Parking
Use P14 on Whistlers Road. From Highway 93 about 1.8 km south of Jasper, turn onto Whistlers Road; after 2.8 km, take the unpaved access road on the left and continue a short distance to the lot.
Overview
About The Whistlers Trail
Why go
- A full summit climb with wide views across both valleys
- The route passes through montane, subalpine and alpine zones
Heads up
- A long, steep climb with roughly 1,000–1,200 m of elevation gain
- No drinking water is available along the route
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Icefields Parkway map
Full mapElevation1,268–2,446 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Icefields Parkway alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted area closures in JasperStay out of the closed wildfire-impacted areas in Jasper National Park; access is prohibited or restricted to protect public safety.Official details
- ClosureOpal Hills hiking area closed for grizzly bearThe Opal Hills hiking area is closed because a female grizzly bear with two offspring is in the area. - The closure took effect September 25, 2026, and remains in effect until further notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Icefields Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to The Whistlers Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Icefields Parkway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Whistlers Mountain: Choose Your Climb0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Whistlers Mountain's trail access. The full climb from Whistlers Road is a steep, five-to-eight-hour return hike to views over the Athabasca and Miette valleys.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Icefields Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Whistlers Campground: A Base Near Jasper
- The Bird Inside the Snowbank
- Wapiti Campground: River Views and Open Sites
- A Winter Nursery Under the Gravel
- 141 audio storiesacross Icefields Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Moose, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 57 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking The Whistlers Trail
The full climbThe Whistlers Trail is a steep out-and-back from P14 on Whistlers Road to the mountain summit.
The Whistlers Trail is a steep out-and-back from P14 on Whistlers Road to the mountain summit. The live trail listing gives 13.6 km (8.5 miles) round trip; the 2026 printed map gives 7.3 km one way, while the mapped corridor measures about 7.0 km each way. Treat the mileage as approximate and plan for roughly 14 km. Allow five to eight hours; about seven is a sensible day with stops. The summit-only Trail 5a is a separate 2.2 km return walk from the upper tram terminal, reached by tram, and is a much shorter way to see the top.
The climbExpect a sustained switchbacking ascent.
Expect a sustained switchbacking ascent. The first kilometre or two can be bright with July wildflowers. About a third of the way up, the grade eases near the tram cables and midpoint tower; from there the route keeps gaining through montane and subalpine forest toward open alpine ground. The climb crosses all three of Jasper’s elevation zones, so the scenery changes as the trees thin.
Above the tram terminalThe upper terminal sits below the summit, and the final alpine stretch is shared with tram…
The upper terminal sits below the summit, and the final alpine stretch is shared with tram visitors. Stay on the marked path to protect the fragile alpine vegetation here. The top opens to broad views over the Miette and Athabasca valleys and surrounding peaks; Mount Robson can appear on a clear day.
Conditions and accessThere’s no drinking water on the route.
There’s no drinking water on the route. Weather gets colder higher up, and snow on the upper slopes in spring and fall can bring avalanche danger. Carry enough water for the full day and an extra layer and rain shell. The trail closes to the public from November 1 through May 15 to protect caribou habitat. Dogs are allowed but must stay on a leash.
The mountain’s smaller lifeThe alpine zone is a different world from the lower forest: low, wind-shaped krummholz gives…
The alpine zone is a different world from the lower forest: low, wind-shaped krummholz gives way to rocky slopes, flowers and lingering snow. Look for mountain avens and globe flowers, and keep an eye out for pikas, marmots, ground squirrels and ptarmigan. Larger wildlife, including mountain goats, caribou and grizzlies, is possible but never something to count on.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Icefields Parkway
12 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
16 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
100 sightingsElkMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
34 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Icefields Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
