Jasper Trail & Visitor Guide
Jasper · Canada · About 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 square miles), the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies.
Why Visit Jasper
Jasper National Park covers 4,335 square miles of the Canadian Rockies, making it the largest national park in the range. The Columbia Icefield — the largest ice mass in the Rocky Mountains — feeds rivers flowing to three different oceans. The park is a designated Dark Sky Preserve, one of the largest in the world, with extraordinary stargazing. Jasper's relative remoteness compared to Banff means quieter trails and more wildlife encounters.
Free Jasper Audio Guide with Roamee Pro
Roamee Pro offers a free, self-guided Jasper audio guide. It narrates trails, viewpoints, geology, and wildlife as you explore — Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake, Athabasca Falls, plus quieter spots like Path of the Glacier Trail and Jasper Dark Sky Preserve. No guide, no schedule, works offline.
explore by interest
Signature Trails
- Path of the Glacier Trail (Mount Edith Cavell)1.6 km loop · Easy
Views of Angel Glacier and Cavell Pond, often with small icebergs from the glacier.
- Cavell Meadows TrailAbout 8 km return · Moderate (around 400 m elevation gain)
Alpine wildflower meadows in July-August and a higher vantage on Angel Glacier.
- Valley of the Five Lakes4.5 km loop · Easy to moderate
Five lakes with distinct blue-green colors; short hike off the Icefields Parkway.
- Bald Hills Trail (Maligne Lake)About 10.4 km return via the trail (shorter via the fire road) · Moderate to strenuous (around 500 m gain)
Ridge views over Maligne Lake and surrounding peaks.
- Sulphur Skyline Trail (Miette Hot Springs)8 km return · Strenuous (around 700 m gain)
360-degree summit views of the Fiddle River valley; soak at Miette Hot Springs afterward.
Must-See in Jasper
- •Columbia Icefield — the largest ice mass in the Rockies, with a skywalk extending over the Sunwapta Valley
- •Maligne Lake — the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies with the iconic Spirit Island viewpoint
- •Athabasca Falls — a thundering waterfall where the Athabasca River forces through a narrow gorge
- •Valley of the Five Lakes — a 4.5-mile loop past five differently colored lakes in the montane forest
Best Viewpoints
- •Maligne Lake and the Spirit Island viewpoint (reached by boat tour, about 14 km down the lake)
- •Maligne Canyon, a limestone gorge up to 50 m deep with six footbridges
- •Athabasca Falls on the Icefields Parkway, a 23 m waterfall
- •Pyramid Lake and Pyramid Island, near Jasper townsite
- •Mount Edith Cavell with Angel Glacier
Quieter Corners of Jasper
- •Path of the Glacier Trail — a 1-mile loop revealing how far the Athabasca Glacier has retreated since the 1800s
- •Jasper Dark Sky Preserve — one of the world's largest dark sky preserves with ranger-led astronomy programs
Wildlife You May See
Entrance Fee
A Parks Canada day pass is about CAD 11 per adult; a family/group pass (up to 7 people in one vehicle) is about CAD 22 per day. The annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass covers all national parks for about CAD 75 per adult or CAD 151 per group.
Getting There
Jasper townsite is on Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway). From Edmonton it is about 365 km (4 hours) west; from Banff it is about 290 km (3.5 hours) north via the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). VIA Rail's Canadian train stops at Jasper station on the Toronto-Vancouver route. The nearest major airport is Edmonton International (YEG).
Where to Stay
Jasper townsite has hotels, motels, and hostels; Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge sits on Lac Beauvert about 7 km east. Parks Canada operates campgrounds including Whistlers (the largest, near town), Wapiti, Wabasso, and Pocahontas. Reserve campsites and lodging ahead for July-August. Note: a July 2024 wildfire destroyed a significant portion of structures in and around the townsite, so confirm current availability before booking.
Best Time
Peak hiking season is July to early September, when high-elevation trails are snow-free and alpine wildflowers bloom. Many high trails hold snow into late June. Jasper is also a Dark Sky Preserve, with the Dark Sky Festival typically held in October.
Safety
Bears are the top hazard. Carry bear spray, keep it accessible, hike in groups, make noise on the trail, and store all food and scented items in vehicle trunks or bear-proof lockers. Never feed or approach wildlife; elk during the fall rut (September-October) and spring calving can be aggressive. Maligne Canyon's edges are slippery and unfenced in places.
Scenic Drives
- •Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) between Jasper and Lake Louise, about 230 km past glaciers and the Columbia Icefield
- •Maligne Lake Road, about 44 km from town past Maligne Canyon and Medicine Lake
- •Highway 16 east toward Miette Hot Springs and Pocahontas
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