Abbot Hut

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Abbot Hut is a high mountain hut in Alberta, Canada, owned and operated by the Alpine Club of Canada. It is one of the highest permanent structures in North America. It is perched on the Continental Divide on a col between Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy with British Columbia on one side and Alberta on the other. Located at about 3,000 meters (9,000 feet) of elevation it is an historic stone hut with an unbelievable location and view.

The Hut is named for for Philip Stanley Abbot, a Boston lawyer who fell to his death in 1896 attempting to summit Mt. Lefroy.

The Hut sleeps over 50 climbers. It has no electricity: everything operates off propane.

Getting There, and Reservations

To get to Abbott Hut you first need to take a bus to Lake O'Hara. To protect this sensitive alpine area and maintain a wilderness experience, a quota system limits the number of visitors using the public bus service into Lake O’Hara. A reservation with the Alpine Club of Canada is required. The bus operates from June 16 - October 8 (start and end dates vary year to year). You may reserve up to three calendar months in advance of your visit, by telephone only. Phone number is 250-343-6433.

You can pay for your reservation by Mastercard, Visa or American Express. A $11.85 reservation fee applies. The bus, campground and reservation fees are collected at the time of booking. Once reservations are made, an additional $11.85 modification fee will apply for any future changes.

You can park your vehicle at the parking lot where the bus picks you up. Be sure to hide all valuables.

A longish hike (about 3-6 hours) from Lake O'Hara takes you to the Hut. During the hike you gain almost 1,000 meters or 3,000 feet of elevation the majority of which comes during the end scramble.

From Abbott Hut you can make summit attempts on Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy.

Pack light for the hike and enjoy your time at this historic hut.

Reservations are required for the hut through the Alpine Club of Canada (URL is included in the relevant links section).