The hardest hikes in Jasper National Park, by the numbers
Of the 45 trails in Jasper National Park in our dataset, 17 (38 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; all 17 are listed here, highest rating first.
Great Divide Trail - Six Passes Alternate Route leads with 5,998 ft of gain over 24.2 miles, 248 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 33 percent.
Across the 17, gain runs from 2,056 to 5,998 ft and distance from 3.4 miles to 24.4 miles; the median gain is 3,499 ft and the median distance 11.4 miles.
12 of the 17 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (5).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Divide Trail - Six Passes Alternate RouteSouthwestern Alberta | 24.2 | 5,998 | 248 | 33% | 5,617 to 8,352 | 538.8 | |
| 2 | Poboktan Pass TrailSouthwestern Alberta | 24 | 3,499 | 146 | 48% | 5,057 to 7,601 | 409.8 | |
| 3 | GDT eil | 23.5 | 3,570 | 152 | 21% | 5,794 to 8,153 | 409.6 | |
| 4 | GDT eig | 24.1 | 2,233 | 93 | 16% | 5,561 to 7,421 | 328.1 | |
| 5 | North Boundary Trail - Celestine to Willow CreekSouthwestern Alberta | 24.4 | 2,056 | 84 | 16% | 3,480 to 4,588 | 316.8 | |
| 6 | Tonquin Valley trail | 19.6 | 2,349 | 120 | 17% | 5,650 to 7,283 | 303.4 | |
| 7 | GDT efc | 19.6 | 2,130 | 109 | 72% | 4,698 to 7,379 | 289 | |
| 8 | GDT eiq | 15.2 | 2,554 | 168 | 30% | 5,640 to 8,232 | 278.6 | |
| 9 | Mount Columbia Route | 8.1 | 4,203 | 519 | 8,832 to 12,067 | 260.9 | ||
| 10 | Mount Edith Cavell Route | 7.2 | 4,584 | 637 | 99% | 5,574 to 10,856 | 256.9 | |
| 11 | Diadem Peak Route | 5.8 | 5,690 | 981 | 75% | 5,236 to 10,997 | 256.9 | |
| 12 | Evelyn Peak Route | 6.2 | 5,129 | 827 | 54% | 4,003 to 9,170 | 252.2 | |
| 13 | Roche De Smet Route | 6.8 | 4,305 | 633 | 52% | 3,438 to 7,753 | 242 | |
| 14 | Jonas Pass TrailSouthwestern Alberta | 11.4 | 2,154 | 189 | 26% | 6,281 to 8,150 | 221.6 | |
| 15 | Sunwapta Peak Route | 3.4 | 5,583 | 1,642 | 53% | 5,138 to 10,748 | 194.8 | |
| 16 | The Whistlers Trail | 3.8 | 3,323 | 874 | 32% | 4,075 to 7,375 | 158.9 | |
| 17 | Bald Hills TrailSouthwestern Alberta | 5.7 | 2,082 | 365 | 32% | 5,543 to 7,591 | 154.1 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Jasper National Park" here means the 45 trails in Jasper National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Jasper National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Great Divide Trail - Six Passes Alternate Route.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.