Parking
Start at Portal Creek Trailhead on Marmot Road, about 16 km from Jasper. Follow Marmot Road to km 12; the hiker sign on the left marks the trailhead.
Overview
About Tonquin Valley Trail
Why go
- Amethyst Lake and the Ramparts reward a long approach.
- A true pass crossing links forest, meadows and alpine scenery.
Heads up
- The 46 km return is a multi-day backpack with a pass crossing in both directions.
- Muddy meadow tread and mosquitoes are common tradeoffs.
From Portal Creek Trailhead, the Tonquin Valley route to Amethyst Campground is a 46 km out-and-back: 23 km each way over Maccarib Pass. It climbs out of the forest into subalpine meadows, crosses a 2,205 m pass, then drops toward Amethyst Lake below the Ramparts. This is a two-to-three-day backcountry trip, not a day walk; you have to cross the pass again on the return. If you want a shorter overnight, Portal Campground is about 8.7 km in, but you will not reach the lake.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the long out-and-back worth it?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Icefields Parkway map
Full mapElevation1,528–2,193 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Tonquin Valley 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
Tonquin Valley: A Planned Backpacking Trip0:00 / 0:28
“You're nearing Portal Creek trailhead, for the long hike into Tonquin Valley. Reaching Amethyst Lake beneath the jagged Ramparts means a forty-six kilometre return trip over Maccarib Pass, usually two to three days.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Icefields Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ripples Locked in Rock
- A Chickadee Remembers the Right Door
- Butterflies at the Mud Puddle
- Frost That Grows from the Air
- 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 Tonquin Valley Trail
From Portal Creek into the valleyThe first stretch follows a creek through dense forest and climbs about 500 m to Portal…
The first stretch follows a creek through dense forest and climbs about 500 m to Portal Campground. The valley starts to show through about halfway in, then opens up after the rockslide below Peveril Peak. The path drops back toward the creek at camp, where the ground can be muddy. Portal Campground is 8.7 km from the trailhead; it is a useful place to break the climb or stay before carrying on.
Up and over Maccarib PassWest of Portal Campground, the trail climbs gradually through subalpine meadows, then steepens…
West of Portal Campground, the trail climbs gradually through subalpine meadows, then steepens toward Maccarib Pass at 2,205 m. The far side descends through marshy ground toward Maccarib Creek and its campground, with many bridges across the creek channels. Maccarib Campground is 19.6 km from Portal Creek. The site sits on a wooded knoll north of Maccarib Creek, reached by a bridge. The pass is the high point of the route, and the valley tread is often wet and soft; save enough energy for the climb back over it on the way out.
Amethyst Lake and the RampartsAmethyst Campground is 3.4 km beyond Maccarib Campground, at the lake beneath the Ramparts.
Amethyst Campground is 3.4 km beyond Maccarib Campground, at the lake beneath the Ramparts. The jagged skyline has ten named summits, including Drawbridge, Bastion, Dungeon and Turret Peak. Give the lake a proper pause: from shore, keep water in the foreground and the Ramparts across the frame.
Wildlife, mud and mosquitoesGrizzly bears, black bears and caribou live in the valley.
Grizzly bears, black bears and caribou live in the valley. Mud and mosquitoes are part of the experience; late summer and fall are the recommended seasons for a more comfortable visit. The changing terrain is the reward: a shaded creek approach, open meadows above treeline, the pass crossing and, finally, the lake-and-mountain view.
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.
