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Skyline Trail (Jasper)

Skyline Trail (Jasper) — the trail guide

The Skyline Trail (Jasper) is a 45.2 km trek in Canada, typically walked in 2–3 days, with 1438 m of total ascent. It rates Hard on our published rubric (32 m of gain per km, topping out at 2522 m).

The Skyline is Jasper National Park's flagship backpacking traverse, running roughly 44 km from Maligne Lake north to the Signal Mountain trailhead along the crest of the Maligne Range. Nearly half of it sits at or above treeline, climbing to The Notch at 2,510 m — the highest maintained trail in the park. Hikers come for the sustained alpine ridgewalking and sweeping Canadian Rockies panoramas. It's point-to-point, so you'll need a car shuttle and a Parks Canada backcountry permit.

Quick facts

Distance45.2 km
Total ascent1438 m
Typical duration2–3 days
Difficulty (computed)Hard
Steepness32 m gain per km
High point2522 m
CountryCanada
RegionCanada

Difficulty is computed from gain-per-km and maximum altitude on a published rubric, identically for every trail in the catalogue — so an "Hard" here means the same thing everywhere on DirtbagMaps.

Elevation profile

Low point 1164 m · high point 2522 m · 1438 m total ascent over 45.2 km.

Historical climate normals — month by month

ERA5 reanalysis averages (2015–2024) for the trail area, referenced to approximately 1706 m elevation. These are gridded historical estimates, not observations from every stage and not a forecast. They cannot show current snowpack, river levels, fire restrictions, closures or whether a pass is safe.

MonthAvg highAvg lowAvg precip
Jan-8°-14°41 mm
Feb-8°-15°48 mm
Mar-2°-11°43 mm
Apr2°-7°51 mm
May9°0°73 mm
Jun13°3°102 mm
Jul17°7°102 mm
Aug17°7°92 mm
Sep11°2°76 mm
Oct3°-5°65 mm
Nov-5°-11°59 mm
Dec-10°-15°44 mm

Planning notes

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Skyline Trail (Jasper)?

The Skyline Trail (Jasper) is 45.2 km, and most hikers complete it in 2–3 days. Total elevation gain is 1438 m.

How difficult is the Skyline Trail (Jasper)?

It rates Hard on DirtbagMaps' computed rubric: 32 m of climbing per km walked with a high point of 2522 m. The rubric classifies every trail from gain-per-km and maximum altitude, so ratings are comparable across the whole catalogue.

Can this climate table tell me when the Skyline Trail (Jasper) is open or safe?

No. The table contains historical ERA5 averages, not a forecast or a report of snow, flooding, fire, closures or route condition. Check the responsible land manager and a current local forecast before departure.

Where is the Skyline Trail (Jasper)?

In Canada. The route starts near 52.726, -117.645 — the interactive 3D map above shows the full line, and the planner splits it into daily stages.

Can I get the GPX and plan daily stages?

Yes. Open the trail in the DirtbagMaps planner to drag the elevation profile into daily stages, see huts and accommodation along the corridor, and export a per-day GPX for your watch or GPS.

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