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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 the fourth largest lake in Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada.

Glacier Lake was named by Sir James Hector of the Palliser expedition in 1858 for the fact the lake is fed from glaciers, specifically the glaciers of the Lyell and Mons Icefields as well as the Forbes North Glacier. The lake is surrounded by Mount Outram, Division Mountain, and Mount Erasmus. The lake is fed and discharged by the Glacier River, which is a tributary of the Howse River. The lake can be accessed via a 8.9 kilometres (5.5 miles) trail which starts near Saskatchewan River Crossing along the Icefields Parkway. Park at the Glacier Lake trailhead (at the end of a short unnamed road 1.1 km (0.7 mi) west of the David Thompson Highway turn-off).

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, the lake experiences a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C in the winter.

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