, the trail veers left, into the forest, to switchback up to the meadows. The trees thin as the trail climbs. At the 0.9 mile mark, a trail junction is reached—go right here to loop counter-clockwise through the meadows as described here. Going left takes one clockwise around the loop.

Continuing to climb, treeline is reached at about the 1.1-mile mark and one is in the open meadows, again with great views of Mount Edith Cavell, Angel Glacier, and Cavell Pond. At the 1.4-mile mark, the Cavell Meadows Viewpoint 1 Spur is reached. A short 100 meters on this spur takes one to a large open, flat lookout, a great place to take a break, have a snack, and admire the views.

Passing Cavell Meadows Viewpoint 1 Spur on the right, continue on Cavell Meadows Trail. Above treeline here and continuing to climb, the low vegetation gives way to scree. Cavell Meadows Viewpoint 2 Spur is reached on the right, at the 1.8 mile mark. Take this spur to climb higher to even more expansive views.

After Cavell Meadows Viewpoint 2 Spur, continue on Cavell Meadows Trail as it descends through the meadows. Trees reappear as the trail drops below treeline and re-enters the fir forest. At the 2.3 mile mark the trail junction with the start of the Cavell Meadows Trail loop, is reached marking the end of this trail description.

At this trail junction, go right to retrace your steps and return to the parking area, by descending the switchbacks through the forest to reach the moraine, traversing the moraine and switchbacks down it to the Path of the Glacier Trail junction, and going right onto the Path of the Glacier Trail to get to the parking area.

Mixed fir forest giving way to alpine meadows, and then scree as one climbs higher.