Waputik Mountains

The Waputik Mountains are a subrange of the Canadian Rockies on the British Columbia-Alberta border, notable for extensive glaciation and alpine terrain. The range contains significant icefields and glacier-fed valleys that are prominent features of the high Rockies.

The mountains were explored and mapped during late 19th- and early 20th-century surveying of the Canadian Rockies; they have been incorporated into provincial and national park systems to conserve alpine and glacial environments.

The range lies along the Continental Divide in the eastern part of British Columbia and western Alberta, within the broader Yoho-Banff-Kootenay region of the Canadian Rockies, and is accessed from roads and trailheads in nearby national parks.

• Location and protection: The range straddles the border between British Columbia and Alberta within the Canadian Rockies and includes parts of several protected areas, providing glaciated terrain and alpine scenery.

What to See #

• Waputik and Wapta Icefields: The Waputik Icefield and the adjacent Wapta Icefield are extensive glaciated areas within the range that feed valley glaciers and contribute to regional hydrology; both icefields lie on the Continental Divide between British Columbia and Alberta.
• High peaks and glaciers: A series of high peaks and glaciers forms the core of the range; many summits and ridgelines are remote and typically accessed from nearby national parks or via mountaineering routes.