Jasper trails by level: easy, moderate and hard
🥾 Hikes📅 Updated October 18, 2026⏱ 2 min read
Cover: View from Old Fort Point. Photo: CV1958 (Colin Viney), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Jasper has hikes for every level, many of them minutes from town. We've sorted them from easiest to hardest using Parks Canada's figures. At the end of each group you'll see today's official status for each trail.
Easy: for everyone
Maligne Lake boathouse, on the Mary Schäffer Loop. Photo: Ron Cogswell from Arlington, Virginia, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Mary Schäffer Loop: 3.2 km, flat, 1 to 2 hours. Along the shore of Maligne Lake, past the historic boathouse; the first stretch is paved.
- Moose Lake Loop: 2.7 km and 59 m of gain. Forest with moss-covered boulders to Moose Lake.
- Lac Beauvert Loop: a flat 3.5 km around the green lake by the Jasper Park Lodge. Walkable all year.
Moderate: some climbing
- Old Fort Point Loop: 3.8 km and 130 m of gain, with a very steep stretch at km 1.3. Views of town, Mt. Edith Cavell and Lac Beauvert.
- Valley of the Five Lakes: 5.4 km on the Emerald Loop, rolling with short climbs. Reopened in May 2026 after the wildfire.
- Pyramid Trail: 10.4 km return and 118 m of gain, from town to Pyramid Lake. Open all year.
- Lower Sunwapta Falls: 2.6 km and 87 m of gain, through the forest to three waterfalls.
- Forefield Trail: 3.6 km across the ground the Athabasca Glacier left as it retreated. Don't walk on the glacier.
Hard: long climbs
Columbia Icefield from Wilcox Pass. Photo: Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Wilcox Pass: 8 km and 390 m of gain, with views of the Athabasca Glacier the whole way. For something short, turn back at the Red Chairs, 1.2 km in. It can hold snow until late July.
- Bald Hills: 10.4 km and almost 500 m of gain to a view of all of Maligne Lake. Grizzly bear area; no dogs allowed.
- Sulphur Skyline: 8.8 km and 700 m of gain to a 2,050 m summit, from Miette Hot Springs. Afternoon thunderstorms are common: start early. The Miette Road is closed from mid-October to late May.
Looking for lakes more than summits? See The lakes of Jasper.
Official sources
- Parks Canada: Hiking trails in Jasper National Park
- Parks Canada: Maligne Valley trails
- Parks Canada: Icefields Parkway trails
- Parks Canada: Miette area trails
Community experiences
User experiences, not official information. Always check the official status before you go.
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