The Waputik Icefield is located on the Continental divide

Continental divide

A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...

 in the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

, in the provinces of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 and Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

. It is developed on the heights of the Waputik Range

Waputik Range

The Waputik Range lies West of the upper Bow Valley, East of Bath Creek, South of Balfour Creek in the Canadian Rockies."Waputik" means "white goat" in Stoney...

 in the Central Main Ranges.

The icefield is shared by Banff

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...

 and Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side...

s and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield. Runoff from the Waputik Icefield provides water for numerous lakes, streams and rivers including Hector Lake

Hector Lake

Hector Lake is a small glacial lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies.It is named after James Hector, a geologist and naturalist with the Palliser Expedition....

, and the Bow

Bow River

The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....

, Kicking Horse

Kicking Horse River

The Kicking Horse River is a river located in the Canadian Rockies of southeastern British Columbia, Canada.The river was named in 1858, when James Hector, a member of the Palliser Expedition, was kicked by his packhorse while exploring the river. Hector survived and named the river and the...

 and Yoho River

Yoho River

The Yoho River is a silty, swift tributary of the Kicking Horse River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The river is located entirely within Yoho National Park.-Course:...

s. Runoff from the Daly Glacier feeds Takakkaw Falls

Takakkaw Falls

Takakkaw Falls is a waterfall located in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia, in Canada. Its highest point is 384m from its base, making it the second-highest officially measured waterfall in western Canada, after Della Falls on Vancouver Island...

.

The icefield encompasses 40 km² (15 miles²) and is located 20 km (12.4 mi) northwest of Lake Louise

Lake Louise (Alberta)

Lake Louise is a lake in Alberta, Canada. The glacial lake is located in Banff National Park, from the hamlet of Lake Louise and the Trans-Canada Highway....

, on the west side of the Icefield Parkway.

The icefield is easily accessible by mountaineers in both the summer and winter. Both ski trips in the winter and glacier hiking trips in the summer often combine a traverse of this icefield with a trip across the Wapta Icefield

Wapta Icefield

The Wapta Icefield is located on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The icefield is shared by Banff and Yoho National Parks and numerous outlet glaciers extend from the icefield, including the Vulture, Bow and Peyto Glaciers...

 directly to the north.

Glaciers

The following glaciers are part of this icefield:

• Waputik Glacier
• Diableret Glacier
• Glacier des Poilus
• Emerald Glacier
• Bath Glacier
• Niles Glacier
• Balfour Glacier
• Daly Glacier

Huts

There are two huts operated by the Alpine Club of Canada

Alpine Club of Canada

The Alpine Club of Canada is a mountain club with a National Office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, who served as its first president, and Elizabeth Parker, a journalist for...

 which are accessible from this icefield:

• Scott Duncan Hut
  Scott Duncan Hut
  The Scott Duncan Hut is an alpine hut located on the southern tip of the Waputik Icefield in Yoho National Park. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.The hut sleeps 12 and is equipped with propane powered lamps and stovetop...
  
  
• Balfour Hut