Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site
Abbot Pass Hut was located on an alpine col at 2925 metres (9598 feet) on the continental divide between British Columbia and Alberta and on the border between Banff and Yoho national parks.
Built in 1922, this sturdy shelter was a unique and enduring monument to the Swiss guides, who first came to the Rocky Mountains in 1897 under the auspices of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was patterned on examples in the Swiss Alps. All materials, apart from the stone, were carried by pack horses past the Lower Victoria Glacier, then by the guides to the pass summit. Never again was such an arduous feat undertaken in the national parks. The shelter served as a high-altitude base for generations of climbers, here in the cradle of Canadian mountaineering.
Abbot Pass Hut was removed in 2022 after melting permafrost caused erosion under the hut. It lost its status as a classified federal heritage building. However, the building footprint and ruin remain Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site.
Learn more about this special placeFeatured things to do
More places to discover with Parks Canada
Yoho National Park
In the shadow of the Great Divide, Yoho’s towering rockwalls, spectacular waterfalls and soaring peaks reveal the secrets of ancient life, the power of ice and water and the stories of plants and animals that continue to evolve today.
Banff National Park
Founded in 1885, Banff is Canada’s first national park and part of the first national park system in the world. With its soaring peaks, azure lakes and abundant wildlife, this Rocky Mountain park attracts millions of visitors every year.
- Date modified :