Hiking the Old Fort Point Trail in Jasper National Park

One of the best things to do in Jasper National Park in summer is to hike the Old Fort Point loop trail.

Shaped by ancient glaciers, Old Fort Point is a giant craggy mound of bedrock looming 426 feet (130 meters) high above the surrounding valleys.

The views are truly epic!

From the top of this mammoth limestone rock, you get 360-degree views of the Jasper Skytram terminal on top of Whistlers Mountain, the Jasper townsite across the wide rushing Athabasca River, and the iconic Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge snuggled up to the cobalt blue Lac Beauvert.

Now here’s the thing. We think the clockwise direction is the best way to do this popular trail.

So read on for everything you want to know about this great hiking trail in Jasper!

Old Fort Point hike, Jasper

Thankfully, the Old Fort Point hike is an easy-to-moderate Jasper hike.

Compared to many all-day thigh-burners you find in Canada’s national parks, it’s also a reasonably short hike (short for Jasper, anyway).

If you’re looking for a half-day hike to super-charge your Jasper holiday, this loop trail packs a mega punch.

It’s one of the best hikes in Jasper National Park, thanks to its stunning mountain views and beautiful wildflowers adding pops of color along the way.

Stats: Old Fort Point Trail, Jasper

Jasper trail map: Old Fort Point hike

Download a PDF of the above Jasper hiking map to enlarge the map of the Old Fort Point loop trail.

Getting to the start of the Old Fort Point, Jasper, trail

The Old Fort Point trailhead is a mile (1.6 km) from the town of Jasper.

From town, make your way down Hazel Avenue across the railroad tracks, then across Yellowhead Highway 16.

Recommended route: Clockwise Old Fort Point loop, Jasper

The fastest way to reach the top of Old Fort Point is via the steep wooden stairs leading up from the parking lot.

Many people go up this way. One couple we met on our way down told us they simply saw the stairs, wondered where they would lead and started climbing up.

We recommend what we think is a better alternative.

In our view, the best way to hike to Old Fort Point is to follow a clock-wise loop that takes you gently up a longer forested trail.

Then you take the stairs back down at the end.

The clockwise route is easier on your knees – and the panoramic views (like the climax in a blockbuster movie) make a bigger impact at the end.

Going up:

Start at Trail #1 behind the signposted trail board at the edge of the parking lot.

The trail then curves to the right and comes to a fork.

Trail #1a is a slightly longer .1 mile (.3 km) extension. Trail #1 rises at a shorter, steeper incline.

But both trails join up at the same place, leveling out at a viewpoint with two red Parks Canada chairs.

Then continue further a little way until you come to Old Fort Point, which looks like a large jagged ridge.

Coming down:

Once you’ve soaked up all the natural beauty around you, it’s downhill from here.

Be careful not to slip on the loose gravel and rocks on the steep sections of the wide slope. Walking down in a zigzag pattern helps.

Soon you’ll come to the steep staircases we mentioned earlier. They take you back to the parking area.

As you descend, you get terrific close-up views of the Athabasca River and the Old Fort Point Bridge.

One of the best easy Jasper hikes

Perhaps it was the warm sunshine, the blue skies, the splendiferous views and the pleasant breeze. Or the good company of family on the trail. Or maybe both.

But Old Fort Point was one of those perfect hikes for us – one of the nicest short hikes in Jasper we did on our family holiday.

Tips for hiking Old Fort Point Trail

Bear safety:

This hike is in bear country, so be bear-aware.

Make noise (for example, occasionally clapping your hands or whistling loudly) to signal your whereabouts to any bears that happen to be around. Bears will try and avoid you if they’re aware of you.

You shouldn’t need to bring bear spray if you’re hiking in the summer, as you’ll see quite a few other hikers on the trail (and bears usually don’t like to be near people).

More easy hikes in Jasper

We also enjoyed several other Jasper day hikes on our visit.

Edith Cavell Meadows:

The hike to Edith Cavell Meadows was another of our favorite trails.

You can make it short. It’s a touch over 1 mile (1.6 km) round-trip to see the face of the two glaciers: Angel Glacier and Edith Cavell Glacier.

We did the longer route up – about 5 miles (8 km) round-trip – continuing past the glaciers on Mount Edith Cavell, up through the forest and to the alpine meadows at the top.

Maligne Canyon:

Another fairly simple day hike is along Maligne Canyon. Viewing Maligne Canyon is a must-do if you’re visiting Jasper for the first time.

For a short easy walk, park at the Maligne Canyon parking lot and make your way from the First Bridge to the Second Bridge, the highest point of the canyon.

Whistlers Mountain:

Next time, we’d like to get tickets to ride the Skytram up Whistlers Mountain.

It’s Canada’s longest and highest guided aerial tramway, taking you up to a boardwalk at an elevation of 7,400+ feet (2,263 meters).

You can then hike a short distance (a little under a mile or 200 meters) to the peak of the mountain.

The views from the top there look like they would be even better on a good day than the views we enjoyed on the Old Fort Point Hike!

See here for more information on other day hikes in Jasper.

For more information on the park itself, see the Jasper National Park website.

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Photo credits: 2, 4, 5, 7 to 11 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Hiking map courtesy Parks Canada | 6 Andrea Norrie

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