Best Hiking Trails in Jasper National Park

200 reviews

Seasonal Popularity

Overview

Nestled in the crown of the Rockies, Jasper National Park is famous for its mighty peaks, many of which top 3000 meters. The park contains such national treasures as Mt. Robson, the massive Columbia Icefield, and the Athabasca River, and it's an important refuge for iconic Canadian wildlife. Like Banff National Park, Jasper is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage site.

Getting Started

The park is about a 3.5-hour drive from both Edmonton and Calgary. Check trail conditions, road closures, and local weather reports before your trip.

To get started, try a short valley hike along alpine lakes to The Red Chairs or take a walk on the Columbia Ice Field (consider bringing crampons for traction).

If you have more time, plan a backpacking trip along the Skyline Trail, for a gorgeous 49-km point-to-point hike with wide-open views of the surrounding mountains and meadows. Another spot with unbeatable scenery would be the Berg Lake Trail, which weaves between the glaciated flanks of Mount Robson and Whitehorn Mountain on its way to the banks of the Smoky River. Do it as an out-and-back in its own right, camping in the Valley of a Thousand Falls, or use the trail to access nearby glaciers and peaks in the Robson Cirque.

When to Go

The park is open year-round. Summer is definitely the high season, but winter snow makes the park a haven for cross-country and backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating. Spring and summer offer more variable temperatures but less crowding. If you go in the late fall or winter, check for seasonal road closures online before you plan your trip. Also check the avalanche forecast if you're venturing into steeper terrain.

Permits

All visitors to the park (except those under the age of 17) will need to purchase a day pass or an annual Discovery Pass. There are fees for overnight camping as well. For a full schedule of fees and permit options, visit the Jasper National Park web page.

Dog Info

Dogs are permitted in Jasper National Park as long as they remain on-leash. Read up online more info on park rules and regulations.

Hiking Trails (122)
Reviews (200)

jennajohnson29 2 years ago

Saturday Night Activity

Successfully summited Mt. Athabasca with 3 of us and 1 guide. The conditions and glacier were very dry. We chose to summit the North Glacier route which follows the A2 Glacier on the North side of the mountain to the base of the Silverhorn Ridge. From there we traversed up the West ridge (where the route joins with the Athabasca/Adromeda AA Col route) then onto Silverhorn and then on to the summit. On the way down we took the AA Col route which is where the conditions worsened. We let 2 others go down the AA Col ahead of us and waited for them to get onto the glacier so we didn’t dislodge rocks at them during our decent. That whole section is very loose scree and rocks while descending onto the glacier below. It was challenging to not send rocks flying down so I was glad we waited for the other group to decent first. But this also proved to be a negative because while we waited for about 45 minutes for the 2 to descend, we missed the window to descend the glacier safely before the heat stared to loosen the rocks. Once getting onto the glacier there were numerous rock falls. Thankfully only little pieces hit us and it didn’t cause damage but we did narrowly miss a few larger ones which would have knocked us down/caused some injury. Our guide told us Athabasca is done for the year and he wouldn’t be taking anyone else after our trip. We were descending around 3pm so this was our biggest issue with the heat. The conditions on this section of the glacier were poor, everything was scree over ice until the glacier levels out and you can walk down the Icefield. All and all a fantastic trip minus the sketchy rock fall at the end.

★ ★ ★ ★

thill224 3 years ago

The Skyline Trail Sept 10-12, 2023

The Skyline Trail is absolutely stunning. It’s a moderate trail that’s very well maintained and marked. It’s a must do.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

wm-95alex 3 years, 2 months ago

Wilcox peak

Amazing views scramble is a bit intense there is no clear way to get to the peak.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★