Jasper National Park offers hikers a dizzy variety of trails and adventures. Here are a few of the more than 1,000 kilometres of hiking trails. Remember to choose one that suits your ability. Pack warm clothing (even in the summer) and plenty of snacks and water. Look out for wildlife and leave a safe distance between you and the largest animals.
You couldn’t choose an easier or more leisurely hike than the 3.5-kilometre (2.2-mile) trail around Lac Beauvert at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. With the clearest water you will ever see, Lac Beauvert offers beautiful views from the well-used path skirting the water’s edge. Begin from the lodge or from the parking lot at the end of Old Fort Point Road. This is elk country so remember to keep a respectful distance between you and the elk.
One of Jasper’s most popular hikes is a 2.5-kilometre (1.5-mile) trail leading to the Valley of the Five Lakes. The fairly easy hike, with an elevation gain of 30 metres (56 feet), begins in a forest of lodgepole pine and crosses a footbridge over Wabasso Creek. The opportunity to see wildlife is great, as this is a popular spot with beaver, mule deer, elk and coyotes. You will find the trailhead about five kilometres south on the left side of Highway 93, just one kilometre past the bridge over the Athabasca River.
The Old Fort Point Loop is a classic Jasper hike, offering beautiful views of the Jasper townsite and the Miette and Athabasca Valleys. This is a short but steep hike, not for the faint of heart. The 6.5-kilometre (four-mile) trail is easy to find. Turn left at the Old Fort Point exit off Highway 93A just after crossing Highway 16. Find a place to park after crossing the bridge, and walk to the trailhead. Hikers enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view from the top, and some even get to see the bighorn sheep that roam through this area. By the way, there is no “old fort”.
Lake Annette Loop is an easy 2.4-kilometre (1.5-mile) after-dinner stroll around one of Jasper’s beautiful recreational lakes near the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The pathway around the lake is paved, making it accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and the interpretive signs around the lake offer explanations of the area’s history. Firepits, open meadows, a beach near the parking lot at the end of Lake Annette Road and numerous perfect swimming spots make this one of Jasper’s most popular trails. Lake Annette is located just east of Jasper off Hwy. 16, en route to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
An easy walk of 4.8 kilometres (three miles) around Patricia Lake offers hikers a chance to relax in an idyllic environment with majestic Pyramid Mountain reflected off of the lake’s placid surface. Some of the best wildlife and bird watching in the Rockies draws visitors to this spot for a glimpse of beaver, deer, moose and bear. Start at the Pyramid Stables parking lot on Pyramid Lake Road for this extraordinary and easy hike.
A much longer hike, starting in the same spot, the Pyramid Stables parking lot, offers one of the most beautiful views of the Athabasca Valley. The Pyramid Lake Loop is 17.4 kilometres (11 miles), but every footstep is worth the view from Pyramid Bench, the destination of many hikers in Jasper. The only drawback to this trail is that it can be confusing for the novice hiker as there are numerous unofficial trails crossing the path. However, the trails are marked, so it isn’t difficult to stay on the official trail. Hikers can also reach this loop from the parking lot across from the Jasper Aquatic Centre.
Nearby Mina Lake and the adjacent pond host visits from moose and beaver, as well as hikers wanting to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals. An easy walk of nine kilometres (5.6 miles), the loop also begins and ends at the parking lot across from the Jasper Aquatic Centre.
A pair of pretty little lakes can be reached by a short and easy stroll through the woods. Marjorie Lake is just 2.3 kilometres (1.5 miles) from the parking lot, starting at the west end of the Jasper townsite before the Cabin Creek West Subdivision off Pyramid Lake Road (see Map 1.C5 for location). If you continue along the trail for another 1.9 kilometres (1.1 miles), you will reach Caledonia Lake, a peaceful and spiritual lake, where you are likely to find a black bear, which has made this lake its home.
For a more challenging excursion, the River Canyon Trail, starting at Old Fort Point, takes hikers along the banks of the Athabasca River for eight kilometres, crosses Maligne Road and then continues along the banks of the Maligne River, until it reaches Maligne Canyon. The 12.4-kilometre (7.7-mile) climb is worth the effort, as it offers fabulous views of the river and the chance of seeing elk in one of the best elk locations in Jasper.
Novice hikers looking for a good overnight trip may want to check out Jacques Lake. The trail begins at the south end of Medicine Lake, 28 kilometres (17.4 miles) from the Jasper townsite. Hikers follow the trail for 12 kilometres, climbing a miniscule 90 metres to a maximum elevation of 1,555 metres (2,897 feet). The first 1.6 kilometres (one mile) occur along a fire road to Beaver Lake, but the remaining 10.4 kilometres (6.5 miles) take the hiker directly to Jacques Lake, where seasonal catch-and-release fishing is permitted so remember to get a license!
The alpine meadow at the top of Watchtower Basin is a must-see for hikers up for the challenge of a steep hike. Beginning 18 kilometres from the Jasper townsite along Maligne Road, the 9.8-kilometre (6.1-mile) hike is much too difficult for children, with an elevation gain of 985 metres (1,835 feet) to an elevation of 2,375 metres (4,425 feet). Ambitious hikers may want to continue on to the Skyline Trail, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) further.
The Path of the Glaciers Loop is a short 1.6-kilometre (one-mile) hike that climbs quickly up to the Cavell Meadow fork and then levels off the rest of the way to Cavell Pond. A spectacular view of the Angel Glacier rewards the intrepid hiker. The pond is sometimes dotted with small icebergs broken free of the glacier itself. Constant falling ice from the toe of the glacier makes some of the unofficial paths in that direction quite dangerous. If you want to know more about the glacier or about the area or Edith Cavell herself, there are excellent interpretive signs at the beginning of the trail.
One of the more popular trails in Jasper National Park is the 9.6-kilometre (6.0-mile) return hike to the top of Sulphur Mountain along the Sulphur Skyline Trail. The trailhead begins at the Miette Hot Springs pool, located 61 kilometres (37.9 miles) east of Jasper along Highway 16, and climbs upward along the valley between Mount Shuey and Sulphur Ridge to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. A 360-degree panoramic view rewards you at the top with a spectacular view of Utopia Mountain to the west, Fiddle Valley to the south, Ashlar Ridge to the north and Mystery Lake Valley to the east. Wildlife such as mule deer, big horn sheep, ptarmigan and squirrels can be seen along the trail. Upon completion of this three- to four-hour hike, reward yourself with a relaxing soak in the hot mineral pools at Miette Hot Springs and a cold drink or meal in the café. Comfortable hiking boots, water, an extra sweater and rain gear are advised, as this is a constant although moderate climb to the summit and the weather can change rapidly.
