The Hargreaves Lake & Toboggan Falls Loop in Canada’s Mount Robson Provincial Park is best accessed as a day hike from one of the backcountry campsites on the Berg Lake Trail. Given the distance and elevation gain acquired we recommend this as a hike from one of the campsites between the Emporer Falls Campground and the Robson Pass Campground. This hike could also be added to a heli-hike of Berg Lake but would push that from a 14-mile journey to one 17-miles long. Check out our Berg Lake post for more details on the best backpacking trips in the Canadian Rockies.
Hargreaves Lake & Toboggan Falls Loop Stats
- Trailhead: Berg Lake
- Location: Mount Robson Provincial Park
- Type: Loop
- Distance: 4-miles (From Berg Lake Campground)
- Total Elevation Gain: 1,195′ (From Berg Lake Campground)
- Rating: Difficult
- Time: 2 hours
- Best Time of Day: Late Evening or Early Morning
Hiking Report
After a late lunch at Berg Lake, we headed down the Berg Lake Trail to the junction for Hargreaves Lake located about a mile from the campground. We hiked the Hargreaves Lake & Toboggan Falls loop in a clockwise direction but would recommend it being traveled counterclockwise. This will ensure that the majority of the views are the direction in which you are hiking.
Overlooking the Berg Lake Landscape
From the lake, it is a quick 800’ ascent in about 3/4 of a mile up the mountainside to the junction where the trail spurs to go to the Hargreaves Lake and Glacier overlook. On the way up to the junction, we found ever-increasingly beautiful views of Berg Lake and Mist Lake, as well as the two glaciers and the moraine that separates them. The whole landscape from this high vantage is simply stunning.
Ascent to the Hargreaves Lake Overlook
The final push up to the overlook is another 75’ climb up the rocky terrain to the top of the outcropping (6,323’). From the top the view, not only of Hargreaves Lake below but the glacier beyond as well as the entire Mount Robson terrain, spreads out on all sides. This is simply an amazing spot in the wilderness and well worth the grueling climb to get there.
Mumm Basin & Cave Trails Junction
The path towards Toboggan Falls at first continues the steep climb through the rocky terrain before moderating, entering a forest and topping out at 6,420 feet. The path then starts a gradual descent to the Mumm Basin & Cave trails junction (both closed due to rock slides) at just over 3-miles from where we set off from the Berg Lake Campground.
Toboggan Falls Trail
Leaving the junction, we descended the Toboggan Falls Trail where we quickly came upon a bench overlooking the Mount Robson terrain. We sat down for a while and enjoyed the view as the afternoon clouds rolled in before continuing the steep 800’ descent.
Toboggan Falls
The remainder of the descent follows the flow of Toboggan Falls which is a series of cascading waterfalls. At times, the falls race down the mountain like a bobsled track. Closer towards the bottom there are four columns of water careening down the flat rock face at a 45-degree angle. “Toboggan Falls” is an appropriate name for this wonderfully unique flow of water. It is extremely hard to photograph in a way that captures the grandeur of the scene.
Berg Lake Campground
At 4-miles on this loop, we arrived back at the Berg Lake Campground having experienced more of the wonder that the Mount Robson wilderness holds on our Berg Lake adventure. The rushing water of Toboggan Falls and the epic overlooks found near Hargreaves Lake make this a beautiful day hike that anyone backpacking to the Berg Lake area should enjoy.
Great post! How far would you say toboggan falls is from berg lake ?!
Thanks and good question. Toboggan Falls is a long series of cascading falls so it is hard to pinpoint a distance. It is less than half-a-mile (one-way) to the very top from the campground.